The Evolution Championship Series (also known as Evo), the world’s largest and longest-running fighting game tournaments, recently held their annual Las Vegas tournament from June 26–28. Evo Las Vegas featured an expanded lineup of 12 titles, with a combined prize pool of $500,000, making it one of the largest open tournaments in the world.
Aside from the competitions, Evo also featured exhibitors, cosplay contests, an arcade, and panels where major announcements were made.In case you missed it, here’s a quick roundup of everything that was revealed:
2XKO
Lux and Samira were confirmed as the next additions to 2XKO, slated for a Fall 2026 release. Though only a few minutes of teaser footage were shown at Evo, Riot Games has confirmed that the company will roll out full gameplay trailers and further details closer to their release.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game
Global pre-orders are now open for Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, available on the Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store, and Steam. Players who pre-order will receive access to the closed beta running from July 2-5, gold color variants for Aang, Korra, Zuko, Katara, Toph and Sokka, as well as the Samurai Appa support character skin.
Players who purchase or pre-order the Deluxe Edition will also receive a digital art book, music soundtrack, unique HUDs and the Year 1 Pass, which includes Bolin, Ty Lee, Lin Beifong, Uncle Iroh and an additional character to be decided through a limited-time community vote. We have more information here.
BlazBlue: Centralfiction
Trinity Glassfille will join the roster of BlazBlue: Centralfiction, making her the game’s first new character since Jubei in 2017. A newly released teaser trailer features a new illustration of Trinity, drawn by illustrator Toshimichi Mori.
She will be made available only on the PlayStation 4 and PC versions of the game, with no plans currently announced for the Nintendo Switch.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves has released its latest Season Pass 2 DLC character, who is none other than Kenshiro from the classic anime Fist of the North Star. The formidable fighter rounds out the cast of Season Pass 2, which also includes Kim Jae Hoon, Nightmare Geese, Blue Mary, Wolfgang Krauser, and MR. KARATE.
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising will release a new update, Version 2.60, on September 17, adding the new playable DLC character Id from Granblue Fantasy: Relink. The update will also include the new stage Ainsteddo Archipelago, a new system mechanic, and balance adjustments for several characters, with more details to be announced down the line.
The game will also be released on the Nintendo Switch 2 on September 17, bringing the entire 40-character roster, including Id and other DLC characters, to the console. The Nintendo Switch 2 version will include core gameplaym features, such as Story Mode and Figure Studio, as well as local communication multiplayer support.
Players will also be able to link save data from Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok when the game releases this July 9, in order to receive bonus items in Versus: Rising, such as a weapon skin for Id and a Lyria (Shaman of Salvation) lobby avatar.
Guilty Gear Strive
Robo-Ky officially joins the roster of Guilty Gear -Strive-, available starting from July 2 as a standalone DLC, or as part of the Season 5 Pass. He becomes the second character to be added to the pass, following Jam Kuradoberi in April, with two additional characters on the way.
King of Fighters XV
The King of Fighters 15 is slated to recieve a new balance update, which provides adjustments for all 61 characters present in the game. The update will go live on July 2, which also marks the game’s first update since its last balance adjustment in December 2024.
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Arc System Works released a new Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls gameplay trailer, revealing Blade, Loki and Deadpool as the final three characters joining the launch roster. The trio join Ghost Rider to form the Samurai Outriders, the fifth and final team participating in the Challenge of the Champion.
The trailer also reveals that Asgard will be added as a new playable stage, able to shift between five different areas: Observatory, Bifrost Bridge, Throne Room, Treasure Vault, and Yggdrasil. We’ve got a full breakdown of everything new shown in the trailer here.
Ninja Master’s: The Scroll of the Ninja Emperor
SNK released a “NEO GEO Premium Selection” version of the 1996 title NINJA MASTER’S: The Scroll of the Ninja Emperor, now available for PC via Steam at a 25 percent-off launch discount price of $14.99.
The “NEO GEO Premium Selection” upgrades the classic game with new quality-of-life features, including smooth online matches, a fully equipped Practice Mode, and more, while still preserving the original’s graphics, controls, and arcade feel.
Path of the Warrior: Art of Fighting 3 R
SNK also announced Art of Fighter 3 R: Path of the Warrior, a re-release of the 1996 game Art of Fighing 3: Path of the Warrior featuring rebalanced gameplay and rollback netcode. Two new characters, Yuri Sakazaki and King, will also be added to the playable roster.
Rivals of Aether II
Rivals of Aether 2 will add its first-ever guest character, Mina from Mina the Hollower, sometime in 2027. Later this year, the game will also add Gouie, “The Lost Mireling”, as a new fighter, releasing as part of a free additional character update on August 4.
Tekken 8
Bandai Namco showed off a gameplay trailer for Bob, making him the second DLC character coming to Tekken 8 Season 3. Bob will be available for TEKKEN 8 Season Pass 3 holders on August 19 in North America, before releasing globally on August 24. We’ve got a deep dive on his new backstory and moveset here.
A new TEKKEN! CARTOON series was also announced, which will begin airing on July 10. The first season will consist of bite-sized episodes running less than a minute, and will focus on Paul, Yoshimitsu, Kazuya, Alisa and Kuma, featuring cute animation and catchy original music.
Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes
Arc System Works announced a new DLC Character, Zohar the “Doppelganger”, releasing sometime in summer 2026. Zohar can be purchased on her own for $4.99, or as part of a $9.99 Season Pass, available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Virtua Fighter Crossroads
SEGA released a brand-new trailer for Virtua Fighter Crossroads, introducing the “Bakunawa Killer,” a character who will play a major role in the game’s story, and who can also be played in Versus mode. The game is slated for a 2027 release.
Did you know that Evo will host its first event in Singapore next year? Read more about it here!
