EVO, the world’s biggest fighting game tournament, announced this Monday, August 4, that the competition will return to Nice, France, in 2026 — even though its first edition there hasn’t even taken place yet. Originally revealed in July 2024, the inaugural EVO Nice is scheduled for October 10–12, 2025, in the southern French city. It will mark the very first time that the Evolution Championship Series lands in Europe, after dozens of editions held in the United States and Japan. The dates of some upcoming events have also been announced by the organizer.

A convention that regularly brings together more than a dozen fighting games, EVO is the global gathering for FGC competitors — the place where legends are forged and new stars emerge. Whether it's Saul Leonardo "MenaRD" Mena II, a three-time Street Fighter champion, Arslan "Arslan Ash" Siddique, a six-time Tekken titleholder, or Dominique "SonicFox" McLean, an eight-time champion across multiple games, all have been defined by EVO’s grand stage.

A one-of-a-kind event

It was at the conclusion of EVO 2025 in the U.S. that organizers confirmed the news: Europe — and specifically the city of Nice — would host a second edition of the tournament. The tournament isn’t a once-a-year event anymore. It now happens three times a year: once in Tokyo, Japan’s capital (since 2017), once in Las Vegas (since 2008), and now, starting in 2025, in France. At least for the next two years, this will be the format for the biggest competition in the fighting game community. EVO Singapore has also been confirmed with a delay, from 2026 to 2027, in the recent announcement.

For the record, EVO Las Vegas 2025 saw nearly 8,500 registered players, with over 4,200 signing up for Street Fighter 6, more than 2,500 for Tekken, and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves completing the top three with 1,576 competitors. And with the upcoming arrival of 2XKO, Riot Games’ fighting title, the competition could reach new heights — especially if the game releases before EVO Nice 2025.

The announcement for 2026 is likely explained by the overwhelming success of registrations for this upcoming first edition in October. On X (formerly Twitter), EVO France revealed that players from over 50 different nationalities are expected to attend the event in Nice — a strong sign of enthusiasm. They also shared that more than 700 players have already registered for the Tekken 8 tournament, setting a new European record for the game.

EVO Schedule for next events: