The Evolution Championship Series, or EVO, is one of the biggest events of the year for fighting game fans. Usually, it is where competitors can expect to win large amounts of prize money and face off against some of the best players in the world in the genre's most popular titles. However, this year, Sony has taken over the EVO tournament and one notable fighting game was absent from the list of titles being played. Despite it being a staple of the event since 2007, Super Smash Bros. was announced to not be making an appearance at 2022's EVO.When this news first dropped, it was immediately disappointing to many Super Smash Bros. fans. While another platform fighting game in the form of MultiVersus was available at EVO, for Super Smash Bros. fans, nothing really compares to the experience of those iconic titles. However, just because Super Smash Bros. wasn't playable at EVO doesn't mean that fans haven't found other ways to compete in the game, and Nintendo appears to have moved on from the major tournament to host its own events.One of these new major events is Super Smash Con, taking place at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. At Super Smash Con, players can compete in a variety of the franchise's titles, from Melee all the way to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with Brawl and the Wii U version also having their own competitions. Thousands of fans are able to attend the event, and it is running from August 11-14.
For those who can't make the event, there will be plenty of Twitch streams hosted as well, so that people can tune in to watch some competitive Super Smash Bros. Already, the tournament has seen some impressive plays, with a 999% combo being hit on the first day. Even with all the hype around Super Smash Con, many gamers will still be disappointed by the removal of Super Smash Bros. from EVO, considering the history the franchise had with that tournament.
Some iconic gaming moments come from competitive Super Smash Bros. being played at EVO, including the underdog victory of Mang0 over Wobbles in the first Melee tournament back in 2013. Even with Super Smash's absence at this year's EVO, fans have still found the event to be entertaining, with some big announcements coming as a result of it as well. Street Fighter 6 unveiled two new characters coming to its roster, for example, further fueling the hype for the upcoming release of that title.
Source: Super Smash Con