As long as its new owners don’t meddle with the formula, Evo France could be the first step in a brilliant new era for fighting game events

Evo – the largest fighting game tournament series – landed in Nice, France last weekend for the inaugural European wing of the eagerly expanding event. A vaporous dream for thousands of genre fanatics for untold years, navigating the Palais des Expositions felt like a major triumph for the event series, a strong first step in a new era of expansion. I walked the floor with conflicting feelings; giddiness tainted with palpable concern.

For those unaware, Evo itself is an institution for fighting game fans. First established as ‘Battle by the Bay’ in 1996, it has steadily grown over time into a juggernaut in the wider competitive gaming space. While publisher or government-run esports events have popped up over the years, Evo remains at the top of the pile. These days, the main event in Vegas has ballooned into a monster. It’s basically half convention, half competitive arena, and one that fills the largest venue in the city.

I have followed Evo ever since I was a teenager. Watching top competitors fall as the sun rose over my house an ocean away, I would make a habit of staying up and calling in sick to school the next day. I had always wanted to go to Evo, and only managed to attend my first one in 2023 to its final year at the Mandalay Bay arena. I’ve been two more times since, and even have a tattoo to commemorate my attendance.