Evo 2018 Tournament Lineup Announced

The Evolution Championship Series (better known as Evo) is the biggest fighting game tournament in the world. With the rise of Twitch, high-level play in games like Street Fighter, Tekken, and Super Smash Bros. can command hundreds of thousands of viewers to cheer on their favorite fighters and pick apart their styles. Get ready to get hype, as the Evo 2018 tournament lineup has been announced.

It is mostly what one would expect, but one notable franchise that has provided some of the most intense battles in Evo history is notably absent.

Here is the official lineup of the eight fighters at Evolution 2018:

• Street Fighter 5 Arcade Edition
• Tekken 7
• Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2
• Injustice 2
• Super Smash Bros. Melee
• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
• BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
• Dragonball FighterZ

Notice the missing franchise? Despite a high-profile release and generally positive reviews, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite will not be showcased at Evo 2018. It just never gained the traction and online following it needed in order to get a seat at the biggest fighting game tournament in the world.

In addition to announcing the games, Evo also named which games will receive premiere treatment and have their top 8 finals showcased on Sunday. The featured games will be Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Tekken 7, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Street Fighter 5 Arcade Edition.

Last year’s Evo had some hype moments and exciting matchups. In games making a return to the Evo stage, Tokido took the crown in Street Fighter 5, Salem won Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, JDCR won Tekken 7, Armada took Super Smash Bros. Melee, Dragon won Injustice 2, and Omito won Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2.

Evolution 2018 will take place August 3-5 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for updates and results of the tournament as more information becomes available.