EVO Japan is coming back for a new instalment in 2023. The biggest fighting game in the west’s Japanese equivalent is making a big return, with more games, bigger prize pools, and some of the top players competing. EVO Japan 2023 looks set to be the biggest in the series so far.
Far from just being a spin-off from EVO, EVO Japan is bigger than ever now. This is the first return for the tournament since COVID, but also since the tournament was taken over by a Japanese company Sony. For their first outing in this region, they’ve pulled out all the stops. This fighting game event is going to take place in Tokyo at the end of March. This is how it’s going to work and how you can catch all of the tournaments at EVO Japan 2023.
There will be separate streams for EVO Japan on both YouTube and Twitch. These should have different broadcasts for English speakers as well as Japanese. There won’t be a language barrier stopping you from following the tournament! The top 8 and final bracket for each game is going to be where the streams get really interesting, so make sure you tune in for that final segment.
Each of the tournaments being played at EVO Japan 2023 is going to have a familiar format. They’re played first in pools, and top players advance forward into a Double elimination bracket. From here players compete in 1-v-1s until we find the very best player. Making it through to the bracket is always an achievement, but getting top 8 definitely marks a player out as one of the best in their game too.
EVO Japan features quite a big spread of games, each attracting the top players both in Japan but also travelling into the event too. The event is taking place from March 31 through to April 2. These are all of the tournaments you’ll find at EVO Japan 2023.
Source: EVO
In one of the last few events for Street Fighter V before 6 Major tournaments take over, this is going to be a highlight. With EVO going with Street Fighter 6, it’s one of the last few chances to see this game on an esports level. The prize pool here will be $15,000. There are just under 1,800 players coming including some of the top Street Fighter players.
Tekken 7
Tekken 7 is also going to be at EVO Japan 2023 as one of the biggest tournaments for the game this year. The prize pool here is just a little under $15,000 with an even 1,400 players competing.
King of Fighters XV
King of Fighters has a few different games at this event, but it’s XV that has the biggest tournament. With a prize pool of $15,000 and 800 players taking part, we’re going to see some high-level competition here.
Guilty Gear Strive
Guilty Gear Strive is going to be one of the biggest events at EVO Japan 2023. There’s a prize pool of $14,567 at the tournament with over 1,000 players competing.
© Cygames, XSEED Games, Marvelous Inc.
GranBlue is a mainstay of big fighting game events like EVO, at EVO Japan it’s getting a step up in prize pool and attention though. There will be over $15,00 at stake here and just under 500 players are taking part. That includes some of the biggest fighting game players in the title.
This one of the best anime fighting games is taking pride of place at EVO Japan 2023. There are still over 500 players in this part of the tournament and a prize of $15,000 is at stake here.
The last of the major events for EVO Japan 2023 is going to be Virtua fighter 5. This tournament has a similar prize to the others with $15,000. It’s a game that’s often underrepresented at western events, so it’ll be a fun one to tune in for. There are just under 500 players already with their slots secured at the event.
Alongside all of those giant events, there are going to be some smaller side tournaments at EVO Japan 2023. These won’t feature the same level of prize pool as the best fighting games. However, there is a chance to see some of the best players testing out games that aren’t as big in fighting game tournaments. These are all of the side events we’ll see.
Source: Arc System Works
EVO Japan 2023 isn’t a brand-new event, even if it’s seen some changes this year. In the past, EVO Japan has held yearly events for quite a while. From 2018 to 2020, it was a yearly occurrence. The tournament took the next few years off in Japan though, largely due to the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic. In 2023, it’s making a return under new ownership.
The last major EVO Japan event was 2020. This tournament saw quite a few fighting games get major tournaments. These are all of the events that took place last time around.
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