LAS VEGAS—The Evolution Championship Series, the world's highest-profile fighting game tournament, is underway, once again showcasing thousands of the best Guilty Gear Strive, King of Fighters XV, Mortal Kombat 11, Street Fighter 6, and Tekken 7 players. Although the event focuses on the tense, high-stakes, double-elimination tournament, this year's Evo expands the attendee's entertainment offerings with many new diversions that may appeal to people who aren't tourney competitors.

The Retro Arcade sees DDR competitors stepping to the beat (Credit: Jeffrey L. Wilson)

Evo 2023 Truly Embraces Arcade Culture

Fighting games thrived as quarter-devouring arcade staples until the entertainment establishments fell to the wayside with home consoles' rise. As a result, in-person competition is baked into the fighting game community, with that energy carrying over into small, midsize, and major local tournaments that see people compete in offline bouts.

Evo 2023 continues that arcade tradition by housing a 10,000-square-foot arcade with dozens of titles, including NBA Jam, Rival Schools, and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. The playable titles aren't exclusively versus games, either; single-player games, such as Asteroids, Ms. Pac-Man, and Popeye are available for solo action, too. Even better, the massive arcade is a free-to-play affair, so attendees needn't shell out additional money after trekking to Las Vegas. There's also a free-to-play, bring-your-own console area for playing even more titles, and entering smaller, community-run tournaments. It's a much-welcome break from the headlined action.

The Arcade Stick Museum has many memorable controllers on display (Credit: Jeffrey L. Wilson)

Friday Showcase, Stick Museum, and Cosplay Contest

This year's Evo has much more to offer besides the free-to-play arcade. For example, the Friday Showcase—a nearly all-day event—lets attendees view competitor interviews, developer talks, and what may be the show's highlight for a very specific fanbase: The Killer Instinct 10-Year Anniversary Invitational (one of the most underappreciated fighting games in recent times).

Contemporary fighting games are made with consoles and gamepads in mind, but the fight stick remains a valuable tool for many competitors. Celebrating that specific controller type, Evo 2023's Arcade Stick Museum highlights the many sticks released over the years by Hori, Mad Catz, Qanba, and other manufacturers. The museum mindset continues in the Artist Alley, where you can find people showcasing and selling their creations.

And what's a con without cosplay? Evo 2023 hosts an official cosplay contest that judges and awards prizes to people dressed as their favorite fighting game characters. Likewise, people into kicks can enter a secret Evo 2023 sneaker contest.

A Gamer's Showcase

These are terrific moves by the Sony-backed Evo, ones that make the show far more attractive to people who generally like video games, but don't want to compete in the big tournaments. Evo 2023 tickets are still available if you want to attend the event in person, and not just stream the show from home.