The largest fighting game tournament faces challenges in drawing competitors.

The final registration figures for Evo 2026 have been unveiled, revealing a significant number of competitors ready to battle it out in tournaments for titles like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8. However, there’s a noticeable decline in returning games compared to last year.

Evo has long been recognized as the premier fighting game tournament globally, held annually in Las Vegas. It’s a key event where developers often make exciting announcements and introduce new characters. Therefore, a drop in participation raises some eyebrows.

As of June 12, Street Fighter 6 leads the pack with 2,414 participants, a sharp decrease from the 4,228 who entered the same title at Evo 2025. Other games like Tekken 8, Guilty Gear Strive, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves also experienced similar declines. Interestingly, Rivals of Aether 2 saw an increase in entrants compared to last year.

While Evo hasn’t highlighted the reduced registration numbers, the gaming community has taken notice across various platforms, sparking discussions about the potential reasons behind the drop. One factor is that Evo 2026 is scheduled for June instead of the usual August. Additionally, there are more Evo-branded tournaments happening globally than ever before, with Evo Japan having taken place in May and Evo France set for October.

Earlier this year, the organization behind Evo was fully acquired by a Saudi Arabian company, which stirred some controversy. Concerns about safety in the U.S. under the current administration may deter international attendees, while domestic players might find traveling to Las Vegas financially challenging. Considering these elements, the lower registration numbers for Evo 2026 start to make more sense.

Despite the reduced participant count, we’ll soon find out if Evo’s popularity is waning among viewers when the event streams later this month. Evo 2026 is set to take place from June 26 to 28.