Adequately Prepared to Rock
The organizers of the Evolution Championship Series 2022 (EVO)have releasedan in-progress breakdown of this year’s game popularity. The Top 10, listed in order of competitor entries, currently sees Arc System Works’Guilty Gear Strivein the lead as the most-entered title of the main tournies.
As EVO returns as an offline event for the first time in two years, the organizers have decided that the schedule will be dictated by the popularity of the games on deck. So while Capcom’sStreet Fighterhas long been the grand finale of the weekend, we could actually see something new round out the weekend’s festivities — provided, of course, thatGuilty Gear Strive, Tekken 7, or any other release is able to pull in the most players.
You can check out the nine main games and their popularity (as of April 16) in the tweet below.
Evo 2022 Early Bird Leaderboard
- Skullgirls: 2nd Encore8. Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate7. MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA6. DRAGONBALL FighterZ5. Granblue Fantasy: Versus4. TEKKEN 73. The King of Fighters XV2. Street Fighter V: Champion Edition1. Guilty Gear -Strive-
— Evo (@Evo)August 08, 2025
Following on fromGuilty Gear Strive‘s top spot, a very impressive showing is being put in by SNK’sThe King of Fighters XV, which currently sits at number three, even ahead of Bandai Namco tournament mainstayTekken 7. The King of Fighters, while often in attendance, is rarely one of EVO’s most popular franchises, and getting the spotlight on the team-based fighter could really help draw in new players and cement its status.
NetherRealm Studios’Mortal Kombat 11currently sits at number eight, behind niche anime fighterMelty Blood: Type Luminaand ArcSys’Granblue Fantasy: Versus.This is perhaps reflective of NRS’ decisionto call an end to supporting the titleonce it had ensured that all DLC had hit the market. While this would cause an expected drop-off forMK, seeing it resting behind cult anime scrappers and games that are years older (such as Bandai Namco’sTekken 7andDragon Ball FighterZ) is still surprising.
Fighting the good fight in ninth place is Autumn Games’ excellent tag fighterSkullgirls: 2nd Encore,which continues to entertain hardened fighting game players with its divine visuals, an awesome score, and intense gameplay. Withmore updates and characterson the horizon, the cartoonish classic looks set to run and run into 2023. Kudos.
Evo 2022 takes place August 5-7 at the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.
