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EVO 2020 live tournaments canceled, will take place online

EVO 2020 will not happen in its current form, but the show will go on in an online-only space.

May 1, 2020 1:20 PM

Major esports events and gatherings continue to fall like flies, even six months after coronavirus-related lockdowns started. While the country gradually looks to open up, major spectator events don't appear to be returning anytime soon. And with that in mind, this year's EVO now appears to have joined that list of casualties.

A message from the Evo team... pic.twitter.com/ANXUXDiNGK
— EVO (@EVO) May 1, 2020

The EVO Twitter account confirmed on Friday that the biggest fighting game tournament of the year will not happen in its traditional form. However, it does look like it will happen in a different way. The EVO team will look to hold this year's tournament as an online-only event.

EVO 2020 was set to return to Las Vegas, with the first two days unfolding from the Manadaly Bay Convention Center and the final day of Top 8s happening from the Mandalay Bay Events Center. However, Las Vegas has been one of the cities most heavily impacted by COVID-19, with casinos and hotels yet to open back up. Those who have booked their tickets to EVO 2020 will be refunded in full, with arena tickets and hotel room reservations being refunded automatically. Those who have booked their rooms outside the Mandalay Bay can call their individual hotels to inquire about refunds.

There is no word on when the new EVO will take place, but the EVO Twitter account adds that tournament registration forms will be available next week. Stay tuned to Shacknews, because we're continuing to cover everything that's happening and also everything that's not happening in the continuing wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?

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