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Every year it’s a new Evo but the old kings still remain strong.
Evo 2026 is in the books and with that we have our new batch of fighting game champions, although some of these faces are already mighty familiar.
For some fighting games, somehow the more they change the more their champions stay the same. We’ve got thousands of competitors coming every year, with new blood eager to prove themselves. But every tournament can only have one champion and only the best of the best deserve that title.
Matthieu “Kojicoco” Fardet – Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
Arena finals started bright and early for day two of Evo 2026. But not even the early call time could dull the hype especially for Kojicoco. As the defending Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Evo champion, he had a lot to prove this year.
Top eight started strong for Kojicoco after he swept Kyran “Monarch” Reives in the upper bracket semis. However, he ran into Shio, one of Japan’s best, who decisively knocked him into the lower bracket. Yet Kojicoco was unfazed and returned the favor to Shio in the grand finals, sweeping him once to reset the bracket then taking him down 3-1 to defend his Evo champion title.
RedDitto – Guilt Gear Strive
Many have said that Evo is the hardest fighting game tournament to win, mostly due to its size. Top players may get a seeding advantage but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re playing a lot of games in just a few days.
That was the case for RedDitto who has consistently been one of the best Guilt Gear Strive players for years. He even won the 2024 ARC World Tour after starting in the Last Chance Qualifier. Yet he’s always fallen short when it comes to Evo, with multiple second place finishes. Now he finally won that elusive trophy after going through a gauntlet of America’s best players. Just goes to show that perseverance, and a bit of luck, can go a long way.
Plup – Rivals of Aether II
Recent controversy aside, Rivals of Aether II had a pretty decent showing in Evo 2026. It’s not everyday that a platform fighter makes it to the Evo mainstage but Rivals II was at least able to bring the hype with its smaller but dedicated crowd.
Overall it was an intense top eight, with the grand finals going to five games. No bracket reset took place however as Plup was able to stop CakeAssault and claim his Evo championship two-peat.
Jo’siah “Hikari” Miller – 2XKO
On the topic of new games on the Evo mainstage, 2XKO really came out swinging to open day 3 of Arena finals. Riot Game’s tag-team fighter continues to make waves, especially with how they allow duos to play in their official tournaments. But in the end, it seems like one head is better than two as Hikari had to face down two duo teams to earn his Evo trophy.
First it was the Japanese wonder twins Toshi and Haru down in the lower bracket. Then it was the tournament favorites Dominique “SonicFox” McLean and Lenwood “INZEM” Arnold for grand finals. The fact that Hiakri was able to do this from the lower bracket proves that he might just be one of the best fighting game pros of this generation.
Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique – Tekken 8
While we’re talking about the best fighting game pros of this generation, we can’t forget about Arslan Ash. The pride of Pakistan has once again proven that Evo is his domain as he cruised towards another Evo trophy for Tekken. This is his fourth Evo Vegas championship and brings him up to eight Evo trophies in total.
Considering Arslan’s feelings about Tekken 8 in general, it’s remarkable that he’s still one of the best in the world. It shows that Arslan has the true spirit of a competitor and has the discipline to stay competitive regardless of his opinions of the game.
Saul “MenaRD” Mena II – Street Fighter 6
And standing together with Arslan Ashe at the peak of their game is MenaRD. His victory at Evo 2026 puts him at four Evo trophies – two each from Japan and Vegas.
There were some who were doubting Mena’s capabilities after his disappointing Evo Japan 2026 run where he didn’t even make it past pools. But if there’s one thing we can count on, it’s that The Bull can always clutch it out when the stakes are high. Mena had a few close calls in the top eight, especially against Japan’s Shigematsu. But even after a bracket reset he remained calm, adapted, and closed out the tournament in dominant fashion.
Images from Evo on X.
Frequently Asked Questions
Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique of Pakistan won the Tekken 8 championship at Evo 2026. It was his fourth Evo Vegas title and his eighth Evo championship overall, extending his standing as one of the tournament’s most decorated competitors across multiple Tekken titles.
Yes. RedDitto won his first Evo championship at Evo 2026 in Guilty Gear Strive, after several previous runner-up finishes at the tournament. He had also won the 2024 ARC World Tour after starting in the Last Chance Qualifier.
Jo’siah “Hikari” Miller won the 2XKO championship at Evo 2026 from the lower bracket, defeating Toshi and Haru before facing Dominique “SonicFox” McLean and Lenwood “INZEM” Arnold in the grand finals, where he won as a solo competitor against duo teams.
Defending champion Matthieu “Kojicoco” Fardet faced Shio in the Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising grand finals after being sent to the lower bracket earlier in top eight. Kojicoco won the bracket reset set 3-1 to defend his Evo championship title.
Saul “MenaRD” Mena II’s Street Fighter 6 win at Evo 2026 brings his total to four Evo trophies — two from Evo Japan and two from Evo Vegas. He closed out the tournament after a bracket reset following a close top-eight run.
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