Please note that the following is a work-in-progress. There is plenty of room for corrections, editing, expansion and improvements. Feel free to make any suggestions for content you would like to see!
To say the least, it's been a crazy year so far for the fighting game community. We're just coming off of the biggest stream monster* month in history, and are now less than a month away from the fighting game tournament that everyone's been waiting for: EVO 2011.
EVO 2011 Preview
What is EVO?
From the EVO site:
Since its inception in 2002, the tournament has had its hype moments here (full match) and there (full match). Anticipate many great moments to come this year as well.
For more information, check the F.A.Q. on the EVO website.
When and where is the event?
This year's EVO World Finals will take place at the Rio Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, from July 29-31.
Can I still register?
Sorry, but registration for EVO has closed. Registration ended on July 18.
What if I just want to spectate, do I still have to pay?
Don't worry, spectating and use of the bring-your-own-controller area is completely free.
What about the format? Rules?
Each EVO tournament this year is an individual, double-elimination competition. Check the Player Guide for more information:
Tournament Format
Tournament Rules
Additional Rules
What games will be a part of the tournament?
This is the official EVO 2011 tournament roster:
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II
Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Mortal Kombat
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
Tekken 6
Special Events
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Grandmaster Invitational
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 East Coast vs. West Coast Exhibition
And for reference, the roster from last year:
Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Melty Blood: Actress Again
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
Super Street Fighter IV
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
Tekken 6
Notice that every game, with the exception of Tekken 6, is a new or updated game. All tournament games will be played on PlayStation 3.
Namco will be bringing the latest build of Tekken Tag Tournament 2, as well as exclusive SoulCalibur V content. Street Fighter × Tekken and Skullgirls will also be at the event.
Keep in mind that the above is only an official list of games. While the old staples like Super Turbo and MvC2 are indeed disappearing (though 3rd Strike has representation through the Grandmaster Invitational) expect there to be multiple side tournaments for other games run by the players themselves.
Here's a deeper look into the 2011 roster:
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II
This is actually BlazBlue's first year at EVO, as in 2009, the console release was only a month before that year's tournament. In 2010, with the community split between Calamity Trigger and Continuum Shift which at the time was already released in arcades in Japan and was leaked to PC the BB community decided it was best to give up their slot on the roster, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was selected as a replacement. This year, however, BlazBlue is finally ready for the main stage. With the May release of the Continuum Shift II DLC, the console and arcade release are finally at parity.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
For the first half of the year, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has been the new hype. While SSFIV headed into twilight as everyone waited for the inevitable AE release, MvC3 took the community by storm, and the stream monster "Fuck Tekken, when's SF?" became "Fuck SF, when's Marvel?" Tokido's victory at CEO has certainly shaken things up, a reminder that this isn't Marvel 2 anymore: this is anyone's game. As long as one plays Wolverine and/or Phoenix, that is. Is "America's Game" not America's anymore? Will there be a balance patch before EVO?
For some in-depth analysis of the current state of MvC3 play, check out Dahbomb's posts on the MvC3 Meta-game: Part 1 Part 2
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat is the first US-made game to be a part of the tournament. NetherRealm Studios has endeavored to making this game a tournament-worthy one. The game made quite a showing at CEO this year, with over 160 entrants. Cheers to MK's inaugural year, hopefully it will be a strong one.
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
This is the third year and third version of Street Fighter IV. New characters have joined the fray, and we've already seen the dominance of Yun from Daigo Umehara. Japan has had the game for months; most players in the US are still trying to play catch-up. Expect players to continue to grind it out over the coming weeks, trying to gain a better familiarity with the new version.
Tekken 6
SoulCalibur, Virtua Fighter, and Dead or Alive have come and gone, but Tekken has been the one 3D fighting game series that has stuck around, having had representation at every EVO with the exception of 2002 and 2009. It may not be every stream monster's delight, but Namco is adding an extra $5000 to the pot, so there's certainly money to be won. Look forward to Tekken Tag Tournament 2 to join the roster (possibly replacing Tekken 6?) next year.
So are there any other special events at EVO?
EVO will host a series of panels throughout the event, featuring games, interviews as well as a discussion of the fighting game community itself.
Panel #1: Feed the Stream Monsters: A Guide to Broadcast Fighting Games - Friday, July 29 10AM
Mr Jared of (PAYWINNER, AJ aka Potatohead of Level|Up, and Louis aka Offcast speak on the history of fighting game broadcast as well as tips for building a successful stream.
Panel #2: Skullgirls: A New Age of Heroines - Friday, July 29 12PM
Mike Z talks the game a bit, and we get a deeper look into Parasoul, the newest character to be introduced.
Panel #3: Inside the Mind of the Beast: Daigo Umehara Exposed! - Friday, July 29 2PM
Seth Killian interviews the man himself. A limited edition Umehara shirt will also be for sell for $20.
Panel #4: Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Past, Present, and Future w/ Ryota Niitsuma (producer) and Hidetoshi Neo_G Ishizawa (battle designer) - Friday, July 29 4PM
Two of the minds behind Marvel vs. Capcom 3 discuss the game's development process as the future of MvC.
Panel #5: THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII: Panel and Discussion - Saturday, July 30 10AM
Producer Kei Yamamoto and Atlus Project Manager Yu Namba offer an inside look at the development of The King of Fighters XIII.
Panel #6: Street Fighter III: Online Edition, Reinventing a Classic - Saturday, July 30 12PM
Derek Neal, Christian Svensson and Dave Lang (CEO of Iron Galaxy, the OE developer) talk about bringing by 3rd Strike for another round and chat about features the fans would like to see in future fighting games.
Panel #7: Namco Bandai Get Ready For The Next Panel! - Saturday, July 30 2PM
Tekken Team Director Katsuhiro Harada, Game Designer Michael Murray and Community Manager FilthieRich talk the future of Tekken, while SoulCalibur V Director Daishi Odashima shares info on the upcoming release.
Panel #8: New Directions in Street Fighter × Tekken - Saturday, July 30 4PM
Yoshinori Ono, producer of SFIV and SFxT and perhaps the greatest troll in the fighting game community, gives us the latest scoop on Street Fighter × Tekken.
In addition, there's the Official EVO Pre-Party, sponsored by Insert Coin(s), which will be the day before EVO, July 28. Balrog: Behind the Glory, a fan-made independent short film, will make its world premiere at EVO.
So who's streaming the event?
The EVO 2011 live broadcast will be brought to you by the collaborative efforts of iPLAYWINNER and Team Sp00ky, as well as Offcast and FinestKO. New details on the EVO streams surfaced recently.
Stream 1: Team Sp00ky
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition (Friday)
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Saturday)
Finals (Sunday)
Stream 2: Offcast/FinestKO
Tekken 6, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II (Friday)
Mortal Kombat (Saturday)
After-hours Stream: iPLAYWINNER
Keep in mind that EVO runs things a bit different when it comes to stream archives. There may or may not be an archive for the event, so if you want to watch all the action, be sure to catch it live.
Who's going to EVO?
I think the better question for US players is, "Who's not going to EVO?" This is the fighting game tournament, so even players who usually don't travel outside of their region make sure to go to EVO.
Not attending
Lud
Questionable
Marn
MastaCJ
MastaCJ might not be going, but right now he's trying to scrape together funds to make it out to Vegas. Less than two weeks before EVO, Marn tweeted that he won't make it EVO because of an (unclarified) emergency. He also stated that he will be retiring after EVO, whether he competes or not.
Of the three, Lud (formerly of DMG) is the only 100% confirmed to not be attending EVO.
But it's not all about the big names. Thousands of lesser known players will take part in the tournament, looking to show their skills and experience the atmosphere and energy of the world's largest fighting game tournament.
And let's not forget about GAF. Some of our own will be making the trip to Vegas to compete and enjoy the magic of EVO. Here's a partial list:
EvoGAF
AZ Greg
BigJiantRobut
Bob White
cHaotix8
devastatorprime
dragonballjoseph
Eissan
FishStix
GalacticAE
Gegz
God's Beard
haunts
JEKKI
Joekage
Killa Sasa
macuser1of5
MarkMan
Mr Jared
notworksafe
nycfurby
Rice-Eater
rivals
The Int3rsect
viewtiful_dru
Beyond the players competing the tournament, you'll most likely see the familiar faces of the fighting game community, such as Seth Killian and MarkMan.
As for international competition, players from over 20 countries and territories (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Trinidad, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the USA) so far have registered to compete.
Here's some of the international players and personalities to expect at EVO:
AO [Japan]
Cuongster [France]
Evans [France] (via interview)
Gama no Abura [Japan] (confirmed via Twitter)
GamerBee [Taiwan] (won EVO qualifier in Taiwan)
Gackt [Singapore] (won EVO qualifier in Singapore)
Frieda [Japan] (at KUBOSGARDEN, said that he would compete at EVO)
Fuudo [Japan] (see Shiro)
Infiltration [South Korea]
Kayo Police [Japan] (confirmed via MarkMan's Twitter)
KSK [Japan]
Laugh [South Korea]
Nyanshi [Japan]
Poongko [South Korea] (confirmed via Twitter (JP))
Shiro [Japan] (confirmed via Twitter (JP))
Shungoku Neurosis [Japan] (see Shiro)
StarNab [France] (won EVO qualifier in France)
Stev0 [Ireland] (won EVO qualifier in Ireland)
Xian [Singapore]
Unfortunately Satoshi, who took first place in BBCSII teams and singles at ReveLAtions, won't be able to make it (JP). He cites the traveling cost and the need to job search.
eLive
Kindevu [Japan]
RF [Japan]
Evil Geniuses
Choco [Japan]
Momochi [Japan]
LowLandLions
Kayane [France]
Louie [Sweden]
Ryan Hart [UK]
SLS [Belgium]
Team Mad Catz
Daigo Umehara [Japan]
Kayane [France]
Mago [Japan]
Ryan Hart [UK]
Tokido [Japan]
The above is by no means a complete list of major international players. The list of confirmed players will certainly grow in the coming weeks.
What is the schedule looking like for the event?
Below is the official schedule:
all times PDT (-7 UTC)
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition - Friday, July 29th
Pools: 8 AM 6 PM
Quarter Finals: 6 PM 8 PM
Semi Finals: 8 PM 11 PM
Mortal Kombat Friday, July 29th
Pools: 8 AM 6 PM
Quarter Finals: 6 PM 8 PM
Semi Finals: 8 PM 11 PM
Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Saturday July 30th
Pools: 8 AM 6 PM
Quarter Finals: 6 PM 8 PM
Semi Finals: 8 PM 11 PM
Tekken 6 Saturday, July 30th
Pools: 8 AM 6 PM
Semi Finals: 6 PM 10 PM
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II Saturday, July 30th
Pools: 8 AM 6 PM
Semi Finals: 6 PM 10 PM
Evo 2011 World Finals, Sunday July 31st
Event finals start at 10:00 AM sharp!
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II
Tekken 6
Mortal Kombat
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
Marvel vs. Capcom 3
What is the EVO Tournament Season?
The EVO Tournament Season is a series of fighting game tournaments where players can earn ranking points for seeding in the EVO World Finals. Be aware that the point system only applies to Super Street Fighter IV (Arcade Edition), Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and (from CEO on) Tekken 6; there is no seeding for BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II or Mortal Kombat.
The following tournaments are a part of the season:
West Coast Warzone 3
GVN Winter Brawl 5
Final Round XIV
PowerUp 2011
Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament 7: Resurrection
Montreal Annual Tournament VIII
Community Effort Orlando 2011
NorCal Regionals 9
East Coast Throwdown 3
Shadowloo Showdown 2011
Below is the point structure:
1st place 64pts
2nd place 32pts
3rd place 16pts
4th place 8pts
5th place 4pts
5th place 4pts
7th place 2pts
7th place 2pts
9th 16th place 1pt (for tournaments with 128 or more entrants)
Final point standings for MvC3, SSFIV AE and Tekken 6
What ever happened to EVO Japan?
Evolution vs. GODSGARDEN was officially announced at the end of February, scheduled for May 6-7. However, in wake of natural disasters that occurred in Japan in March, the tournament was postponed indefinitely. GODSGARDEN #4 was announced in May, and new details surfaced recently (JP), but this is an SSFIV AE-only tournament run by GODSGARDEN itself and is not related to EVOGODS.
*What is a stream monster?
There is no clear definition for a stream monster, as with many terms, its meaning has shifted over time. My personal definition is as follows:
noun
1. A viewer of a live internet broadcast ("stream"), particularly a fighting game stream, who, via an embedded chat system, trolls the broadcasters, players, and other viewers through the use of (including, but not limited to): profanity, vulgarity, racism, sexism, spam, and general nonsense.
2. A general term for any stream viewer, especially one who actively participates in the chat.
The original intention was to cover the EVO Tournament Season as well as a select few other tourneys, but I left the title a little vague to potentially reach back to any event that has happened since EVO 2010, such as Season's Beatings Redemption, SoCal Regionals and Canada Cup.
Below, the bolded are events currently covered, while the highlighted are a part of the EVO Tournament Season (sorted by date):
2010
Super VS Battle 20-X
GODSGARDEN #2.5
GVN Summer Jam 4
Tougeki (Super Battle Opera) 2010
GODSGARDEN ONLINE #2
Season's Beatings Redemption
MTLSF Massacre
SoCal Regionals
Canada Cup
NorCal Regionals 8
DreamHack Winter 2010
Northeast Championships XI
HADOCON
Focus Fire 2010
EVO Online Tournament (XBL)
Bushido Impact International
2011
MTLSF Nemesis 2
EVO Online Tournament (PSN)
Columbus Bar Battles Gaiden
West Coast Warzone 3
GODSGARDEN #3
Beat By Contest
World Game Cup 2011
GVN Winter Brawl 5
Final Round XIV
Marvel Madness
TOPANGA Charity Cup
PowerUp 2011
Stunfest XI
HADOCON II
National Mortal Kombat Tournament
Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament 7: Resurrection
OzHadou Nationals 9
Montreal Annual Tournament VIII
Community Effort Orlando 2011
ReveLAtions
NorCal Regionals 9
DreamHack Summer 2011
East Coast Throwdown 3
Shadowloo Showdown 2011
To say the least, it's been a crazy year so far for the fighting game community. We're just coming off of the biggest stream monster* month in history, and are now less than a month away from the fighting game tournament that everyone's been waiting for: EVO 2011.
EVO 2011 Preview
What is EVO?
From the EVO site:
The Evolution Championship Series (Evo for short) represents the largest and longest-running fighting game tournaments in the world. Evo events bring together the best of the best from around the world in a dazzling exhibition of skill and fun, as players and fans gather to honor the competitive spirit in an open format and determine a champion.
You'll also find that our tournaments are about more than just winning. Evo events are open to anyone, feature many stations available for relaxed free play, and offer unique opportunities to meet people from different countries and different walks of life who share your passion. Established champions face off against unknown newcomers, and new rivals that might have only talked or fought online meet up and become old friends.
Since its inception in 2002, the tournament has had its hype moments here (full match) and there (full match). Anticipate many great moments to come this year as well.
For more information, check the F.A.Q. on the EVO website.
When and where is the event?
This year's EVO World Finals will take place at the Rio Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, from July 29-31.
Can I still register?
Sorry, but registration for EVO has closed. Registration ended on July 18.
What if I just want to spectate, do I still have to pay?
Don't worry, spectating and use of the bring-your-own-controller area is completely free.
What about the format? Rules?
Each EVO tournament this year is an individual, double-elimination competition. Check the Player Guide for more information:
Tournament Format
Tournament Rules
Additional Rules
What games will be a part of the tournament?
This is the official EVO 2011 tournament roster:
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II
Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Mortal Kombat
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
Tekken 6
Special Events
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Grandmaster Invitational
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 East Coast vs. West Coast Exhibition
And for reference, the roster from last year:
Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Melty Blood: Actress Again
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
Super Street Fighter IV
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
Tekken 6
Notice that every game, with the exception of Tekken 6, is a new or updated game. All tournament games will be played on PlayStation 3.
Namco will be bringing the latest build of Tekken Tag Tournament 2, as well as exclusive SoulCalibur V content. Street Fighter × Tekken and Skullgirls will also be at the event.
Keep in mind that the above is only an official list of games. While the old staples like Super Turbo and MvC2 are indeed disappearing (though 3rd Strike has representation through the Grandmaster Invitational) expect there to be multiple side tournaments for other games run by the players themselves.
Here's a deeper look into the 2011 roster:
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II
This is actually BlazBlue's first year at EVO, as in 2009, the console release was only a month before that year's tournament. In 2010, with the community split between Calamity Trigger and Continuum Shift which at the time was already released in arcades in Japan and was leaked to PC the BB community decided it was best to give up their slot on the roster, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was selected as a replacement. This year, however, BlazBlue is finally ready for the main stage. With the May release of the Continuum Shift II DLC, the console and arcade release are finally at parity.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
For the first half of the year, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has been the new hype. While SSFIV headed into twilight as everyone waited for the inevitable AE release, MvC3 took the community by storm, and the stream monster "Fuck Tekken, when's SF?" became "Fuck SF, when's Marvel?" Tokido's victory at CEO has certainly shaken things up, a reminder that this isn't Marvel 2 anymore: this is anyone's game. As long as one plays Wolverine and/or Phoenix, that is. Is "America's Game" not America's anymore? Will there be a balance patch before EVO?
For some in-depth analysis of the current state of MvC3 play, check out Dahbomb's posts on the MvC3 Meta-game: Part 1 Part 2
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat is the first US-made game to be a part of the tournament. NetherRealm Studios has endeavored to making this game a tournament-worthy one. The game made quite a showing at CEO this year, with over 160 entrants. Cheers to MK's inaugural year, hopefully it will be a strong one.
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
This is the third year and third version of Street Fighter IV. New characters have joined the fray, and we've already seen the dominance of Yun from Daigo Umehara. Japan has had the game for months; most players in the US are still trying to play catch-up. Expect players to continue to grind it out over the coming weeks, trying to gain a better familiarity with the new version.
Tekken 6
SoulCalibur, Virtua Fighter, and Dead or Alive have come and gone, but Tekken has been the one 3D fighting game series that has stuck around, having had representation at every EVO with the exception of 2002 and 2009. It may not be every stream monster's delight, but Namco is adding an extra $5000 to the pot, so there's certainly money to be won. Look forward to Tekken Tag Tournament 2 to join the roster (possibly replacing Tekken 6?) next year.
So are there any other special events at EVO?
EVO will host a series of panels throughout the event, featuring games, interviews as well as a discussion of the fighting game community itself.
Panel #1: Feed the Stream Monsters: A Guide to Broadcast Fighting Games - Friday, July 29 10AM
Mr Jared of (PAYWINNER, AJ aka Potatohead of Level|Up, and Louis aka Offcast speak on the history of fighting game broadcast as well as tips for building a successful stream.
Panel #2: Skullgirls: A New Age of Heroines - Friday, July 29 12PM
Mike Z talks the game a bit, and we get a deeper look into Parasoul, the newest character to be introduced.
Panel #3: Inside the Mind of the Beast: Daigo Umehara Exposed! - Friday, July 29 2PM
Seth Killian interviews the man himself. A limited edition Umehara shirt will also be for sell for $20.
Panel #4: Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Past, Present, and Future w/ Ryota Niitsuma (producer) and Hidetoshi Neo_G Ishizawa (battle designer) - Friday, July 29 4PM
Two of the minds behind Marvel vs. Capcom 3 discuss the game's development process as the future of MvC.
Panel #5: THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII: Panel and Discussion - Saturday, July 30 10AM
Producer Kei Yamamoto and Atlus Project Manager Yu Namba offer an inside look at the development of The King of Fighters XIII.
Panel #6: Street Fighter III: Online Edition, Reinventing a Classic - Saturday, July 30 12PM
Derek Neal, Christian Svensson and Dave Lang (CEO of Iron Galaxy, the OE developer) talk about bringing by 3rd Strike for another round and chat about features the fans would like to see in future fighting games.
Panel #7: Namco Bandai Get Ready For The Next Panel! - Saturday, July 30 2PM
Tekken Team Director Katsuhiro Harada, Game Designer Michael Murray and Community Manager FilthieRich talk the future of Tekken, while SoulCalibur V Director Daishi Odashima shares info on the upcoming release.
Panel #8: New Directions in Street Fighter × Tekken - Saturday, July 30 4PM
Yoshinori Ono, producer of SFIV and SFxT and perhaps the greatest troll in the fighting game community, gives us the latest scoop on Street Fighter × Tekken.
In addition, there's the Official EVO Pre-Party, sponsored by Insert Coin(s), which will be the day before EVO, July 28. Balrog: Behind the Glory, a fan-made independent short film, will make its world premiere at EVO.
So who's streaming the event?
The EVO 2011 live broadcast will be brought to you by the collaborative efforts of iPLAYWINNER and Team Sp00ky, as well as Offcast and FinestKO. New details on the EVO streams surfaced recently.
Stream 1: Team Sp00ky
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition (Friday)
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Saturday)
Finals (Sunday)
Stream 2: Offcast/FinestKO
Tekken 6, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II (Friday)
Mortal Kombat (Saturday)
After-hours Stream: iPLAYWINNER
Keep in mind that EVO runs things a bit different when it comes to stream archives. There may or may not be an archive for the event, so if you want to watch all the action, be sure to catch it live.
Who's going to EVO?
I think the better question for US players is, "Who's not going to EVO?" This is the fighting game tournament, so even players who usually don't travel outside of their region make sure to go to EVO.
Not attending
Lud
Questionable
Marn
MastaCJ
MastaCJ might not be going, but right now he's trying to scrape together funds to make it out to Vegas. Less than two weeks before EVO, Marn tweeted that he won't make it EVO because of an (unclarified) emergency. He also stated that he will be retiring after EVO, whether he competes or not.
Of the three, Lud (formerly of DMG) is the only 100% confirmed to not be attending EVO.
But it's not all about the big names. Thousands of lesser known players will take part in the tournament, looking to show their skills and experience the atmosphere and energy of the world's largest fighting game tournament.
And let's not forget about GAF. Some of our own will be making the trip to Vegas to compete and enjoy the magic of EVO. Here's a partial list:
EvoGAF
AZ Greg
BigJiantRobut
Bob White
cHaotix8
devastatorprime
dragonballjoseph
Eissan
FishStix
GalacticAE
Gegz
God's Beard
haunts
JEKKI
Joekage
Killa Sasa
macuser1of5
MarkMan
Mr Jared
notworksafe
nycfurby
Rice-Eater
rivals
The Int3rsect
viewtiful_dru
Beyond the players competing the tournament, you'll most likely see the familiar faces of the fighting game community, such as Seth Killian and MarkMan.
As for international competition, players from over 20 countries and territories (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Trinidad, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the USA) so far have registered to compete.
Here's some of the international players and personalities to expect at EVO:
AO [Japan]
Cuongster [France]
Evans [France] (via interview)
Gama no Abura [Japan] (confirmed via Twitter)
GamerBee [Taiwan] (won EVO qualifier in Taiwan)
Gackt [Singapore] (won EVO qualifier in Singapore)
Frieda [Japan] (at KUBOSGARDEN, said that he would compete at EVO)
Fuudo [Japan] (see Shiro)
Infiltration [South Korea]
Kayo Police [Japan] (confirmed via MarkMan's Twitter)
KSK [Japan]
Laugh [South Korea]
Nyanshi [Japan]
Poongko [South Korea] (confirmed via Twitter (JP))
Shiro [Japan] (confirmed via Twitter (JP))
Shungoku Neurosis [Japan] (see Shiro)
StarNab [France] (won EVO qualifier in France)
Stev0 [Ireland] (won EVO qualifier in Ireland)
Xian [Singapore]
Unfortunately Satoshi, who took first place in BBCSII teams and singles at ReveLAtions, won't be able to make it (JP). He cites the traveling cost and the need to job search.
eLive
Kindevu [Japan]
RF [Japan]
Evil Geniuses
Choco [Japan]
Momochi [Japan]
LowLandLions
Kayane [France]
Louie [Sweden]
Ryan Hart [UK]
SLS [Belgium]
Team Mad Catz
Daigo Umehara [Japan]
Kayane [France]
Mago [Japan]
Ryan Hart [UK]
Tokido [Japan]
The above is by no means a complete list of major international players. The list of confirmed players will certainly grow in the coming weeks.
What is the schedule looking like for the event?
Below is the official schedule:
all times PDT (-7 UTC)
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition - Friday, July 29th
Pools: 8 AM 6 PM
Quarter Finals: 6 PM 8 PM
Semi Finals: 8 PM 11 PM
Mortal Kombat Friday, July 29th
Pools: 8 AM 6 PM
Quarter Finals: 6 PM 8 PM
Semi Finals: 8 PM 11 PM
Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Saturday July 30th
Pools: 8 AM 6 PM
Quarter Finals: 6 PM 8 PM
Semi Finals: 8 PM 11 PM
Tekken 6 Saturday, July 30th
Pools: 8 AM 6 PM
Semi Finals: 6 PM 10 PM
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II Saturday, July 30th
Pools: 8 AM 6 PM
Semi Finals: 6 PM 10 PM
Evo 2011 World Finals, Sunday July 31st
Event finals start at 10:00 AM sharp!
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II
Tekken 6
Mortal Kombat
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
Marvel vs. Capcom 3
What is the EVO Tournament Season?
The EVO Tournament Season is a series of fighting game tournaments where players can earn ranking points for seeding in the EVO World Finals. Be aware that the point system only applies to Super Street Fighter IV (Arcade Edition), Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and (from CEO on) Tekken 6; there is no seeding for BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II or Mortal Kombat.
The following tournaments are a part of the season:
West Coast Warzone 3
GVN Winter Brawl 5
Final Round XIV
PowerUp 2011
Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament 7: Resurrection
Montreal Annual Tournament VIII
Community Effort Orlando 2011
NorCal Regionals 9
East Coast Throwdown 3
Shadowloo Showdown 2011
Below is the point structure:
1st place 64pts
2nd place 32pts
3rd place 16pts
4th place 8pts
5th place 4pts
5th place 4pts
7th place 2pts
7th place 2pts
9th 16th place 1pt (for tournaments with 128 or more entrants)
Final point standings for MvC3, SSFIV AE and Tekken 6
What ever happened to EVO Japan?
Evolution vs. GODSGARDEN was officially announced at the end of February, scheduled for May 6-7. However, in wake of natural disasters that occurred in Japan in March, the tournament was postponed indefinitely. GODSGARDEN #4 was announced in May, and new details surfaced recently (JP), but this is an SSFIV AE-only tournament run by GODSGARDEN itself and is not related to EVOGODS.
*What is a stream monster?
There is no clear definition for a stream monster, as with many terms, its meaning has shifted over time. My personal definition is as follows:
noun
1. A viewer of a live internet broadcast ("stream"), particularly a fighting game stream, who, via an embedded chat system, trolls the broadcasters, players, and other viewers through the use of (including, but not limited to): profanity, vulgarity, racism, sexism, spam, and general nonsense.
2. A general term for any stream viewer, especially one who actively participates in the chat.
The original intention was to cover the EVO Tournament Season as well as a select few other tourneys, but I left the title a little vague to potentially reach back to any event that has happened since EVO 2010, such as Season's Beatings Redemption, SoCal Regionals and Canada Cup.
Below, the bolded are events currently covered, while the highlighted are a part of the EVO Tournament Season (sorted by date):
2010
Super VS Battle 20-X
GODSGARDEN #2.5
GVN Summer Jam 4
Tougeki (Super Battle Opera) 2010
GODSGARDEN ONLINE #2
Season's Beatings Redemption
MTLSF Massacre
SoCal Regionals
Canada Cup
NorCal Regionals 8
DreamHack Winter 2010
Northeast Championships XI
HADOCON
Focus Fire 2010
EVO Online Tournament (XBL)
Bushido Impact International
2011
MTLSF Nemesis 2
EVO Online Tournament (PSN)
Columbus Bar Battles Gaiden
West Coast Warzone 3
GODSGARDEN #3
Beat By Contest
World Game Cup 2011
GVN Winter Brawl 5
Final Round XIV
Marvel Madness
TOPANGA Charity Cup
PowerUp 2011
Stunfest XI
HADOCON II
National Mortal Kombat Tournament
Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament 7: Resurrection
OzHadou Nationals 9
Montreal Annual Tournament VIII
Community Effort Orlando 2011
ReveLAtions
NorCal Regionals 9
DreamHack Summer 2011
East Coast Throwdown 3
Shadowloo Showdown 2011