EVO 2022 Gaming News Roundup

A Summary of the Biggest Industry Stories of the Event

A landmark year for the world’s biggest fighting game tournament has just wrapped up after an action-packed weekend of incredible moments in Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, Guilty Gear Strive, and more. While the biggest appeal was the competition, there were several bits of news sprinkled throughout the weekend ranging from exciting boosts to a game’s longevity to a tease for the next entry in an iconic franchise. This list will highlight the various updates developers shared during EVO, as well as show off indie games that were presented at the show, and hardware that might push one’s skills further. 

Outside of industry news though, it is highly encouraged that readers check out the recordings of the various tournaments that took place. There are hundreds of hours of amazing fighting game footage to explore on YouTube and Twitch.

Rollback Netcode Keeps Fighting Games Healthy

Competitive games are usually fueled by their player base. Several games would not have gotten big patches or updates were it not for the dedicated players putting on local events and sharing their love for their games. Unfortunately, the pandemic put significant strain on many legacy titles, leading to the rise of improved online functionality with one of the best being rollback netcode. Essentially, rollback netcode makes fighting games playable online in a way that reduces instances of lag even with players connecting to others across the world. 

While most fighting games are expected to have rollback moving forward, titles getting the functionality retroactively can mean a new wave of players and the ability to play more online. Unfortunately for Switch players, it seems like this desired method of online play is far less available, making Switch ports of fighting games inferior in most cases. 

In a surprising update, it was announced that Dragon Ball FighterZ is getting rollback netcode on PC as well as the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions. It is unsure if the PS4/Xbox One versions will have access to the rollback update. However, in a statement from Bandai Namco, it was pointed out that the PS4 version is compatible with an upgrade while the Xbox One version will be available through Smart Delivery. This likely means that PS4/Xbox One players can upgrade for free but might not be able to play with rollback on the older consoles. It was also announced after the Grand Finals at EVO that the game won’t be getting additional balance updates which means that a sequel might be in development. Either way, we can expect a complete version of the game to launch on the newest consoles soon. The announcement also says that it will take time for the rollback update to release. 

While the game has certainly taken a backseat compared to other releases in the franchise and King of Fighters XV, the 2019 reboot Samurai Shodown is also getting rollback netcode. SNK announced through a trailer that PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Epic Games players will be able to clash swords online with clarity in 2023. It was also announced that KOF XV is getting crossplay in 2023. 

SNK has been one of the more prominent publishers in the fighting game space in the last few years, providing lots of quality life updates to legacy titles and pushing franchises forward. 

New Characters Enter the Fray

Following the events of EVO 2022’s weekend of virtual fisticuffs, The King of Fighters XV received a new update with balancing changes and a new team of three characters. The new Team Awakened Orochi adds Orochi Yashiro, Orochi Sherie, and Orochi Chris to the roster. The next team was also announced as Team Samurai featuring Haohmaru, Nakoruru, and Darli Dagger of Samurai Shodown fame. Team Samurai is set for an autumn 2022 release. The trailer also reveals character artwork for upcoming DLC including Shingo Yabuki and Kim Kaphwan. 

Coming in 2023 to Skullgirls 2nd Encore and Skullgirls Mobile is Marie, the fourth character to join the roster in the latest season. Characters in Skullgirls are playable before being finished and Black Dahlia was recently added for experimentation. It was confirmed that Marie will be available in her alpha state in the future. 

At the start of the EVO festivities, platform fighter Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl shared its newest addition Hugh Neutron, the duck-obsessed father of Jimmy Neutron. The character was shown off in a developer moveset breakdown and subsequently launched. The quirky wallaby Rocko will be added to the game in the fall of this year. 

Speaking of platform fighters, MultiVersus was marketed thoroughly at EVO through a huge prize pool of $100k, in-game items, hardware partnerships with ASTRO Gaming, and the reveal of Season 1’s content. Primarily, Rick and Morty as new characters (presumably as a pair much like Tom and Jerry) and a new ranked mode are the highlights but a classic arcade mode and new cosmetics were also announced. The game saw a huge turnout of players online and at EVO, giving MultiVersus a head start on finding its place in the platform fighter genre, a genre that is dominated by Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Although Smash Ultimate is often not supported by Nintendo, which feels anti-tournament at times, potentially creating a massive opportunity for MultiVersus. 

Two new characters (Neco-Arc and Mash Kyrielight) were revealed for Melty Blood: Type Lumina prior to EVO but it was revealed during the tournament that a major update is planned for the entire structure of the game. Specific points were made to address community concerns such as the functions of shields but it appears that the development team is extremely committed to tweaking the game in substantial ways. Improved online functionality and new tools for replays are also planned. The team also teased two more characters to be added before the end of the year but didn’t say who the characters were. 

After an insanely dramatic Top 8 in Street Fighter V, it was noted that this might be the last time the game is featured on the main stage at EVO. Even on the show floor, many attendees found themselves spending more and more time with the anticipated Street Fighter 6, a game that leans into graffiti visuals, street fashion, and urban culture. Returning to the roster is Juri, who slid in with the classic Akira bike pose. Brand new to the series is Kimberly, a spray paint-wielding ninja who’s obsessed with 80s culture. Both characters were highlighted with exceptionally cool visuals and combo showcases. 

At the end of the weekend, Guilty Gear fans were treated to an exciting reveal for a fan-favorite character prior to the Top 8 bracket, probably due to the later than intended start time and the release date. Available now in Guilty Gear Strive, Bridget returns with some of the most stylish moves in the game, using a yo-yo as her weapon.

Shortly after the character became available it was revealed through dialogue with Goldlewis that Bridget has decided to be a girl, a pivotal moment for the character. Diversity and representation continue to flourish in fighting games and Bridget was quickly celebrated and congratulated online for coming out as trans. 

Indie Games Share the Spotlight

While the mainstage titles at EVO were mostly from celebrated development teams, there were several indie projects that were highlighted through ads and panels while some were available to play at the event. 

Rushdown Revolt is a free-to-play fast-paced platform fighter that shows a lot of promise in the competitive scene, focusing on cancels for added player expression. Metal Revolution is a new 2D fighter that attempts to allow for flashy combos without complicated move inputs; the game has improved significantly since we first played it at a PAX event years ago. 5 Force Fighters features teens with elemental powers and an appealing art style planned for a late release next year. Bearus is a bear-centric fighting game that uses the absurdity and simplicity of DiveKick for a pun-drenched comedy clash. Tough Love Arena is a browser-based fighter with rollback and fundamental archetypes. Punch Planet continues to provide beautiful sci-fi action to players and was recently updated. 

The appeal of fighting games is broad and indie developers are doing fantastic things in the genre. Add a few of the aforementioned games to one’s Steam wishlist as an easy way to support these teams! 

Fighting Game Hardware Pushes Boundaries

For many companies, EVO is a phenomenal opportunity to show off their latest products and get high-level feedback from talented players. In hardware, there were several companies showing off their newest items but some of the standouts include monitors and arcade sticks. Sony introduced its new monitor through the INZONE line of esports equipment. The M9 monitor is touted as a perfect companion to the PS5 console, featuring Auto HDR Tone mapping and an Auto Genre Picture Mode. INZONE also highlighted the M3 monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate and three new headsets. 

Victrix, a trusted name in premium retail gear announced two new arcade sticks, the Victrix Pro FS and the Pro FS 12. Both are designed to work for PS5, PS4, and PC with a sleek open surface, Sanwa buttons, and a detachable USB-C cable. What’s most interesting though is that the FS 12 is an all-button design similar to the Hit Box line of controllers. Golden custom Victrix sticks were given to tournament winners. 

Vertagear partnered with EVO as the official gaming chair of the event. Their latest chairs feature modular lumbar support, air flow in the seat using VertaAir construction, odor control through HygennX coffee ground fibers, and snazzy RGB kits that can be personalized for the headrest. 

Spread throughout the venue, other part providers shared their latest. One of the most impressive is the work done at Paradise Arcade Shop which made waves with their MPress controller. An EVO edition was sold at the event but a custom order can be made online. 

The Future of Fighting Franchises

There weren’t nearly the amount of big game news announcements as expected and some of the news was downright oddly paced but there was confirmation about the future of a few notable franchises in the fighting game genre. Of course, Street Fighter 6 was playable on the show floor and got two beautiful trailers for Juri and Kimberly but it would have been awesome if the game’s beta or a demo launched after EVO wrapped up. In a teaser from SNK, a new Fatal Fury and/or Garou game was announced to be in development using an image of lead character Rock Howard to build the game’s excitement. 

The weirdest announcement was that of what we can assume is Tekken 8. Bandai Namco announced that a tournament series called the Tekken World Tour would be in full effect and a battle update is coming to Tekken 7 on August 17th but the trailer ended with a remake of the often-memed Kazuya scene from Tekken on PS1, flashing to an updated character model for Kazuya with the words Get Ready emblazoned on the image. Then the Director of Tekken Katsuhiro Harada invaded the commentary space, excitedly shaking them and yelling but providing no context. 

The crowd was described online as a collection of thousands of confused fans. A mere flash of the game’s title or just saying that a new entry was on the way would have clarified the announcement. However, Tekken 8 news could surface at an upcoming gaming event or at the end of the Tekken World Tour in Amsterdam on February 4th - 5th, 2023 which seems the most likely place to show off a new game. 

Overall, while many were skeptical about the new Sony ownership, it appears that EVO 2022 was a success. There will undoubtedly be reports of COVID outbreaks following the event but masks were commonplace based on reports from attendees and from what was seen on camera. Games with smaller communities reportedly had organizational issues but the live stream production gave viewers at home an excellent look at the action. 

Hopefully, community feedback will be considered for the next EVO event as the world’s biggest fighting game event continues to be a global meeting place for players of all walks of life. 

Images and screenshots were used courtesy of their respective owners and properties.