Evo will return offline this fall to crown new world champions at the Evo 2021 Showcase. While most of this year’s festivities were online, events like the Evo Community Series made the world’s most storied fighting game championship more accessible than ever before. Players could enter for free from the comfort of their homes. That accessibility is part of what makes the fighting game community unique compared to other esports. Players hardly known outside of their region or even local often step up to claim major tournaments.
Let’s look back at some of the best performances in Evo history to help inspire more of those unlikely underdogs or hometown heroes to always take a chance at the next level.
The header image of Arslan Ash at Evo Japan 2019 was taken by Stephanie Lindgren. Follow @Vexanie on Twitter for more inspirational esports photography.
SonicFox at Evo 2019 - Mortal Kombat 11 & Dragon Ball FighterZ
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate and Dragon Ball FighterZ at Evo 2019 are further proof that Dominique “SonicFox” McLean is one of the greatest fighting game players of all time. The world champion strove to win their third Evo title across three NRS games, alongside a second consecutive DBFZ Evo crown. Widely touted as the favorite to win both brackets, SonicFox faced an unusual obstacle outside of their opponents. Both tournaments ran simultaneously from pools through the top 8. Constantly switching mindsets and mentalities can drain players, but SonicFox has seemingly limitless stamina.
SonicFox overcame these challenges to reach archrival Goichi “GO1” Kishida in the DBFZ Grand Finals. The Japanese player’s tears following an electrifying 3-2 victory over the American were just another edition in their legendary back and forth matches. It also showed the difficulty and significance of beating SonixFox in a tournament. They had to settle for 2nd in DBFZ, but were still determined to take first in MK11.
McLean’s failure to capture an Evo crown for Injustice 2 is below their standard for success. SonicFox, hungry to reclaim glory in MK11’s first year at the event, cruised into the top 8, then beat Julian “Deoxys” Gorena to face Ryan “Dragon” Walker in Winner’s Finals. The two NRS titans fought a grueling 3-2 set ending with SonicFox on top. Dragon won Loser’s Finals against Sayed “Tekken Master” Hashim Ahmed for the runback, but a convincing 3-0 proved even the world’s best Cetrion was no match for Mortal Kombat 11’s unquestionable champion.
This Evo 2019 experience shows there is more to juggling multiple fighting games than skill. Success requires a lot of energy and quick adaptability.
Arslan Ash at Evo Japan 2019 - Tekken 7
Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique is arguably the world’s best Tekken 7 player, so it's crazy to think that just two years ago he was the 321st seed at Evo Japan 2019. The event was his second major tournament, but he managed to advance in the winner’s side of his pools. There was just one problem — he was in the same pool as the tournament’s top-seeded player, Jae-min “Knee” Bae.
This problem didn’t occur to Arslan, likely because he quietly beat Knee to win the OUG Tournament 2018 in Dubai months earlier. In a shocking upset, the unknown warrior from Pakistan beat the man who many considered the GOAT of Tekken, 2-0. The result was so shocking that the match wasn’t even streamed.
Losing to his next opponent didn’t stop Arslan from starting a legacy before even appearing on stream. He tore through the Loser’s side taking games off more of Tekken’s best players like Knee’s Rox Dragons teammate Seong-ho “Chanel” Kang and reigning Evo 2018 champion Sun-woong “Lowhigh” Yoon (first match on stream). Arslan finally earned his screen time, plus a spot in the Top 8.
The pressure did not faze Arslan Ash. He took care of Thailand’s Book 2-0 and met American Tekken legend Jimmy J Tran in Loser's quarters. Arslan continued his string of upsets with a thrilling 2-1 victory en route to meeting eventual Tekken World Tour champ Yuta “Chikurin” Take in Loser’s semis. Arslan beat him 2-0 before etching out a hard-earned 3-2 victory over Jae-hyun “CherryBerryMango” Kim in Loser’s Finals.
Arslan seized the Tekken world’s full attention by the time he encountered Alexandre AK” Lavarez in the Grand Finals. The Filipino Shaheen main had not lost the entire tournament. The Pakistani prodigy’s stifling defense and precise timing on counter hits helped him 3-0 AK to quickly reset the bracket. The Grand Finals reset proved more competitive, but Arslan still handily defeated AK 3-1. His Evo 2019 win later that year proved Evo Japan 2019 was no fluke.
Arslan Ash not only pulled off the biggest underdog story in Evo history but also put Pakistan on the FGC map.
Luffy at Evo 2014 - Street Fighter IV
An early trip to the Loser’s bracket is a tough hurdle for almost any player. In events as prestigious as Evo, it can mean fast elimination or what the community calls “drowning in pools.” While there have been several players who won Evo through miraculous Loser’s bracket runs, none were quite like Olivier “Luffy” Hay at Evo 2014.
The French Street Fighter player came off a major victory at Stunfest earlier that year and was arguably Europe’s best player at the time. Luffy was the favorite to win Evo 2014 but lost early on to the defending Street Fighter IV Evo Champion Kun “Xian” Ho. What transpired next is arguably the greatest loser’s run in Evo history.
The patient Rose main’s next match was against Evo 2013 runner-up Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi. Luffy toppled the FGC legend, then knocked out a string of Japanese players like Kentaro “Misse” Nakamura, Kenryo “Mago” Hayashi, Hiroyuki “Eita” Nagata, and Yu “Pugera” Tobinaga to qualify for Top 8.
Luffy advanced to Loser’s Semifinals after quickly dispatching Japan’s Yusuke “Momochi” and Singapore’s Ghim “Gackt” Kee Eng in Top 8. There he met the tournament’s last American player, Darryl “Snake Eyez” Lewis. In an exhilarating back-and-forth set, Luffy ultimately came out on top 3-2. Keita “Fuudo” Ai, another Japanese legend, was waiting in Loser’s Finals. Luffy was long past being intimidating and made quick work of Fuudo in a surprising 3-0 route.
Luffy scratched and clawed through numerous Japanese legends on the way to Grand Finals. One final notable Japanese player remained — Masato “Bonchan” Takahashi. Luffy’s momentum carried him through the first set 3-1 thanks to superior spacing and opportunistic offense. Hay earned a near-identical 3-1 victory in the bracket reset. The Frenchman not only brought the championship to his country, but to the entire continent of Europe.
Luffy’s incredible Evo run is proof that you should never give up even when the situation feels insurmountable. What story will you create in your fighting game career?