New faces mean more drama and excitement for the mainstage this year.
The biggest fighting game tournament in the world, the Evolution Championship Series (or simply Evo), has just announced its lineup for 2024. Four new games will be gracing the Evo mainstage for the first time which truly marks a brand new era in fighting games.
Here’s a quick rundown of the eight games that’ll be featured this year:
Street Fighter 6
After claiming the title of the largest open-bracket fighting game tournament in Evo history, SF6 returns to bring the hype. This time around it’ll have the full disposal of their season one extra character. It’ll be interesting to see how much the game has evolved from last year.
Mortal Kombat 1
Bringing an all-new level of brutal and violent kombat, MK1 makes its first appearance in Evo. This game barely missed its chance last year as it was released about a month after Evo 2023 concluded. Now it gets its time in the spotlight to show off the bone-crushing action the series is known for.
Guilty Gear Strive
Also coming out of a record-breaking year, Guilty Gear Strive is once again set to rock the stage in Evo. The game has undergone a massive battle system overhaul since last year and has even more new characters to boot. We can’t wait to see how all these changes shake out on the main stage.
Tekken 8
As the most anticipated fighting game of the year, Tekken 8 makes its debut on the Evo mainstage. It’s only been a few weeks since its launch but people are already touting it as one of the best entries in the series. If that doesn’t get you excited for the kind of competition we’ll see in Evo, I don’t know what will.
The King of Fighters XV
Evo 2024 marks the third appearance of KoFXV on the mainstage lineup. While the game remains rather niche, it’s well-loved by the fans of the series. They never fail to draw a passionate crowd and it’ll be great to feel their energy again this year.
Under Night In-birth II Sys: Celes
Speaking of niche, the next installment of one of the world’s premier anime fighting games makes its Evo debut. Under Night’s battle system mechanics make it one of the more technical fighters out there while still keeping the breakneck speed that anime fighters are known for. We’ll see how many eyes this game attracts as its sister game, Melty Blood: Type Lumina, was another record-breaker in last year’s Evo.
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
Keeping with the mouthful of anime fighting game names, Granblue also makes its first appearance in Evo. While it technically appeared last year as a side tournament, this year it gets a shot at the big leagues. The game has only gotten positive buzz since its release so we can expect a big showing this year.
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
Last but certainly not least is one of the most historical fighting games in Evo history. 3rd Strike returns home to Evo as their throwback tournament after a 15-year hiatus. It’s only fitting as this year is the 20th anniversary of the legendary Evo Moment #37. Despite its age, 3rd Strike remains one of the most studied and competitive fighting games in the world and we can’t wait to see the level of competition that’ll be on display at the mainstage.
Banner image from Evo.
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