Evo 2025, North America's largest fighting game tournament, is smaller this year with just over 8,500 entrants compared to last year's 10,000, due to economic factors, expanded international options, and safety concerns, but it remains an exciting event showcasing top players in games like Street Fighter and Tekken.
Bandai Namco and Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. have unveiled a new trailer for Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, showcasing 24 fighters, all of which are different forms of Goku and Vegeta. The game, confirmed to be the next Budokai Tenkaichi installment, will feature various iterations of the two main characters, including Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, and Majin Vegeta. The trailer hints at a potentially massive roster, possibly exceeding 150 fighters, with no confirmed release date yet.
Two new characters in Street Fighter 6, Marisa and Manon, have become popular among players due to their unique playstyles and interesting dynamic in the game's storyline. Fans have shipped the characters and created fanart depicting their perceived romance. The characters have also gained popularity for their style and vibes, with Marisa being a "bruiser" character and Manon having elegant grab attacks.
NetherRealm Studios will showcase the "world premiere gameplay" of Mortal Kombat 1, the reboot of the long-running fighting game series, at the Summer Game Fest on June 8. The game will feature classic characters like Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Johnny Cage, and more, with details about Kameo Fighters and DLC character leaks already confirmed.
Fighting game Guilty Gear -Strive- has announced Asuka R# as its 9th DLC character. Asuka R# is a new character to the series, and her gameplay style is described as "unpredictable." The DLC character will be available for purchase on June 8th.
Asuka R#, the former main antagonist of the Guilty Gear series, will be the final character to join Season Pass 2 of Guilty Gear Strive on May 25. Asuka is a projectile-heavy character who wields 26 different spells in a match. Along with Asuka, a new stage called Tir na Nog will also be added to the game's content. Arc System Works has already announced plans for a third season pass of downloadable characters.
A demo for Street Fighter 6 is now available on PS5 and PS4, with Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and Steam versions coming on April 26. The game's Year 1 DLC fighters were also announced, including Rashid, A.K.I., Ed, and Akuma. The single-player World Tour mode features RPG mechanics, an overarching story, and an Avatar creator that allows players to build their own fighter. The mode includes missions, fights with iconic Street Fighter characters, and the ability to unlock cosmetic items and learn new moves. Street Fighter 6 releases on June 2, 2023.