Street Fighter 6 Leads EVO 2026 Despite 43% Drop in Competitors as Saudi Ownership Divides FGC
EVO 2026 in Las Vegas will feature 5,774 competitors across 12 fighting games, a 32% drop from last year, amid Saudi Arabia’s recent 100% acquisition of the event through Qiddiya City. *Street Fighter 6* leads registrations with 2,414 entrants and a $100,000 prize pool, while two new titles, *2XKO* and *Invincible VS*, debut competitively, with the latter launching just seven weeks prior.
EVO 2026 returns to Las Vegas on June 26 with 5,774 registered competitors, marking a 32% decline from last year’s 8,541 entrants—the sharpest drop in the event’s 30-year history. The decline coincides with Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya City finalizing a 100% acquisition of EVO through RTS in February 2026, raising concerns within the fighting game community about corporate influence on the event’s identity. The tournament’s lineup includes 12 fighting games, with *Street Fighter 6* topping registrations at 2,414 entrants and a $100,000 prize pool. *Tekken 8* follows with 1,354 competitors. Six titles, including *Street Fighter 6*, *Tekken 8*, and *2XKO*, advance to the Arena Finals, while the remaining six compete on the Showcase Stage. Arena Finals are scheduled for June 27 and 28, culminating in *Street Fighter 6*’s grand final on Sunday. Two games make their EVO debuts: *2XKO*, a tag-team fighter from Riot Games, secured third place with 1,080 registrants, and *Invincible VS*, a tag-based game from Quarter Up and Skybound Games, debuts seven weeks after its April 30 launch with 403 entrants. *Invincible VS* received mixed reviews on PC and generally positive feedback on PlayStation 5, praised for its mechanics but criticized for its limited character roster. Despite lower Las Vegas numbers, *Street Fighter 6* set a Guinness World Record at EVO Japan 2026 in Tokyo, with 7,168 competitors—the largest single-game fighting tournament ever. The contrast highlights regional differences in competitive participation, with Japan’s event surpassing prior records set by *Street Fighter 6* at EVO Las Vegas 2023. Competitive slots for Arena Finals were determined by registration volume, with *Street Fighter 6*, *Tekken 8*, *2XKO*, *Rivals of Aether II*, *Guilty Gear -Strive-*, and *Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising* advancing. The remaining six titles—*Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves*, *Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes*, *BlazBlue: Central Fiction*, *Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage*, *Vampire Savior*, and *Invincible VS*—will compete on the Showcase Stage. EVO 2026’s format includes three Arena Finals per day, with *Street Fighter 6* anchoring the Sunday finale. The event’s future remains uncertain amid ongoing debates about corporate ownership’s impact on the fighting game community’s traditional values.
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