The Evo festivities kick off a little later than usual this year, with Evo 2018 landing in Las Vegas at the start of August.
Evo is the largest annual fighting game event in the world. It’s part tournament, part convention, and showcases the best of what the fighting game community has to offer. This year it runs over three days, from Aug. 3 to 5.
Two new games will make their Evo debut, with Dragon Ball FighterZ and BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle taking center stage.
With the official timetable still a few months from release, fans are eagerly anticipating the schedule for this year’s event. To make sure you don’t miss anything, this guide should help make sense of it all.
When is it happening?
Evo kicks off Aug. 3 to 5 in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
Just like last year, the finals will be taking place next door at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
What games will be played?
The eight games that make up Evo’s 2018 lineup are:
- Tekken 7
- Super Smash Bros. Wii U
- Street Fighter 5: Arcade Edition
- BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
- Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2
- Injustice 2
- Super Smash Bro. Melee
- Dragon Ball FighterZ
What is the prize?
The prize money for each game is undecided right now, but it’s expected to be revealed in the near future.
Street Fighter V’s tournament, however, has an even bigger prize on offer— Capcom Pro Tour points. Pro Tour Points are given to players who place highly at Capcom-approved tournaments, and the players with the most points at the end of the season gain entry into the Capcom Cup to try and win one of the biggest prize pools that FGC has to offer.
Evo has the highest number of points available in the Pro Tour, so it’s a must-join for anyone looking to compete in the end-of-year Capcom Cup.
How can I watch Evo?
Evo is livestreamed on platforms like Twitch, but it was also broadcast on TV last year.
Evo’s Twitch account will serve as the main hub for the tournament throughout the weekend. Various casters and commentators from each fighting game community will guide you through the hectic schedule as the eight tournaments progress.
There are also a number of streams catered to specific games, including:
- CapcomFighters – Street Fighter V
- Netherrealm – Injustice 2
- Tekken – Tekken 7
The schedule for the event will launch a couple of weeks before Evo begins. Most games are expected to start at 8am CT on Aug. 3 and run throughout the day until all of the matches are complete.
Where can I keep track of my favorite games and players?
Just like with previous years, the Evo brackets will be available online on the event’s smash.gg page when it goes live. You’ll then be able to see how your favorite player is doing and check to see how each game’s bracket is progressing over the weekend.
What else is going on at Evo?
Fighting game developers have used Evo as a platform to showcase their up-and-coming titles for years. Expect to see new announcements for games like Soul Calibur 6 and other unannounced titles during the weekend’s festivities.
Other small-scale tournaments for games that aren’t a part of the Evo lineup also happen on the showfloor. Side tournaments for games such as Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite and Killer Instinct will be available for players to sign up for, but they won’t be a part of the main lineup. Evo plans to livestream these games on one of its main Twitch channels for everyone to watch, however.
The final day, Aug. 5, also sees developers take to the main stage to announce new games and content. Capcom and other companies regularly use Evo to announce new characters for their games, so fans hope to see a DLC announcement for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite and Dragon Ball FighterZ on the big stage.
