EVO

Evo 2023 - Day 1 Live Updates

August 3, 2023

By:

Austyn Roney

Photo Credit: Robert Paul - @TEMPUSROB

The first day of Evo 2023 is here! Between the Friday Showcase and all the matches, it will be a full day of announcements and updates! Check back on this article throughout the day for the latest news!

Friday Showcase:

Watch with us live on twitch.tv/evo.

All times in PT.

UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II [Sys:Celes] Announcement

To commemorate the tenth anniversary of UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH, the development team kicked off the Evo 2023 Friday Showcase with a special announcement. UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II [Sys:Celes] is coming to PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Steam in early 2024! Get hype for the conclusion to the Tale of the Hollow Night, and stay tuned for more info leading up to the game’s release by following the official UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Twitter account.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Panel

Cygames shared the path to Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising and how the addition of rollback netcode led to this brand-new title! The team also showed off the first gameplay footage of Nier, one of the game’s newest characters joining the roster. Grimnir was also announced alongside the new Partners system to help support players after their matches. We got a look at costumes coming to GBVSR as well. The lobby system is also getting a massive overhaul with a variety of mini-games to play with friends! Players from the original Granblue Fantasy Versus can transfer Story Progress, Tournament Trophies, EX Colors, and Battle Pass rewards! Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising releases later this year.

Want some more GBVSR? Director Fukuhara will have an autograph session at Evo 2023 Friday from 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM and Saturday 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM at the Cygames booth! Also, don’t miss out on watching the first preview tournament for GBVSR at Evo 2023! Follow Granblue Fantasy Versus on Twitter for the latest information and updates!

Guilty Gear -Strive- Panel

Arc System Works took the stage to share behind-the-scenes insights on Guilty Gear -Strive-! We learned about the character development process and how it takes the developers an entire year to create a new fighter from start to finish! Arc System Works also shared a variety of illustrations and celebrated reaching 2.5 million players! The team closed the panel by suggesting that more Guilty Gear -Strive- news is coming later during Evo 2023! Stick around and see what’s coming to GGST!

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Panel

There are a LOT of updates coming to Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2! Hungrybox gave us an in-depth look at new mechanics and changes coming to this highly anticipated sequel! Mechanics like wave dashes, analog directions, and more. We also got our first look at Plankton’s devastating mech gameplay! Follow the official Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl Twitter for the latest updates!

Interview - Seth Killian and Mena RD

Evo co-founder Seth Killian and MenaRD discuss mindset when playing competitive fighting games. To MenaRD, the crowd is one entity. If the crowd is against him, it motivates him to prove them wrong, and if they support him, he fights to make them proud. MenaRD shares how he analyzes the confidence level of his opponents and looks for patterns in their behavior. A self-proclaimed Taskmaster!

MenaRD also shares that Modern controls are underrated because so many players are against using them. They don’t take advantage of the benefits. Expect Modern counter-picks as Street Fighter 6 competition continues! How many Modern players do you think are in the Top 64?

Thank you to Seth Killian and MenaRD for sharing their insights and perspectives at Evo 2023! Want to catch the full interview? Stay tuned for full recordings of the stream after the event!

Skullgirls: 2nd Encore Marie Exhibition Match

Dekillsage and SonicFox come together for an exhibition to show off Marie, the final DLC character for Skullgirls: 2nd Encore! There’s nothing like seeing two of the best players highlight what’s possible with a brand-new character in development. The support for SG has never been stronger! Follow Skullgirls on social for all the latest SG developments!

Rivals 2 Panel

Aether Studios unveiled the latest character deep-dive for Rivals 2! Speedy seedy Maypul is back with a brand-new 3D model and updates and adjustments to her toolkit. She is extremely fast, the fastest in the game so far. Maypul gains new plant-based tools named Terry and Poppy that join her seeds and Lily in controlling the battlefield. Rivals 2 releases in 2024! Follow Aether Studios for more info!

The Cannon Awards

Evo co-founders Tom and Tony Cannon took the stage to announce the return of the Cannon Awards. These prestigious accomplishments signify the dedication and passion of well-respected leaders in the fighting game community. Join us in congratulating Tong Lee, Alex Jebailey, and Rick Thiher for their phenomenal work to improve the FGC in more ways than we can count.

Street Fighter 6 Panel

TNS | Persia guides us through the Capcom panel! The team takes us through the development process of the game’s World Tour and Battle Hub modes. They also chatted about Rashid and provided insights on his streaming origins from Street Fighter V. They alluded to his middling success as a streamer, but don’t worry Rashid! It's all about that grind! The Street Fighter team also shared a look at four new costumes for Guile, Marisa, Juri, and DeeJay! Stay with Evo 2023 for the largest Street Fighter tournament in history!

TEKKEN 8 Panel

The TEKKEN 8 team gets technical with their feedback presentation from the Closed Network Test. We heard about rollback updates and the difference between hard-wired connections and Wi-Fi. They also went in-depth with the processor status displays. These are currently on Steam only, and they let you know how both your PC and your opponent’s PC are performing. This includes detailed inf like RTT, Delay Frames, Rollback Frames, and connection. TEKKEN 8 includes rollback settings that let players prioritize graphics or responses. The impressive visual effects are adjustable from high, medium, and light. These tools are available to help players fine-tune their experiences to make them as efficient as possible.

Be sure to head over to the TEKKEN 8 booth for your chance to play a preview of the game. You can also earn exclusive TEKKEN swag! Wondering where the next trailer is at? Harada reminds our viewers that it is only Friday!

Indie Game Developer Round Table

We love our indie games here at Evo! The developers of Fire Force Fighter and Drag Her are joined by MarkMan to share their passion projects! Their games are available to play at Evo 2023 and to wishlist on Steam!

Killer Instinct 10-Year Anniversary Invitational

The Killer Instinct 10-Year Anniversary Invitational brought together Rico Suave, Hollywood Sleep, Bass, and Nicky for an epic exhibition to celebrate the beloved title. With a decade’s worth of history, these players represent the best of the best. In the end, Nicky took the ultimate victory.

That wasn’t all! We got a special message from the developers of KI! Killer Instinct will receive a massive update in the fall. Expect balance changes, matchmaking and tournament improvements, and native optimized Xbox Series X|S versions.

Results: