Danny Shnorhokian has been going to Evo since before it was called that. The biggest fighting game event of the year started as a small tournament back in the late ’90s called Battle by the Bay that focused solely on Street Fighter. Decades later, the annual event’s mainstage features everything from household names like Mortal Kombat to newer franchises like the anime fighter Granblue Fantasy Versus. Street Fighter remains the top-billed event at every Evo though, and its legacy is inseparable from the passion and fandom that brings thousands of fighting game players to the Nevada desert each summer. That legacy includes the Marvel vs. Capcom series, which is returning to the main event at Evo 2025 for the first time in 15 years, and which all began with the 1996 arcade classic X-Men vs. Street Fighter.
Most people first came to the flashy pixel art superhero crossover through Marvel vs. Capcom 2. That’s what Shnorhokian started out playing in Southern California in the early aughts (he placed in the top 8 at Evo 2008). But he later doubled back to the equally gorgeous, even more broken original, and was inspired to start holding annual side tournaments for it during Evo. “In 2005, EVO moved to Vegas, and allowed players (like myself) to run a side tournament if you had the resources,” he told Kotaku in an email. Back then it required having the original arcade cabinets on site, even as modern fighting games migrated primarily to console. “Me and a player named Dogface organized a tournament, which had about 30 entrants! Players from all over the country and even Japan participated. So from 2005 to 2010, I helped organize tournaments for the game.”
Things petered out after that, even as Evo itself became larger than ever. Fans of smaller arcade fighting game classics like X-Men vs. Street Fighter relied on online matchmaking services like Fightcade to stay connected. Last year, however, Shnorhokian was able to bring the game back to Evo ahead of Capcom releasing it on modern platforms as part of Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics. “This year, thankfully we can run it on Steam, and that makes it easier for everyone,” he said. “It has all three versions of X-Men vs. Street Fighter, and people can use their own controller. Plus everyone can play this game at home and online to practice. A $50 game is a lot easier to get your hands on instead of a $300 arcade board.”
Evo has changed a lot over the years, including being sold to Sony during the pandemic and amid a sexual misconduct scandal. Fan favorites like Smash Bros. are no longer at the event, but a greater emphasis on retro games has brought back many of the games that first ignited players’ imaginations in arcades years ago. 2024 saw the return of Street Fighter 3: Third Strike and this year it’s Marvel vs. Capcom 2’s turn. But it’s the dozens of side tournaments and casual after-hours meetups where the old arcade culture lives on most.
“Sponsored teams with players competing on national television for millions of dollars is something I would never have imagined,” Shnorhokian said. “When I got $50 for Top 8 at EVO, that felt HUGE. It’s a whole different world now. But even with the ups and downs, I do love Evo. It’s a great chance to see old friends, make new ones, meet players from around the world, and share the love of fighting games. Even if it was just 2 people, I’d want to organize an X-Men vs. Street Fighter tournament. I love the game, and whoever wins cans say they’re the ‘World Champion.’”
He hopes it’s him, but this year’s event has 20 people registered so far, including the Japanese Evo 2025 Champion Momoten, last year’s runner-up ken240sx, and fellow tournament organizer Majin Obama. “Infinite combos are definitely going to be done throughout the tournament,” Shnorhokian said. “It’s the person who has the patience to land the hit that’s going to make them the winner.”
