Evo 2019 is coming to Vegas, Baby!

After the most recent EVO event in Japan on the 17th of February, the next one is already set to happen, and this one is going to be in the good old US of A. This August – specifically, between the 2nd and 4th – the Evolution Championship Series is stopping in the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas.

EVO is of course, a dedicated tournament series that specifically focuses on fighting games of different types. The biggest names of the fighting game world are going to be represented in unique and exciting tournaments – among the biggest of them are, for example, Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mortal Kombat 2, Soulcalibur VI, Dragonball FighterZ, Blazblue Cross Tag Battle and Samurai Shodown.

All the tournaments are going to be held in the same fashion – a double-elimination bracket. This means that players, after they lose a match, are going to be placed into a lower-ranking group, and if they then lose another, are eliminated entirely. At the end, the winners of both brackets face off against each other as well and move on to the semi-finals.

The whole thing is going to be held in stages and players are split into pools to make it easier to keep track of matches and pairings. If all of that sounds confusing, don’t worry – a little closer to the event, an event schedule is going to be released, and there you’ll be able to see exactly what happens when and where, and for what game.

As for the prizes – they will be fed directly from the entry fees to it. In other words, winnings are proportional to the amount of people that enter. $10 per entering player is going into the pool and the overall sum is going to be split among the top finishers, with the first place receiving 60%, second 20% and so on.

Generally speaking, there are some rules in regard to what sort of controller and devices players are allowed to bring and use, with things like Cronus Max Plus and Titan One converters being forbidden, so if you are planning on participating, be sure to check the rules before you book your tickets to the event. There are both general and game-specific rules, so be careful when you read through them!

If, rather than playing, you are interested in judging at the event, you can do that too – EVO is going to accept applications for judges in the near future. Although you won’t be paid and you still have to find your own accommodation and transport to the event, you’ll receive an official Tournament Judge shirt and food will be provided as well in exchange for your hard work!

If you want to book a room in the hotel, you can do so via the EVO website for reduced prices – the Mandalay Bay hotel itself offers relatively pricey rooms, but there ARE cheaper alternatives nearby as well!