Three strides. That’s how many it takes to close the distance between Dragunov and Claudio. Dragunov’s deploying a bullish spat of offense, a domineering opponent hungry to find his opening. The group around me holds its collective breath as the timer ticks down. Health bars flutter in the red. And with seven seconds on the clock, Dragunov delivers the final crushing blow.
I speak for every fighting game fan when I say nothing matches the energy of EVO. The Evolution Championship Series returned to Las Vegas Convention Center on July 19-21 with the largest pool of competitors of any esports tournament and some damn good Tekken.
Like every year, the cosplay at EVO shined. And while many fans chose to mimic Tekken’s Russian espionage operative Dragunov, I stumbled across — and promptly ran away from — several people cosplaying as Street Fighter’s Blanka, a mutated muscle monster with head-to-toe green body paint and plumages of orange hair. Kudos to those who nailed that terrifying assignment.
Lana Marie and Dustin, two cosplayers from Texas and Louisiana, missed a day of EVO due to the nationwide flight delays, but still managed to get gussied up. Marie adjusted her ninja mask as we chatted, her snowy white eye contacts—a staple of Mortal Kombat’s formidable cryomancer Frost— just casually piercing through my soul.
“I don't compete because I'm too shy to compete,” Lana Marie said. “But I'm always wearing costumes and being supportive.”
Dustin, sporting Dragunov’s thick winter coat and combat boots, nodded in agreement, adding that at EVO, there’s so many ways to get involved.
“You've got people competing, you have people cosplaying, people creating art, all together in this great environment,” he said. “I love to compete in fighting games. I love to compete in cosplay and just have a blast out here with everyone.”
Tyler, a cosplayer from the Bronx, who works in aircraft maintenance when he isn’t presenting as Street Fighter’s bare-chested brawler Dee Jay, said he loves the community, but more importantly, it’s the fighting that keeps him coming back.
“You can play this game online, 1v1, and hide behind screens, but when you're here, you can't hide on the screen,” Tyler said. “You gotta be genuine, you gotta be nice in person. You can rage at home, but you're not raging here. It'd be embarrassing.”
The dynamics really do change when you’re facing off in person. The air grows thicker. Players mash a little harder. People cheer a little louder. During one bout of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, two competitors even ripped their shirts off in a heated dispute.
Emotions ran high at this year’s EVO, especially when previous years’ champs were spotted. Fans flocked to three-time Tekken champ Bae "Knee" Jae-Min on the show floor, eager to clinch an autograph. Meanwhile, I fangirled out about the grand finalists and all the amazing diversity on display. Sonic Fox and Punk, two Black competitors in Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6 respectively, took home EVO championships, with Sonic also representing for the LGBTQ+ community. And Pakistan’s Arslan Ash also took home his fifth EVO win with Tekken.
After almost 20 years, EVO remains a destination for the world. And though another has come and gone, the camaraderie and culture of this beloved event is always enough to make us eager for the next round.
