Top 8 Predictions for EVO 2016

EVO season is coming, ladies and gentlemen! Can you feel the hype and the excitement? I can, and it is amazing!

Since EVO 2016 is coming this weekend, I figured I would do something to celebrate this occasion. If you remember last year, I talked about the history of EVO from 1996 to 2015. If you want to read them, click on these links below:

• B3 - EVO 2002
• EVO 2003 - EVO 2005
• EVO 2006 - EVO 2009
• EVO 2010 - EVO 2012
• EVO 2013 - EVO 2015
• History of EVO Extras

This year’s EVO is going to be interesting with nine games in attendance: Street Fighter V, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Pokken Tournament, Tekken 7 Fated Retribution, Mortal Kombat XL, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-, and Killer Instinct. For every game, I will talk about my Top 8 predictions at EVO 2016. It can be anyone from a pro player to an up-and-coming player trying to immortalize themselves in the league of the greats.

Please note that these are just my opinions and that I am welcome to everyone else’s opinions. That what’s the comments are for. NOW, ON WITH THE PREDICTIONS!

Street Fighter V

Since the B3 days, Street Fighter has always been the main event for every tournament. On top of that, EVO was born on Street Fighter, to begin with. From 2009 to 2015, we have seen six champions in the past seven years of the Street Fighter IV series at EVO. Now that Street Fighter V is making its EVO debut with 5,107 entrants total, there are going to be a lot of players trying to make a name for themselves.

My Top 8 predictions in no particular order would have to go out to these players:

• Tokido
• Infiltration
• EG|Momochi
• RB|Snake Eyez
• RZR|Fuudo
• Poongko
• Gamerbee
• PR Balrog

Tokido and Infiltration is a no-brainer, along with Momochi since he won EVO last year with Ultra Street Fighter IV. Snake Eyez, Gamerbee, and Fuudo have potential to make it to Top 8, while PR Balrog and Poongko have been leveling up much as possible.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Making its 5th appearance at EVO overall, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a hype fighter to watch at this tournament. It is well-known by the FGC as “America’s Game”, right until last year’s EVO where KaneBlueRiver from Chile won the tournament. Since then, KBR declared that Marvel is a “World’s Game”. Will he return to claim the throne?

My Top 8 predictions for UMvC3 are:

• BE|KaneBlueRiver
• EG|K-Brad
• Clockw0rk
• GoldenBoyNeo
• UA|Terry Bogard
• MC|GCYoshi13
• NYChrisG
• iG|FullSchedule

Pokken Tournament

Pokken Tournament is making its EVO debut this year. Now I’ll be honest: I haven’t been keeping up to date with the Pokken scene, but I hear it’s doing well so far. Who will become the first winner of Pokken Tournament at EVO this year?

My Top 8 Predictions would have to go out to these players:

• F3|Frost
• ESAM
• Buntan
• JStar
• PG|Coach Steve
• KUROKURO
• Ryan Hart
• Rip

Tekken 7: Fated Retribution

Tekken 7 returns to EVO this year, this time as an update called Tekken 7: Fated Retribution. Last year, the Korean and Japanese players has been dominate in this game. In the end, Nobi from Japan took the tournament win with his main character, Dragunov. Will he go 2-for-2?

In no particular order, these players will make Top 8 in T7FR:

• SAINT
• Rip
• AS|TastySteve
• Circa|Speedkicks
• Poongko
• KUROKURO
• Ryan Hart
• CA|JDCR

Mortal Kombat XL

Mortal Kombat X returns to EVO this year as Mortal Kombat XL. It’s no secret that SonicFox has been dominating this game since last year. He won three ESL tournaments, CEO, and many other before it. But that’s not all because A F0xy Grampa has also been getting better as of late since he defeated SonicFox at Combo Breaker 2016 months ago. Will SonicFox retain his title? Or will we see a new champion?

Top 8 predictions for Mortal Kombat XL will be:

• cR|SonicFox
• A F0xy Grampa
• Perfect Legend
• Pig in The Hut
• Yomi|DJT
• Yomi|MIT
• CrazySteady
• F3|Aya

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Since 2007, the Smash community proved that their game belongs to EVO. Now making it’s 5th appearance at EVO, Super Smash Bros. Melee is back! Last year, Armada won the tournament by defeating Liquid|Hungrybox in Grand Finals. His win knocked Mang0 out of his reign. Now that Melee is back once again, who will win this year?

My Top 8 predictions for Melee are:

• Armada
• Liquid|Hungrybox
• Mang0
• Mew2King
• DJ Nintendo
• Tempo|Axe
• VGBC|aMSa
• TSM|Leffen

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U made its EVO debut last year, and it did well for itself. Now that the game is back with more new characters, we will see a lot of surprises from the Smash 4 community. Last year, ZeRo had an impressive 51-win streak. EVO 2015 was one of them. But this year, it’s a whole new ball game. Will ZeRo retain his title at EVO?

Smash 4 Top 8 predictions will include the following:

• ZeRo
• ESAM
• ROM
• Unkn0wn
• dT|ANTi
• Zinoto
• dT|Dabuz
• SF|Hyuga

Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-

Guilty Gear Xrd returns to EVO this year in the form of an update, With more new characters and a rebalanced gameplay, the GG community and the Anime community has something to look forward to. Last year, Ogawa-Zato became victorious when he won Xrd. Not to mention, he got a perfect on Woshige during the final round due to premature celebration. That alone became an EVO moment. Will we see a brand new moment for Xrd?

My Top 8 predictions for Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- are:

• Ogawa-Zato
• MarlinPie
• Woshige
• KSK
• Viscant
• D-Link|Lord Knight
• Souji
• Nakamura

Killer Instinct

New season, same game. Killer Instinct returns to EVO this year with the Season 3 update. It may have the lowest number of entrants out of the nine games, but it did gain more compared to last year. Speaking of last year, Rico Suave finally realized his dream when he won EVO. But can he do that again this year? Will CDJr reclaim what’s rightfully his? Or will we see a new immortal in the KI community?

Finally, the players that will make Top 8 for Killer Instinct in no order are:

• Rico Suave
• CDJr
• UA|Brandon Alexander
• PG|Coach Steve
• UA|Bass
• Katsuaki
• GGA Dizzy
• Sleep NS

If you want to make your own predictions for who should make Top 8, you can click on the link here to check out the brackets. I may warn you: it is a lot to cover. Who will make it to Top 8 at EVO this year? You gotta find out for yourself.

EVO 2016 is this weekend at the Las Vega Convention Center and Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 15-17. Streams will be provided by four EVO channels and Capcom Fighters. Be sure to also check out the AnimEVO side tournament at EVO, where games such as Kohime Enbu, Blade Arcus from Shining EX, Under Night In-Birth EXE:Late and more will be shown. There will be panels from Capcom, Microsoft, Bandai Namco, SNK/Atlus/Sony, Twitch, Alex Valle, and Maximillian, as well as a King of Fighter XIV Side Tournament exhibition from SNK and Atlus.

Until then... train up, Fighters!

LOOK WHO CAME:

Virtua Kazama   

Chris Moyse   9

Isuma   6