Evo’s general manager is making an event that he would want to go to

Image: Evo

The Evolution Championship Series fighting game tournament will be held in person for the first time since 2019. Even though the upcoming Evo will be at a convention center, the general manager of the event says that things are just different now.

Thiher said that the market is not the same as it was. With COVID not fully passed at this time, that hiatus has created new concerns, new needs, and has really restructured expectations for the workforce and even the endemic tournament organizers that we work with.

Thiher said there were a lot of challenges to work through. Potential attendees haven't been going to events often because of the Pandemic, so they may not be planning for this event. Costs of putting on an event have gone up Many of the people who help put on the show have moved on to other jobs or stopped helping out with the show every year.

The players want the experience to live up to expectations. Thiher said that they were trying to make sure that everything that was important and beloved in the experience in the last two years was delivered. Adding attendee lounges and hosting community tournaments for games that aren't included in the event's core lineup are some of the small details that need to be focused on.

It's part of why you attend a convention. If you are going to take part in something you love, you need to make sure that you love it as much as possible. We are attempting to drill down on that.

The past couple of years have been difficult for Evo. The online-only event was canceled after sexual assault allegations were brought against the co- founder and president. An online-only event took place over two weekends in August of 2021.

Thiher is committed to making an event that represents what the fighting game community wants. I consider myself an active member of the community when I say yes and no in a room. I don't want to be a part of that show if I can't exit that room feeling like I want to go somewhere.

The event will be held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The event organizers announced this week that attendees will have the chance to play Street Fighter 6 at the Sony and Capcom booths at the show.