EVO 2023 breaks all-time registration records as fighting game fever rises

EVO 2023 has broken multiple all-time registration records, becoming one of the most highly-anticipated events of the season as fighting game fever rises among fans in the wake of massive releases like Street Fighter 6.

EVO is the world’s largest fighting game tournament, taking place every summer in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fans can expect high-tier competition from the best pros in the scene, making for unforgettable moments that cement themselves in the hallowed annals of fighting game history.

The Evolution Championship Series is the proverbial Mecca for fighting game competitors — and this year, it’s bigger than ever before.

EVO has enjoyed its status as the premier fighting game event for many years. However, this year’s edition has seen more registrations than ever before, as told in a July 12 press release on EVO’s official website.

EVO breaks records as multiple games see all-time registration numbers skyrocket

According to this release, EVO 2023 will “officially have the most bracket competitors ever at an EVO event.” Overall, a whopping 9,182 unique players have registered for tournaments across EVO’s eight main titles, which include games like Street Fighter 6, Guilty Gear -Strive-, Tekken 7, and more.

Over three-quarters of these registered players are competing in Street Fighter 6, with the title raking in a jaw-dropping 7,061 total entrants. In fact, counting only those players who entered Street Fighter 6 as their only event, it would still be the most-entered game at the tournament, boasting over 3,121 registered players.

Evolution Championship Series

Street Fighter 6 is EVO’s biggest game – but it shares a significant crossover with registrations for other titles, as well.

It’s worth noting that EVO also marks the very first event in the 2023 Capcom Pro Tour, with players across the globe looking to test their mettle in the season’s inaugural tournament.

Guilty Gear -Strive- weighs in at second place, boasting 2,481 registered players, marking a “new franchise peak” for the game at EVO. Tekken 7 has 1,580 players competing in the title, which will soon welcome a new entry into the series as Tekken 8 looms on the horizon.

Bandai Namco

Tekken 8 is looking to be another massively-hyped fighting game release. For Tekken 7’s last year at EVO, players are seemingly letting the game go out with a bang.

That’s not all; old-school mainstay Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 has also created a “new franchise peak” at EVO, boasting 1,346 registrations. It’s clear the community still has a lot of love for this title over a decade after its initial release in 2011.

It’s safe to say that fighting game fever is at an all-time high right now. Following the massive release of Street Fighter 6, fans have two more major games to look forward to in Mortal Kombat 1 and Tekken 8 later this year or early 2024.

EVO 2023 will take place from August 4-6 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Considering EVO’s status as one of the premier destinations for big reveals, there’s no telling what could be in store for players this year, but one thing’s for certain: This is gonna be a tournament to watch out for.