The recently announced lineup for the 2024 EVO fighting game championship series showcases the familiar assortment of Tekken, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and several other renowned fighting franchises. Regrettably, the absence of the beloved Smash Bros. series by Nintendo has been felt for quite some time now.
In 2022, Nintendo decided to withdraw from EVO after Sony’s acquisition of the event in 2021. EVO expressed their disappointment at the time, but now they seem eager to embrace Nintendo once again.
In an interview with Dextero, Rick Thiher, the General Manager of EVO, expressed his enthusiasm for potentially hosting Smash Bros. in the future. He also points out that it seems clear that Nintendo is starting to establish a more stable licensing program, which could potentially improve the situation in the future.
Dexerto: We asked Thiher about a possible comeback for Smash at EVO and he seemed enthusiastic about the future:
EVO General Manager: “Always happy to host Smash. Always happy to engage with that community…I was really excited to see parts of the Nintendo licensing program that has kind of stabilized in the last few months. We’re seeing more and more licensed events out in the market for those titles. Don’t know what the future holds today and we will find out whenever it arrives.”
One notable event in the world of Smash Bros. is the Panda Cup, which has gained recognition as an officially licensed tournament.