Evo 2020, this year’s edition of the Evolution Championship Series, will still happen as an online event, though there is at least one major change to the fighting game tournament.
The organizers of Evo 2020, which was set to run from July 31 to August 2 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, announced a couple of weeks ago that the annual event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, an online version of the tournament was promised, details of which have now been revealed.
Introducing Evo Online! pic.twitter.com/ecf8gxNGUW
— Evo (@Evo) May 14, 2020
Instead of taking place over a weekend like what was planned for Evo 2020, Evo Online will happen over the course of five weekends starting July 4. In addition, instead of tournaments for eight games that included Tekken 7 and Street Fighter 5, the online edition of the fighting game championship will only host seven games, as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was removed from the lineup.
The organizers have not provided an official explanation on the absence of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but it is believed that the game was dropped from Evo Online due to the subpar netcode of the game, which will likely result in frustration among both participants and viewers.
Possible lag in matches was one of the concerns when the online version of Evo 2020 was announced, as participants will be playing at home with their personal internet connections, and it appears that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a casualty of trying to avoid this potential issue.
All games in Evo Online
Evo Online will host tournaments for Tekken 7, Street Fighter 5, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Granblue Fantasy Versus, Samurai Shodown, and Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r]. There will also be open tournaments for Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, Skullgirls 2nd Encore, and Them’s Fightin’ Herds, all four of which were not previously part of the event.
The inclusion of Skullgirls 2nd Encore, meanwhile, is proving to be a popular move, especially due to its excellent netcode that should make for memorable matches in Evo Online.
Evo Online will also feature the 2ournament of Champions, which is a special invitational tournament for the 20th anniversary of Marvel vs. Capcom 2.
