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How to watch the EVO 2017, the mother of all fighting game tournaments


For fighting game fans, nothing compares to EVO, the annual tournament that sees the best pro players duke it out in some of the most popular fighting games. EVO 2017 has arrived (July 14-16), and top players from around the world have polished their sticks to get ready to battle for prize money exceeding $250,000. While all of the action takes place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, you can tune in at home throughout the weekend.

With more than a handful of tournaments going on at the same time, knowing when and where to watch can be a bit confusing. Don’t worry, though, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how to watch EVO 2017.

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First, the games

Needless to say, a Super Smash Bros. Melee fan may not necessarily be interested in watching a, say, Street Fighter V match, or vice versa. Before we give out the times, here’s a list of the nine titles that make up this year’s EVO championship.

  • Super Smash Bros. Melee
  • Super Smash Bros. (Wii U)
  • Street Fighter V
  • Injustice 2
  • Tekken 7
  • Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
  • Guilty Gear Xrd -REV2-
  • King of Fighters XIV
  • BlazBlue: Central Fiction

How and when to watch

The simplest way to watch EVO is to tune into the main EVO Twitch channel. We’ve added the stream to the window above so you can watch it right here. Over the course of the weekend, the main EVO stream will show a sampling of preliminary tournament rounds (pool play), starting with Super Smash Bros. Melee at 10 a.m. PT, July 14. The main EVO page will also show the Top 8 Finals for each game.

If you want to keep watching your favorite game after the main stream has switched to a different title? You can do that, too. With nine Twitch channels showcasing fighting goodness throughout the weekend, you have plenty of options.

  • EVO1 will show nothing but Super Smash Bros. Melee July 14-15
  • EVO 2 is dedicated to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U July 14-15
  • EVO 3 features Guilty Gear Xrd -REV2- July 14, and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 July 15
  • EVO4 has King of Fighters XIV (up till the final) July 14, and BlazBlue: Central Fiction July 15
  • Capcom’s fighter channel will show Street Fighter V throughout July 14 and 15
  • NetherRealm’s channel will host Injustice 2 July 14 and 15
  • The Tekken channel will show Tekken 7 July 14

If you want commentary in-between matches, “The Jump Off” will feature player interviews and match analysis July 14 and 15 on EVO5.

We don’t blame you if you only want to watch the most exciting portions of EVO — the Top 8 Finals for each game — so here’s when to tune in for each final.

  • King of Fighters XIV: 8 p.m. PT July 14
  • Guilty Gear Xrd -REV2-: 2 p.m. PT July 15
  • Injustice 2: 6 p.m. PT July 15
  • Super Smash Bros. Melee: 8 p.m. PT July 15
  • Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3: 7:45 a.m. PT July 16
  • BlazBlue: Central Fiction: 10 a.m. PT July 16
  • Tekken 7: 12:30 p.m. PT July 16
  • Super Smash Bros. (Wii U): 3 p.m. PT July 16
  • Street Fighter V: 7 p.m. PT July 16

Additionally, as reported by Mashable, Disney XD will air the finals for both Super Smash Bros. (Wii U) and Street Fighter V as part of its new gaming-centric programming block D|XP. Disney XD’s coverage of EVO will kick off July 16 at 3 p.m. PT. The Street Fighter V finals will also be broadcast on ESPN2 and through ESPN app, starting at 7 p.m. PT.

On both Friday and Saturday, the action kicks off as early as 10 a.m. PT on each channel, with the final matches for each day starting at 8 p.m. PT. There will be gaps in the streams on some channels, so please refer to the chart below.

EVO
Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
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