Author: Zavian "mushin_Z" Sildra

The fight card is (mostly) filled in–are you ready?

In tonight’s Evo 2017 Reveal Show (streamed live on Red Bull eSports’ Twitch channel) we finally learned the names of the games that will be featured on the main stage of Evolution 2017 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, July 14-16.

The games returning to the main stage are:

• Street Fighter V
• Super Smash Bros. Melee
• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
• Tekken 7

Meanwhile, the following games make their Evolution debut:

• BlazBlue: Central Fiction
• Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2
• The King of Fighters XIV
• Injustice 2

But wait, isn’t that short a title? The ninth game will be decided by a vote. By making a donation to Make-a-Wish International, you can vote on which of these games you want to see take that final spot:

• Pokkén Tournament
• Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
• Killer Instinct
• Mortal Kombat XL
• Skullgirls 2nd Encore
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo
• Nidhogg
• ARMS
• Windjammers

Go put your money down at Generosity.com to get your favorite in there! The winning game not only becomes a main event, but will be the opening game in the arena Finals on Sunday, and will also have a $10,000 prize pool bonus! Donations are capped at $10,000 per person, corporate sponsors not allowed! The voting closes in two weeks on Wednesday, February 1st.

Registration for Evo 2017 will be handled this year by smash.gg, and opens tonight. Hotel bookings are also open, so don’t dawdle if you want in on a room at Mandalay Bay. Like last year, tickets for the Sunday Finals will be sold separately; the games gracing the arena this year will be–in addition to the Player’s Choice winner–Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, BlazBlue: Central Fiction, and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Keep your eyes on Shoryuken and the Evo main page for future updates on the event as they develop!

Source: Evo

Pick up some great fighters at bargain-basement prices.

PlayStation users can grab some older fighting game titles for PS3, PS4, and PS Vita pretty dang cheap this weekend, as part of the PlayStation Store’s latest Flash Sale, active now and ending on January 23 at 8:00 AM PST. Check out what’s available:

• Injustice: Gods Among Us [PS3/PS4/PS Vita] – $4.99 (from $19.99)
• Skullgirls 2nd Encore [PS4] – $4.99 (from 24.99)
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix [PS3] – $1.99 (from $9.99)
• Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition [PS3] – $3.89 (from 14.99)
• Street Fighter X Tekken [PS3] – $2.99 (from 19.99); [PS Vita] – $3.99 (from $39.99)
• Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix [PS3] – $1.99 (from $9.99)
• Nidhogg [PS4/PS Vita] – $4.94 (from $14.99)
• Okami HD [PS3] – $4.89 (from 13.99) [Yes, not a fighting game; but an absolute classic from Capcom. – Editor]

Source: PlayStation Store

Alienware’s Akihabara location will be their battleground: kicking off Street Fighter V Season 2 with a FT10!

To celebrate Season 2 of Street Fighter V, Alienware’s Akihabara store will play host to an SFV exhibition match between Alienware’s Nemo and Red Bull’s Bonchan on January 28, 2017. Nemo has been tearing it up in Season 2 with his Urien lately, while Bonchan is known for his solid Nash play; thus this first-to-ten battle will certainly be an intense fight!

The event will be streamed live on Alienware Japan’s Twitch channel, so tune in at 10:00 AM PST on January 28 to catch the action!

Source: Alienware

More Smash signings appear!

Elevate announced today that Super Smash Bros. players Ramin “Mr.R” Delshad and Corey “False” Shin are joining their team to fight for the “Red Rebellion.” False is viewed as a top Sheik, Ryu, Luigi, and Marth player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, starting out by playing Wario in Super Smash Bros. Brawl; Mr.R has garnered attention for his Shiek play in Smash 4, and also played Snake, Link, Meta Knight, and Zero Suit Samus in Brawl. With this pair of serious Sheiks on board, Elevate is set to make an impact on the Smash scene.

ICYMI

We're proud to welcome #ElevateSmash players; @Mr_RSmash and @Fals1fy to the #RedRebellion!

WATCH: https://t.co/gopXt9HKdB pic.twitter.com/cTHgjIkPTR

— Elevate (@ElevateGG) January 20, 2017

Elevate also released this announcement video, depicting how exactly Mr.R replaced Larry Lurr (now with Misfits) on the team:

From Shoryuken: congratulations and best of luck to them both on their new team!

Sources: Elevate (Twitter); Elevate (YouTube)

Welcome to the Rollback: a frame-by-frame look back at our past week’s most notable news–and our favorite SRK articles–from January 13 to January 19, 2017!

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Zavian “mushin_Z” Sildra, Editor-in-Chief:

Frame 1:
Capcom Kicks Off Street Fighter’s 30th Anniversary Celebration with the Announcement Trailer for Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers

Capcom followed the initial reveal for Ultra Street Fighter II on the Nintendo Switch with this nostalgia-packed announcement trailer, and promises of more Street Fighter goodness to come in this 30th year. I hope it’s a good one!

Frame 2:
SRK World Player Rankings: The Street Fighter V Season 1 Awards

Guest writer Bavo Bruylandt provided this illuminating look at how Street Fighter V’s first year breaks down statistically, resulting in some insights and surprises about the players and characters during Season One.

Frame 3:
Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 Announced, Welcoming Lone Samurai Baiken and Business Ninja Answer to the Cast

This surprise from Arc System Works has been possibly the biggest news this week–as now the anime fighter community is rabid to finally get to play the long-awaited returning Baiken and the “business ninja” Answer. And of course, new moves and balance changes to breathe some new interest into GGXrd… Thankfully, it seems the wait will not be long!

Frame 4:
Combo Breaker Announced as Capcom Pro Tour 2017 Premier Event

And could it have happened to a more deserving tournament? Community favorite Combo Breaker is now a CPT Premier for 2017, making a fantastic event that much more prominent.

Frame 5:
Is Trying to Be Esports Going to Define the Way Tournaments Run in the Future?

Counterpoint to above: in this editorial, Zidiane calls for caution against the maybe-inevitable march toward esports-oriented planning and priorities. Are the roots of the FGC–and the players–at risk?

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Keegan “Interrobang!?” Spindler, Features Editor:

Frame 1:
The Injustice 2 Beta Is Now Open for Registration

Injustice 2 is one of my favorite NetherRealm titles, and I’m incredibly excited to see how they go about following up their first attempt. You can be sure that I’ve signed up.

Frame 2:
GRsmash Counts Down 100 of the Best Combos from the Top 100 Melee Players in the World

Super Smash Bros. Melee is one of the most entertaining and free-flowing competitive titles around, and the best players in the world can do insane things with their characters of choice. This collects the most stylish moves from Melee It On Me’s Top 100 players.

Frame 3:
Killer Instinct Season 2 Currently Free on Xbox One’s Games with Gold

So here’s the thing guys. Killer Instinct is fun. Really, really fun. Now that it’s free, you really should give it a go. Seriously, try it out.

Frame 4:
With Genesis 4 Around the Corner, Last Stock Legends Chronicles the Rivalry Between Armada and Mang0

Mang0 and Armada at Genesis is one of the great rivalries in Super Smash Bros. Last Stock Legends have outdone themselves in creating this terrific video that makes sure you know all about it.

Frame 5:
Will 2017 Be the Year Platform Fighters Break Out?

For the first time, 2017 will see players of Rivals of Aether, Brawlhalla and Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U all be taking part in tournament circuits specifically for their game of choice. Could this be the boost that platform fighters need to come into their own?

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Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article and the selected posts are solely those of the writers, and do not reflect Shoryuken.com as a whole.