If there is one event in video game history that can be called iconic, it’s the Evolution Championship Series (Evo). Evo is the world’s largest and longest-running fighting game tournament series. Evo announced recently that in 2026, three Evo tournaments will take place. The first of the three tournaments will be taking place in Tokyo, Japan, from May 1st to 3rd. The title lineups for the tournaments were announced on the EVO social media profiles.
Image credit: Evolution Championship Series
The Evolution Championship Series first occurred in 1996 and has since hosted some of the most significant fighting game tournaments in history. The tournament has been the home of some of the most memorable moments in fighting game history. A classic example is the Evo Moment #37, where Daigo Umehara counter 15 consecutive hits to come back in the semifinal in 2004.
Since 2021, the tournament has been jointly owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment and the Endeavor esports venture RTS. In 2025, Evo was be held in France for the first time, and for the 2026 season, it will be hosted in Japan, Las Vegas, and France. Evo Japan will kick off the 2026 Evo circuit.
EVO is interesting due to its unusual format. Rather than being a tournament in one or two games, each event has competitions in more than a dozen games, ranging from casual titles to esports-focused games. EVO is also an incredibly important player for both the FGC and the game developers, with numerous titles launched and tested during previous editions. EVO is also known for being open for everyone, meaning that players of all skill levels are welcome to compete, a format mostly unknown in esports.
Recently, on X, Evo announced the titles that will be part of Evo Japan 2026. Below is the list of games that will be featured at Evo Japan 2026:
This will be the first time 2XKO, a game developed by Riot Games, will be featured at Evo Japan. Previously, 2XKO was showcased at Evo France 2025, where the hometown hero, Marwan “Wawa” Berthe, was crowned the winner. The game was released on PC via early access in October 2025, with a full launch expected in January 2026 for both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
During Evo Japan 2025, tournaments for games like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 boasted prize pools of over $20,000. This will mark the third Evo Japan event to host a Tekken 8 tournament. New games debuting at Evo Japan 2026 include Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. and Vampire Savior. Tickets for Evo Japan 2026 will be available for ¥8,000 ($51) until January 19, 2026. After March 2, 2026, tickets will be priced at ¥10,000 ($64). Last year, Bae “Knee” Jae-Min became a four-time Evo Japan champion in Tekken 8. As we approach May 1st in Tokyo, Japan, many compelling storylines are set to converge.
Header image credit: Evolution Championship Series
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