Evo 2026 began Friday in Las Vegas with 5,774 registered competitors, a more than 30 percent drop from last year. The three-day event runs through Sunday and features 12 games on its schedule.
Registration numbers fell sharply this year. Last year's total of 8,541 competitors dropped to 5,774, with Street Fighter 6 entries nearly halved from 4,228. Organizers cited U.S. travel restrictions, higher costs, and new regional events in France and Singapore as factors.
The tournament added 2XKO and Invincible VS to its main lineup. Rivals of Aether II reached the top six by registration after publisher Ludwig Ahgren bought extra passes and distributed them to top players and community organizers.
Several prominent players are competing despite the changes. Daigo Umehara enters Street Fighter 6, Arslan Ash returns for Tekken, and SonicFox joins 2XKO in duos. The event streams across 10 Twitch channels.
