It's an exhilarating period to be a fighting game enthusiast. Modern titles are receiving ongoing support, classic games are more accessible than ever, and there are numerous exciting new releases on the horizon. What better venue to celebrate this golden era of fighting games than Evo, where the entire community unites to share their passion for the genre? As competitor registration has closed and with Evo 2025 just around the corner, let's delve into some insightful statistics and numbers from this year’s tournaments.
This year, a remarkable total of 8,541 players have registered to compete at Evo. Notably, nearly half of these players are signed up for Street Fighter 6, which continues to dominate the leaderboard for the third consecutive year, boasting an impressive 4,228 entrants. Following closely is TEKKEN 8, maintaining its second-place position since its debut last year, with 2,521 competitors eager to showcase their skills.
The competition for third place was particularly fierce, with less than 100 tournament entries separating the final two Sunday Arena titles. Ultimately, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves emerged victorious in its Evo debut, attracting a total of 1,576 players. Meanwhile, Guilty Gear -Strive- continues to hold strong in its fourth year in Las Vegas, with 1,508 entrants securing a spot in the Sunday Top 8.
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising claims fifth place this year, drawing 936 players, followed by MARVEL vs. CAPCOM 2 with 570 entrants. This marks the largest MvC2 bracket in history and continues the record-setting trend established by the Evo Throwback game since its inception. The final two titles in the Arena Lineup are UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes and Mortal Kombat 1, with 547 and 377 entrants, respectively.
These eight games will showcase their Finals on the Arena stage; however, they are not the only tournaments featured this year. With the introduction of the Extended Lineup, Evo 2025 will crown a total of 16 Evo Champions. While these additional eight games won't be played on the main Arena stage, they will still be highlighted across Evo stages, streamed on official channels, and their finalists will receive medals and trophies akin to those from the Arena Lineup titles. Including the Extended Lineup games, Evo 2025 will see a total of 13,892 unique bracket entries across all official tournaments.
The entrant crossover between the Arena Lineup tournaments at Evo 2025 reveals fascinating data. Street Fighter 6 and FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves have the highest number of shared entrants, with 943 players registered for both games. This indicates that nearly 60% of the 1,576 competitors for City of the Wolves are also signed up for Street Fighter 6. In terms of crossover percentages, THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV boasts an impressive statistic, with around 80% of its competitors registering for FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves as well.
Approximately 60% of Evo 2025’s 8,541 competitors are registered for only one tournament, with the average number of games entered per player standing at 1.63. Leading the charge for single-bracket participants is TEKKEN 8, where more than half of its 2,521 players are not registered for any other Arena or Extended Lineup titles. Following closely is Street Fighter 6, with 2,016 of its 4,228 entrants participating solely in this title. Rivals of Aether II takes third place, garnering the most entries among the Extended Lineup titles at 358, with 156 of these players choosing it as their only bracket, representing around 44% of its total entries.
The representation of non-US countries at Evo 2025 is notable, with attendees from a total of 64 different nations. While over 90% of participants hail from the United States, countries such as Canada, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and South Korea have the highest number of passes purchased outside the US. Street Fighter 6 is the most popular title across most countries, with a few exceptions. In Mexico, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves takes precedence, while both titles are equally popular in Chile. Meanwhile, TEKKEN 8 is favored by players from South Korea and the United Kingdom.
Despite transitioning from the Arena roster to the Extended Lineup this year, THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV maintains the distinction of having the highest percentage of entrants from outside the US; 27.7% of its 169 players are from international locations. Conversely, Killer Instinct has the fewest non-US competitors, with just 5, representing 4.2% of its playerbase.
Evo 2025 is just around the corner, and the anticipation is building! While competitor registration is officially closed, passes for general attendees remain available until the event date. Stay tuned for more updates as we count down the days to this exciting celebration of fighting games, taking place from August 1 – 3 in Las Vegas. Whether you're attending in person or watching from home, we invite you to join us in celebrating the vibrant world of fighting games!
