Pixels x Pens Newsletter - Let's Talk Fighting Games!
Remember when everyone was hollering about e-sports? It was supposed to be the second coming of sports entertainment, and everyone who was inside watching Twitch during COVID would eventually show up to an arena to watch their favorite players in a League of Legends match. Yeah, that never happened, and part of it, outside of shady business practices and outright lies, is that most of the games people wanted you to watch aren't that fun to watch. However, that's mainly due to the fact that most e-sports organizations struggle to establish a presence in the fighting game community. Unlike shooters, fighting games have always been more grassroots and have created their own lore. Ask someone about Evo Moment #37.
Fighting games are fun to watch because they're the most similar to sports you might have already watched - competitive boxing and MMA. If you enjoy either of those sports, you'll likely enjoy watching fighting games. There's a great group of announcers and commentators that bring matches to life, and various games and players to follow. So if you've never watched a fighting game tournament, consider this a crash course in your next obsession.
Learning The Lingo
Like any sport, it's important to know the rules and terminology. Sure, you can always watch matches and learn on the fly (that's how I did it), but there are also videos to give you a quick class in the art of fighting.
I found this video by Core-A Gaming about a month ago, and it's a great introduction to the different types of fighting games, their mechanics, and terminology. If you have some time or want something you can listen to in the background, check this out.
Evo Moment 37
Like any sport, there are storied moments, and Evo Moment 37 might be the most well-known. I'm posting this because it's the perfect highlight of why I love watching fighting games. - Anyone can turn the tide of battle.
Top 8
Major tournaments are typically double-elimination events that take place over a weekend, featuring various pools that ultimately lead to the Top 8 players competing for a victory in the grand finals. Of course, you don't have to wait for Top 8 - great matches happen throughout the pools, but for the sake of this newsletter, I'm going to post a couple of Top 8 matches from CEO and Combo Breaker.
Note: Top 8 for Street Fighter 6 starts at 9:00:00 (I don't why Capcom didn't make a top 8 vid)
Evo 2025
My entry into fighting games began with Evo, one of the largest tournaments in the genre. Every year, players from around the world travel to Vegas to prove they are the best in the world. This year, the tournament takes place from August 1st to 3rd. I'll provide links to the official site and YouTube, as they offer a wealth of information that you can explore. And if you do get into fighting games, let me know what you're watching! Peace.
