The fighting game tournament Evo 2026 is took place in Las Vegas this weekend. While it mostly focused on tournaments for titles like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8, Evo also continually serves as a Summer Game Fest of sorts for fighting game announcements each year. 2026 proved to be no different, as it was the backdrop for exciting Rivals of Aether 2, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, Tekken 8, and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls announcements.
As announcements were interspersed between matches and multiple Evo streams ran concurrently, you might have had trouble keeping track of everything revealed at Evo. To help, we’ve rounded up and chronologically listed every major fighting game reveal from EVO 2026.
Dead or Alive 6 Last Round teases its first new fighter
Koei Tecmo released Dead or Alive 6 Last Round on June 25 and was already teasing the first DLC fighter at Evo. It’s a new character named Minato, and she’ll be added to the game sometime this summer. The Evo teaser does not show the fighter in action, just spotlighting the Miyabi stage as Minato talks to NiCO in the background.
Rivals of Aether 2 gets a roadmap for 2027 and beyond
Aether Studios showed up to Evo with a roadmap for the next several years of Rivals of Aether 2 updates. Later this year, we can expect two new characters, two more events, and workshop support for items and characters. In 2027, Rivals of Aether 2 will hold four events, add two new fighters and two echo fighter-like “Remix Rivals,” implement eight-player matches, and give players the ability to spend currency to create custom color mixes for their outfits.
In 2028, Aether Studios finally plans to bring the fighting game to consoles with the first chapter of Rivals of Aether 2’s single-player story mode. Beyond that, it’ll continue to iterate on Steam Workshop support, add buddies into the game, and potentially bring in guest characters from other franchises.
Tekken is getting a cartoon
One of the weirder announcements of this EVO is that Tekken is getting a cartoon adaptation. Tekken! Cartoon’s teaser trailer features a more cutesy art style and stars chibi-like versions of Alisa Bosconovitch, Kazuya Mishima, Kuma, Paul Phoenix, and Yoshimitsu. Not much else is known about this Tekken animation at this time, but it’s certainly very different from anything we’ve seen from this franchise before.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game reveals DLC fighters (including one that players can vote for)
Gameplay Group and Paramount Games opened pre-orders for Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game during EVO, ahead of its July 23 release date. The pre-order trailer mostly serves as a simple overview of the game, but reveals four of the five Year 1 Pass characters at the end: Iroh, Ty Lee, Lin Beifong, and Bolin. The fifth DLC fighter will be voted on by those who pre-order the game.
According to developers during an Evo Showcase panel, Iroh will be a counter-focused character, Ty Lee will be a rushdown character, Lin Beifong’s moveset will be built around metalbending, and Bolin will combine mechanics seen in other firebender and earthbender characters. At the end of its segment, we learned the five options players can vote between for that fifth fighter: Tenzin, Kuvira, Amon, King Bumi, and Asami Sato. Based on audience reaction, Bumi seems like a likely frontrunner.
Pre-orders are now live for PlayStation’s FlexStrike fighting game controller
A year after its initial reveal, PlayStation finally opened pre-orders for the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick, a PlayStation controller tailor-made for fighting games. Like a lot of gaming hardware right now, it’s not very cheap. The FlexStrike controller will cost you $200 and ship on Aug. 6 alongside Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls.
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising unveils Nintendo Switch 2 port and DLC fighter
At the end of Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising’s tournament, Cygames made some important announcements about what players can expect from the game on Sept. 17. First, that’ll be the day when Id, the game’s next DLC fighter, gets added to the game. The Version 2.60 update will drop on the same day, adding a new stage, system mechanic, costume, and more to the game. Finally, a Nintendo Switch 2 port of Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising will come out on Sept. 17, bringing the game to another platform for the first time since its 2023 launch.
Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes shows why you don’t mess with Zohar
Arc System Works showed off a first look at gameplay for Zohar, the next DLC fighter coming to Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes. Unfortunately, this new fighter still does not have a specific release date, but they should be added before the end of summer.
Guilty Gear Strive adds Roby-Ky on July 2
Arc System Works also debuted gameplay of Robo-Ky, the second character coming to Guilty Gear Strive this year as part of the Season 5 Pass. The robotic character will be added to the game on July 2, with future DLC fighters rounding out the Season 5 Pass in winter 2026 and spring 2027.
Mina the Hollower is coming to Rivals of Aether 2
Aether Studios followed through on one of their roadmap promises earlier than expected. It confirmed that Mina from Yacht Club Games’ Mina the Hollower would be the game’s first-ever guest fighter. Although Mina won’t come to the game until sometime in 2027, another fighter named Gouie will come to the game for free on Aug. 4.
BlazBlue: Central Fiction gets its first new fighter since 2017
Arc System Works has not added a new fighter to BlazBlue: Central Fiction in nearly nine years, but that’s changing soon. At Evo, it was confirmed that a new fighter named Trinity Glassfille will be added to the roster. We didn’t see any gameplay, and Trinity doesn’t even have a release window, but it’s great to learn that BlazBlue: Central Fiction is getting renewed support in 2026.
Avatar Legends and Marvel Tokon will make their Evo debut at Evo France
We learned what Evo France’s game lineup will be. As both Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls will be out by then, both games made the lineup. Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Guilty Gear Strive, 2XKO, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves tournaments will also be held at the event, which will take place between Oct. 9 and 11.
Angstrom Levy will be added to Invincible VS this fall
We already knew that Universa and The Immortal were coming to Invincible VS on June 30 as the first two DLC characters. At Evo, we learned that Angstrom Levy will be the game’s third DLC character. He launches this fall and will be playable at Evo France.
SNK and Code Mystics shadow drop Ninja Master’s on Steam
After teasing it a couple of weeks ago, SNK and Code Mystics released their modern PC port of Ninja Master’s on Steam during Evo. It’s a more obscure fighting game in SNK’s retro lineup, but it’s still a lot of fun. I went hands-on with this re-release early and felt that Ninja Master’s feels like if Samurai Shodown played more like Street Fighter.
Like other recent Code Mystics re-releases, the Steam version of Ninja Master’s features online multiplayer with rollback netcode, lobby support, and a tournament mode, which should help revitalize the game’s competitive community. There’s also now a dedicated practice mode to train in and a gallery where you can view concept art from the game’s development. Ultimately, it feels like the definitive version of Ninja Master’s, and could potentially renew some interest in the game.
League of Legends champions Lux and Samira are next up for 2XKO
After its last Grand Finals match wrapped up, Riot Games confirmed the next two characters coming to the free-to-play 2XKO. First up this fall will be Lux, and Samira will follow before the year is over.
Mysterious fighter revealed for Virtua Fighter Crossroads
Before Tekken 8’s tournament began, Sega intervened with a new trailer for Virtua Fighter Crossroads. It revealed a mysterious masked fighter called Bakunawa Killer. Although we don’t know the Bakunawa Killer’s real identity, Pai’s shock at seeing the character unmasked in the trailer suggests that it’s someone we know. Virtua Fighter Crossroads launches in 2027.
Tekken 8’s next fighter, Bob, arrives in August
Before the Tekken 8 top 8 tournament started, Bandai Namco showed off a trailer for Bob Onigiri, the game’s next DLC fighter. Season 3 Pass players can get early access to him on August 19, before a wider release on August 24. Roger Jr., the DLC fighter coming to Tekken 8 after Bob, was also confirmed to be getting a trailer at Evo France later this year.
Art of Fighting 3 R brings two new characters to a 30-year-old fighting game
Ahead of the Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves top 8 tournament, SNK and Code Mystics unveiled another port. The Path of the Warrior: Art of Fighting 3 R is a new version of the 30-year-old Neo Geo fighting game. While it’s expected to have the same enhancements as Ninja Master’s’ re-release, it’ll also be adding two brand new characters: King from Yuri, who both appeared in earlier Art of Fighting Games. Path of the Warrior: Art of Fighting 3 R is in development for Windows PC.
Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star is now in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Fist of the North Star’s Kenshiro is the latest guest character in the new Fatal Fury, and SNK added him to the game today. Fist of the North Star creator Tetsuo Hara recorded a special video message to celebrate the release, too. Season 3 of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was also teased and will begin in July.
Evo Singapore will take place next January, the first of many Evo events in 2027
Evo is continuing its worldwide expansion next year by introducing another tournament in Asia. The first-ever Evo Singapore will take place at Marina Bay Sands between Jan. 15 and Jan. 17, 2027. The Tekken World Tour Finals will take place during the event. Evo Japan will return to Tokyo Big Sight next year, from April 30 to May 2, 2027. Evo will also increase its support for local tournaments in 2027 with a website featuring an interactive map and calendar.
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls’ base roster will feature Ghost Rider, Blade, Loki, and Deadpool
Arc System Works updated us once again on Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, releasing a trailer for the final “team” of characters that will make up its base roster when it comes out on Aug. 6. The Samurai Outeriders team includes Ghost Rider, who was already confirmed for the game, as well as the newly revealed fighters Blade, Loki, and Deadpool. Asgard was also confirmed as a stage. An open beta will take place on PC and PS5 next month between July 24 and July 26 (with cross-play).