The fighting games community (FGC), one of the most close-knit ones in esports, received some good news about Evo, the prominent tournament series, a few days ago. The organizer revealed its plans for the future, which included expanding worldwide with five new regional tournaments, a new World Championship, and plans to support local communities in proximity to these new events.
Evo, short for Evolution Championship Series, has been one of the foremost locations for the fighting game community to gather and cement its champions. What began in arcade tournaments has evolved into the world’s largest series of offline video game competitions, featuring tentpole events spanning three continents. And now, it is looking to evolve with the times.
New events in new destinations
Beginning in 2027, Evo will expand into new destinations as part of its long-term commitment to bringing together fighting game players. As a result, fans and viewers will get new competitions in Brazil, Morocco, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and China. More information about the series touching down in these fresh locations will be shared in due time.
Moreover, the introduction of these tournaments will not affect the existing calendar, which includes legacy events in the US, Japan, and France. Even recently announced tournaments like Singapore will not see any changes in policies, brand values, level of investment, format, or expectations.
All-encompassing FGC World Championship
Evo is also bringing to FGC followers a new championship format designed to uncover the true Grandmaster of fighting games. Unlike existing world championships, this new format will require competitors to showcase their mastery of multiple fighting games before rising to claim the title of world champion.
The organizer has not yet revealed which titles will be included in this format, but they did promise to come out with more information later this year. Crucially, this new Fighting Game World Championship will be held in one of Evo’s two founding countries, the United States or Japan.
Renewed focus on community support
Evo, known to operate as a community endeavor over the years, will commit new resources to this segment. Beginning later in 2026, the brand will be working together with the community on the ground level to elevate it and help it grow.
The organizers aim to dedicate significant resources to locals around the world to help create sustainability around their growing portfolio of events. This includes solving challenges at every level, from equipment, awareness, and player connectivity to logistics and travel. Evo will reveal more details to its local partners and the community over the coming months.
Viewership history of Evo events
Evo has been one of the most renowned series of tournaments not only in the fighting games space but across esports. Over the years, these events have accrued millions of hours in watch time and crowned some incredible talents as champions.
In terms of singular moments that have attracted high audience figures, the last three years have been pretty successful. The EVO 2023 set the benchmark, with its top tournament — EVO 2023 Street Fighter 6 — reaching 442,302 Peak Viewers (PV). The Evolution Championship Series 2024 Street Fighter 6 is the only other FGC entry to cross the 400,000 PV mark.
In terms of cumulative viewership, Japanese audiences have been the most crucial. Their love for fighting games has been a long-known secret, and that is reinforced by the fact that the EVO Japan remains the only one to accumulate over 10 million Hours Watched (HW) over the years.
Crucially, across decades of console generations and new entries in franchises, these competitions have been able to highlight the best players in some of the most beloved games. This includes legacy names like Street Fighter, Tekken, and Guilty Gear, to more recent launches like Fatal Fury and Marvel vs. Capcom.
