Looks like a big Evo is coming this summer. Last year’s Evo Vegas was huge, with 8,541 registered competitors and 14,500 attendees. After that, Evo Japan earlier this year was the biggest, with a total of 9,875 participants. Mainly Street Fighter 6, but still.
By all accounts, it looked like Evo Vegas 2026 would be just that you are crazy. Well, the numbers are in, and it’s worse than I could have imagined.
The final numbers came in today, and they are bad. Street Fighter 6 is the biggest, with 2,414 entries. Rivals of Aether II only has over 1,000 entries because Ludwig Ahgren has illegally promoted it. But everything else is diminished. A lot. Mini games have no entrants.
As noted by one account on X, enrollment has declined a lot. This is apparently the lowest reported registration number for the Evo since 2014. And as the account showed, it’s not because of the games themselves.
Saudi Arabia’s Purchases Are Guilty
But concerns extend beyond this to the FGC. A community that truly values authenticity and deep love, many fear that Evo will lose its culture once RTS announces a massive Evo cycle with tons of new locations, including Saudi Arabia. Before this, Tekken GOAT Arslan Ash was already afraid that Evo Vegas is losing its prestige after the announcement of Paris and Singapore.
It got worse. Evo Japan’s treatment of Legends of Kemonomichi LIVE the first game of 10 against Daigo Umehara again Saul Leonardo “MenaRD” Mena II the public is furious. Instead of treating it like a fight to the death, the broadcast seemed to comfort and make it a spectacle.
It seemed that the FGC’s fears were coming true: the Evo was losing its original culture and turning into another luxury product from Saudi Arabia. Evo Japan was a bit of a disaster and it looked like Evo Vegas was getting the same treatment. Evo has announced all kinds of shows with content creators who don’t even play fighting games, making it seem like the new management is looking for easy viewing rather than staying true to the culture.
I believe it’s more likely that the FGC doesn’t feel the same level of excitement as the once-a-year epic. Flying and booking a hotel for an event for a flimsy fighting game coming out in a few months doesn’t seem worth it to an already fractured society. Before, it felt like Evo Vegas was an exclusive club, like a secret handshake. Now, it is a Saudi event like any other.
Politics and Prices in the United States Don’t Help
The second issue is also obvious: the event is in the United States. The economic and political situation in the US has been a major topic of discussion in the esports world and beyond. Many esports fans, professionals, and practitioners have been wondering if events should take place in the United States right now.
Visa issues have continued to be a major problem, exacerbated by the Trump Administration’s immigration policies. Many esports professionals cannot get their visas on time, either because the team is not prepared for the long process or because the US outright denies them. It’s not a problem specific to esports; important World Cup staff are also being turned away from the airport.
But I mean the good ones and the fans it can be arriving at events early they ask if they want to go. Similar to the problem with Saudi-sponsored events, many feel uncomfortable with anti-transphobic and sexist remarks from the president of the United States. Minorities and foreigners are also afraid after seeing all the ICE raids earlier this year, when the Trump Administration promoted racial profiling and kidnapping.
After seeing Evo’s low enrollment, one Redditor commented: “Yeah, a lot of international competitors probably already know they can’t go to the US right now, or they’ve seen what happened to other people who tried and decided not to risk it. It’s not a good time to visit the US.”
Let’s say there are fans who don’t fear for their lives. They are afraid of their own wallets. Flying to the United States and staying at a Las Vegas hotel is something it is expensive. Flight prices have increased. When I looked at the hotels there, most were $200-plus a night.
Added one fan: “Unless you buy the Evo Vegas reputation a lot, there’s little reason to go for it when you look at the cost when you could be making a trip to another big one near you.”
No one should have to face these political and economic problems since there are events like 23049823498 Evo. Just share the nearest one.
The reputation of Evo Vegas is gone.
I’m going to Evo Vegas later this month and I’m hoping that the Top 8 will still be fun and there will still be a passionate community that gives me goosebumps. The beauty of FGC is love. But Evo used to be the one place where the entire fighting game community came together and felt like they belonged. Now, it feels like it could be another generic esports event.
