Preventing recreation followers have so much to be enthusiastic about this yr, with the primary recreation lineup for each Evo Vegas and Evo Japan rising to 12 video games, up from the normal eight. Nonetheless, there are two iconic combating recreation franchises lacking that will come as a shock.
With Evo occasions persevering with to interrupt attendance data as combating video games develop more and more standard yr over yr, rising the dimensions of the primary occasion has been a very long time coming.
Whereas there have all the time been community-run facet brackets for smaller video games persons are obsessed with, the primary stage being restricted to eight video games has made it tough for video games exterior of main franchises to get recognition.
Evo 2025 is correcting that, however it’s additionally leaving out two main franchises in favor of letting new blood in. And, in each instances, the omissions are indicative of a pivotal turning level in each sequence: Mortal Kombat and Marvel.
Evo Japan & Evo Vegas 2026 lineups introduced
Conserving in trend with 2025’s transition towards supporting older combating video games, 2026’s occasions in Japan and the U.S. each have some retro video games making a comeback for the primary time in a long time.
First up is Japan:
Mainstays like Avenue Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Responsible Gear: Attempt and the newly-released 2XKO are right here, however Japan can also be bringing again some classics. Each Vampire Savior and the Fist of the North Star combating recreation are over 20 years previous at this level, however they’re getting a bit of the pie.
Additionally, Melty Blood: Sort Lumina and Beneath Evening In-Delivery [Sys:Celes] provides underdog combating recreation developer French Bread 2 essential stage reps, an enormous win for a developer that’s been attempting to interrupt into the mainstream because the late 90s.
In the meantime, the Vegas recreation lineup has some large variations:
KoF 15, Melty Blood, and FotNS are out in favor of Rivals of Aether 2, BlazBlue: Central Fiction, and Invincible VS. Invincible VS doesn’t even have an official launch date but, however we a minimum of comprehend it’ll be out earlier than Evo Vegas 2026.
The absence of Marvel has a twin which means right here. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was the retro choice from 2025, and evidently Vampire Savior has taken its place. This leaves the door open for MvC2 or MvC3 to return sooner or later, though it could be some time.
However it additionally implies that Marvel TOKON: Preventing Souls received’t be out for some time but, a minimum of not till the later half of 2026.
Mortal Kombat, in the meantime, is in a tricky spot. It had decrease attendance than most area of interest combating video games at main occasions regardless of promoting tens of millions of copies, with aggressive curiosity within the recreation rapidly falling off a cliff. Contemplating Mortal Kombat 1 was launched in September 2023, its event lifespan was remarkably brief.
And, with Netflix making a transfer to accumulate Warner Bros., it’s unclear what the way forward for the sequence (or NetherRealm as a studio) can be.
Whereas this record-breaking Evo lineup is nice information for followers, it’s additionally indicative of the truth that, to ensure that the FGC to evolve, some video games must get left behind.
