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Awards weren’t the only things being handed out during an event that celebrates the FGC.
It was a shining moment for the Fighting Game Community last weekend as the 2026 Evo Awards once again celebrated the best and brightest fighting game players.
A lot of awards were given that day and there was more to the it than the trophies handed out. So we’ve picked out the moments that stood out in the 2026 Evo Awards — moments that truly highlight the spirit of the FGC and what makes fighting games great.
Match of the Year: Lauyagami vs Xiao Hai (The King of Fighters XV)
KoF XV has been out of the spotlight for some time now but it still hosts some of the fiercest competition in the world. Nothing shows that off more than this year’s Match of the Year.
If you’re familiar with SNK fighting games, then you know who Zeng “Xiao Hai” Zhuojin is. He’s proficient in many fighting games but KoF is his dominion. You only need to see that staggering amount of first place finishes to verify this claim. Then there’s Laudelino “Lauyagami” Almeida, one of Brazil’s hometown heroes. He’s no slouch by any means, but his inability to travel to Tier 1 events has made him a non-factor.
Imagine the absolute mismatch when these two faced each other in the SNK World Championship 2025 grand finals. Everyone predicted an easy 3-0 sweep for Xia Hai but boy was everyone wrong. You have to see it to believe it but it’s clear why this won Match of the Year for the 2026 Evo Awards.
Double Winner: The KojiKOG Crash Out
Anyone who watched Evo last year can easily tell you what one of the most memorable moments of that event was, and it’s not some epic grand finals match. Kazuyuki “KojiKOG” Koji’s legendary crash out lives to this day, so much so that it won two awards.
By taking the Best Meme and Moment of the Year awards, KojiKOG’s breakdown distinguishes itself as the only one to win two categories in the 2026 Evo Awards. Not bad for a fun, if rather extreme, practical joke.
Player of the Year: Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique
This one should honestly come as no surprise. The moment the name of the seven-time Evo winner for Tekken popped up in the votes, we all knew who was taking Player of the Year.
Still, Arslan winning this award is a testament to his achievements and abilities. Debates on who the best Tekken player is will never die, but at least when it comes to Evo, that’s where Arslan Ash truly shines.
Commentator of the Year: Steven “Tasty Steve” Scott
The battle for Commentator of the Year was actually quite tight as we had pillars like Michael “Yipes” Mendoza and Luis “Rynge” Avila in the running. But in the end, the award had to go to the best hypeman in all of the FGC, Tasty Steve.
Whether it’s for deep analysis, hilarious banter, or raising everyone’s energy, Tasty Steve can and has done it all. He’s given so much of himself to the FGC and the love and support given back to him was evident in the 2026 Evo Awards. The man is a living legend and truly deserves the recognition for everything he’s done for the FGC.
Sudden Death: Justin Wong vs George “Grr” Foulkes Jr. (Invincible VS)
You can’t have a fighting game event without some fighting games on display, right? We had final roster reveal and release date of Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game and the unveiling of a new character for the upcoming Invincible VS fighting game.
To show off just how fast and brutal Invincible VS can be, the 2026 Evo Awards had a small exhibition tournament right there with some three-vs-three tag fighter legends. One would think Invincible VS would be comfortably within Justin’s wheelhouse but Grr never backs down from a challenge. The game’s already looking interesting in this early stage and we can’t wait to see how it develops, especially when Justin gets his runback after the game fully releases.
Banner image: Evo via X.