There’s little doubt that the Evolution Championship Series, better known as EVO, serves as a beating heart of the fighting game community. For some twenty years, EVO has served as the culmination all kinds of fighting game circuits, from traditional fighters likeTekkenandStreet Fighterto platform fighters likeSuper Smash Bros. That’s why it’s so sad to hear thatSuper Smash Bros.won’t be at EVO this year.Smashfans likely expected to see their favoriteSmash UltimateandMeleeplayers battle at EVO as usual, but according to EVO’s Twitter account, Nintendo has decided to pullSmashfrom the tournament lineup.
Neither EVO nor Nintendo have provided a reason forSmash’s absence, but there are plenty of possibilities. EVO’s recent acquisition by Sony may make Nintendo leery of givingSmashaccess to a competitor, or EVO and competitiveSmash’s recent joint sexual harassment scandals might have driven Nintendo to avoid the event for now. Regardless of the logic,Smash’s absence from EVOwill undoubtedly have a ripple effect on the fighting game community, especially if it’s a sign of things to come. Other fighting game communities might see less growth without the help ofSmash,EVO itself could struggle, andSmashmight become a more isolated fighting game community than ever before.
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Smash’s Absence and EVO
EVO is valuable because it’s one of few events where fighting game circuits come together, rather than meeting independently. An EVO attendant may bea fan ofStreet Fighter, for instance, but following EVO could convince them to watch proMortal Kombatplayers more often. In other words, EVO introduces fans and potential players to new games, which helps each game’s community grow. That’s particularly important in the case ofSmash,which has a huge fanbase thanks to its beginner-friendly design and long-lived pro scene. IfSmash’s disappearance from EVO is permanent, then smaller fighting game circuits could have a noticeably harder time gaining new fans who only would’ve been exposed to another game throughSmash.
Beyond individual fighting game communities, EVO itself could suffer fromSmash’s absence due to the sheer volume of attendance thatSmashcan generate. EVO 2019 had a staggering 3,492 competitors signed up forSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,nearly doubling the second-largest game,Street Fighter 5.The hugely popularSmash Ultimateand the timelessSmash Meleebring in tons of EVO participants and viewers who might not be part of traditional fighting game communities. ShouldSmashnever return to EVO, the fighting game tournament could see a major loss in revenue due to the absence ofSmashcompetitors and fans.
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Smash’s Independent Future
Beyond EVO, theSmashcommunity itself might experience a change in the near future.Smash’s competitive scene for bothMeleeandUltimateare thriving right now, and they may start to do so in a vacuum. In late 2021, Nintendostruck a deal with esports organization Panda Globalto run an officially licensed series ofSmash UltimateandMeleecompetitions. Nintendo historically doesn’t acknowledge or interact withSmash’s pro scene, so that deal could be a sign that Nintendo is changing its tune. It may attempt to gain greater control over competitiveSmash, pulling the game out of esports tournaments so that it can instate a more isolated licensedSmashpro circuit.
Nintendo hasa complicated history with theSmashcommunity, so there’s no telling if Nintendo really has long-term pro-Smash plans, or if the community trusts Nintendo enough to invest heavily into licensed events. Still, EVO’s loss ofSmashand the upcoming Panda Global circuit are two major signs of change for theSmashcommunity and other fighting game lovers everywhere.Smashmay only just be beginning a long and complicated journey through a new generation of competitive play.
