EVO 2026 opens in Las Vegas with panels and first-day reveals

EVO 2026 opened June 26 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and runs through June 28. The event’s Showcase programme began at 10:00 a.m. Pacific with developer panels, exhibition matches and pre-release demonstrations streamed online.

Dead or Alive appeared early on the schedule. Producer Yosuke Hayashi spoke about the series’ future following the June 24 release of Dead or Alive 6 Last Round. At a separate panel, Koei Tecmo introduced a new character named Minato and presented a four-player exhibition.

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls ran a pre-release tournament on the EVO stage ahead of its August 6 launch. Characters seen in competitive play included Magneto, Green Goblin and Carnage. Attendees also had hands-on time and match demonstrations on the Showcase floor.

Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game held a panel at 7:00 p.m. Pacific that revealed the game’s first downloadable character and presented vote candidates for a second DLC fighter. The title is scheduled to launch July 23.

Developers of 2XKO, Under Night In-Birth 2, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and Rivals of Aether 2 scheduled additional announcements throughout the day. The Showcase ran alongside exhibition bouts and smaller tournaments; larger competitive brackets and further reveals are set for Saturday and Sunday.

EVO returned to a three-day format at the Las Vegas Convention Center, pairing its large-scale tournament with organized developer showcases and community events. The first day focused on developer announcements and roster updates, and the weekend will conclude with finals for major titles and more panels.