This was a true celebration of the people who make the Fighting Game Community great.
2024 was an amazing year for fighting game fans and its community and nothing highlights that better than the Evo Awards.
With 20 different award categories, all decided by fan votes, the Evo Awards truly represent what the FGC is all about.
New Legends Enter the Hall of Fame
Three pillars of the community, however, were already decided beforehand to enter the Evo Hall of Fame. They will join last year’s inductees Daigo Umehara and Justin Wong as examples of individuals who’ve enriched their community.
First is Alex Valle, a true veteran who’s been around since the first North American Street Fighter tournaments in 1996. Formerly known as “CaliPower”, people now refer to him as “Mr. Street Fighter” not just for his competitive achievements but also for his efforts in creating key events that have helped shape the North American FGC.
Next is John Choi, another old head and Street Fighter master. He’s known for his deep knowledge of Super Street Fighter II Turbo, a game which he still competes in today. He’s also one of the rare players to win two Evo tournaments in the same event, specifically Capcom vs. SNK 2 and Super Street Fighter II Turbo at Evo 2008.
Last, but certainly not least, is Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi. While mostly known for his achievements across multiple Street Fighter entries, Tokido’s mastery of fighting games extends beyond that. He’s had top-eight finishes in other fighting game series such as Tekken, Guilty Gear, and The King of Fighters. So far he’s had 29 Evo top 8 placings in his 20+ years of playing competitively, truly making him worthy to be part of Japan’s Five Gods of Fighting Games.
It’s All About the Community
The Evo Awards’ main purpose is to shine a spotlight on all the great people moments in the past year.
Take, for instance, Hayao, the Japanese Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike player who captured people’s hearts. His energy and showmanship left such a lasting mark on the FGC that he won the Best Moment, Best Pop Off, Best Comeback, and Match of the Year awards. Four Evo awards for the iconic Moment 38.
Similarly, fighting game commentator and content creator Stephen “Sajam” Lyon also won four awards for his various initiatives. His consistent rollout of educational and entertaining content as well as the success of the Sajam Slam series has helped bring together both new and old fighting game fans.
Then we also had some fun awards such as the Best Button and Best Commentary. Because it’s not just about the personalities and events that make fighting games great. It’s also these little moments that really make the FGC shine.
Banner photo by Robert Paul.