The season of 2023 into 2024 is arguably one of the most impactful for the era of fighting games. With the releases of Capcom’s Street Fighter 6, Netherrealm Studios’ Mortal Kombat 1, and Cygames’ Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising last year alongside the releases of French Bread’s UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes and Bandai Namco’s Tekken 8 this current period of fighting games is absolutely stacked, so it comes as no surprise that this year’s EVO, the community’s annual celebration of fighting games and tournament expo, have a similarly stacked lineup of games to present.
As shown in the video above EVO’s lineup consists of many of the aforementioned games: Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Mortal Kombat 1, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, and UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes but alongside them on the featured stage will be older titles in Arc System Works’ Guilty Gear: Strive and SNK’s King of Fighters XV returning from previous EVOs.
But the talk of the fighting town is the final entry for the main stage of EVO: Street Fighter 3: Third Strike Fight for the Future. Third Strike is one of the mythical fighting games held up as an icon of the genre. While it wasn’t a success for its time culturally Third Strike is probably one of the most influential fighting games ever produced, it’s even the game featured in the iconic ‘EVO Moment 37’, a moment that arguably helped EVO become as popular as it is today.
Though the myth is very different from the reality. It will likely be sobering for many who have heard of Third Strike’s mythical reputation but have never seen it to witness countless Chun-Li/Yun/Ken matches, but it’s been practically a lifetime since the last time Third Strike was featured on the main stage at EVO, things may have changed and this event may breathe new life into the game and revitalize its scene.
But regardless, this is an absolutely stacked EVO lineup full of exciting new games, returning faces, a surprise blast from the past, and Mortal Kombat 1. Be sure to watch EVO from July 19-21th streaming live from Las Vegas, Nevada!