Evo 2017

Contrast to the previous year's event which took place in two venues, Evo 2017 took place in the Mandalay Bay resort for all three days of the event. The first two days of the event were held in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, while the final day was held in the Mandalay Bay Events Center like it had in 2016.{{cite web|last1=Walker|first1=Ian|title=What To Watch For This Weekend At Evo 2017, The World's Largest Fighting Game Tournament|url=http://compete.kotaku.com/what-to-watch-for-this-weekend-at-evo-2017-the-worlds-1796918226|website=Compete|date=14 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-14}}

The nine games played at Evo 2017 were announced in January 2017 during a special announcement stream on Twitch, with event co-founder Joey Cuellar discussing the inclusion of each game. The games set to be contested consisted of new releases, FGC contemporaries, and updated releases. New additions included BlazBlue: Central Fiction, The King of Fighters XIV, and Injustice 2 while Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 would replace Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-.{{cite web|last1=Hussain|first1=Tamoor|title=Evo 2017 Fighting Game Tournament Lineup Revealed|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/evo-2017-fighting-game-tournament-lineup-revealed/1100-6447233/|website=GameSpot|access-date=2017-07-14}}{{cite web|last1=Porter|first1=Matt|title=EVO 2017 GAME LINE-UP ANNOUNCED|url=http://ca.ign.com/articles/2017/01/25/evo-2017-game-line-up-announced|website=IGN|date=25 January 2017|access-date=2017-07-14}} A major change among the Smash community was that Super Smash Bros. Melee's finals would be moved to the prime time spot on Saturday, contrast to its Sunday spot in the previous years.{{cite web|last1=Kwilinski|first1=Darin|title=Evo 2017 lineup announced, Melee missing from Sunday finals|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/18547482/central-fiction-tekken-7-come-evolution-championship-series-2017|website=ESPN|date=25 January 2017|access-date=2017-07-14}} A ninth game, a Player's Choice title, was later won by Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, after having donated the most money for Make-A-Wish International via Generosity.com.{{cite web|last1=Devore|first1=Jordan|title=Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 takes the EVO 2017 fan vote|url=https://www.destructoid.com/ultimate-marvel-vs-capcom-3-takes-the-evo-2017-fan-vote-417613.phtml|website=Destructoid|access-date=2017-07-14|archive-date=2017-03-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310023058/https://www.destructoid.com/ultimate-marvel-vs-capcom-3-takes-the-evo-2017-fan-vote-417613.phtml|url-status=dead}} The other three games were Street Fighter V, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Tekken 7.

In an interview with PVP Live's Amanda Stevens, veteran Super Street Fighter II Turbo player and commentator, James Chen had mixed opinions regarding the lineup praising Guilty Gear and BlazBlue's simultaneous inclusion while criticizing the Player's Choice game.{{cite web|last1=Stevens|first1=Amanda|title=James Chen: "Having to make a decision to come down with eight games is a lose/lose situation"|url=https://pvplive.net/c/jchensor-evo-2017-street-fighter-season-2|website=PVP Live|access-date=2017-07-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129090520/https://pvplive.net/c/jchensor-evo-2017-street-fighter-season-2|archive-date=2017-01-29|url-status=dead}} Although Pokkén Tournament lost the Make-A-Wish Foundation poll, in recognition of the Pokkén scenes passion for their game as shown by being the second most funded fighting game; Joey Cuellar offered $10,000 for pot bonuses towards various tournaments surrounding the game.{{cite web|last1=Keefer|first1=John|title=Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Wins Donation War for 9th EVO 2017 Spot|url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/98977/marvel-vs-capcom-3-wins-donation-war-for-9th-evo-2017-spot|website=Shacknews|access-date=2017-07-14}}

As with the previous two years, the AnimEVO series of side tournaments, which is dedicated to airdasher fighting games was at the event with more than sixteen fighting games that were competed in including Catherine, Gundam Versus, Puyo Puyo Tetris, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R and Under Night In-Birth EXE: Late as well as former EVO titles Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and Pokkén Tournament.{{cite web|last1=Walker|first1=Ian|title=AnimEvo Is A Great Showcase For The Games That Don't Make It Into Evo|url=http://compete.kotaku.com/animevo-is-a-great-showcase-for-the-games-that-dont-mak-1796889021|website=Compete|date=13 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-14}}{{cite web|last1=Jurek|first1=Steve|title=Viewer's guide to watching Evo 2017 on Twitch|url=https://dotesports.com/fgc/evo-2017-viewers-guide-15842|website=Dot esports|access-date=2017-07-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829074412/https://dotesports.com/fgc/evo-2017-viewers-guide-15842|archive-date=2017-08-29|url-status=dead}} The side tournament is notable for the large amount of support it received from Bandai Namco, Sega, and other developers. Voice actress Kana Ueda was also in attendance and placed 5th in the Gundam Versus tournament. Other side events for games like Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Project M,{{Cite web|url=http://www.dbltap.com/posts/4797151-project-m-returns-to-evo-for-2017|title=Project M Returns to EVO for 2017|date=30 March 2017|access-date=22 July 2017|archive-date=29 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829035839/http://www.dbltap.com/posts/4797151-project-m-returns-to-evo-for-2017|url-status=dead}} Dissidia Final Fantasy NThttps://www.redbull.com/us-en/evo-2017-final-fantasy-dissidia-press-conference {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2022}} and the upcoming Dragon Ball FighterZ also occurred during the event.{{cite web|last1=Sato|title=Watch Dragon Ball FighterZ' Exhibition Tournaments At Evo 2017 Today And Tomorrow|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2017/07/14/watch-dragon-ball-fighterzs-exhibition-tournaments-evo-2017-today-tomorrow/|website=Siliconera|access-date=2017-07-14}}

The Evolution Championship Series has historically been the largest fighting game tournament in the world, allowing free registration for anyone who wants to compete. Registration for the event closed on July 1, which Joey "Mr. Wizard" Cuellar had announced the final registration numbers. The three largest games from last year: Street Fighter V, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Melee have all seen decreases in numbers with the games going from 5107 to 2622, 2662 to 1515, and 2372 to 1435 respectively.{{cite web|last1=Lawson|first1=Aurich|title=How to watch the world's biggest fighting game tournament this weekend|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/07/how-to-watch-the-worlds-biggest-fighting-game-tournament-this-weekend/|website=Ars Technica|date=2016-07-15}}{{cite web|last1=Newell|first1=Adam|title=Street Fighter V, Smash 4, and Smash Melee have seen huge drops in EVO registration|url=https://dotesports.com/fgc/evo-2017-registration-numbers-15572|website=Dot esports|access-date=2017-07-14}}{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In contrast, Tekken 7 doubled in entrant numbers receiving over 1,200 entrants which was commonly associated with the release of the title's console version.{{cite web|last1=Mejia|first1=Ozzie|title=EVO 2017 Preview: The 5 Storylines To Watch|url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/100591/evo-2017-preview-the-5-storylines-to-watch|website=Shacknews|access-date=2017-07-14}}

Evo 2017 has received over 10,000 attendees in competition.

It was announced that ESPN2 would once again broadcast the finals of the Street Fighter V tournament on July 16 with Kevin Lopes stating "This final will provide no shortage of compelling competition, and we look forward to delivering this event to fans.".{{cite web|last1=ESPN esports Staff|title=ESPN2 to broadcast Street Fighter V finals at Evo|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/19962785/espn2-broadcast-street-fighter-v-finals-evo|website=ESPN|date=11 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-14}} The Super Smash Bros. for Wii U finals in addition to the aforementioned Street Fighter V finals were also broadcast on Disney XD, as part of the launch of the network's new video game-focused D|XP block.{{cite web|last1=Casey|title=Disney XD Will Be Airing The Super Smash Bros. Wii U Finals From EVO 2017|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2017/07/14/disney-xd-will-airing-super-smash-bros-wii-u-finals-evo-2017/|website=Siliconera|access-date=2017-07-14}}{{cite web|last1=Beck|first1=Kellen|title=Disney is bringing esports to TV this weekend|url=http://mashable.com/2017/07/14/disney-esports/#RAIJfecY4Pq7|website=Mashable|date=14 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-14}}

As every year, the entire tournament was streamed through the Twitch streaming service. The tournament was broadcast across nine different streams: six Evo-run streams provided coverage of all games throughout the weekend, while Capcom ran its own stream that features additional coverage of Street Fighter V on Friday and Saturday, Namco provided a stream with additional coverage of Tekken 7 on Friday, while NetherRealm Studios provided a stream with additional coverage of Injustice 2.{{cite web|last1=McWhertor|first1=Michael|title=Watch Evo 2017 live this weekend|url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/7/14/15966084/evo-2017-streams-schedule-twitch-livestream-street-fighter-5-tekken-7-smash-bros|website=Polygon|date=14 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-14}}

During the Street Fighter V finals, ESPN2 pulled the match between Ryota "Kazunoko" Inoue and Du "NuckleDu" Dang and forced the former to change his costume for Cammy as the company felt that the character's default costume was "too sexy" for broadcasting.{{cite web|last1=Morris|first1=Tatiana|title=Street Fighter 5: Cammy's costume was too sexy for ESPN to handle during Evo 2017|url=http://www.gamezone.com/news/street-fighter-5-cammy-s-costume-was-too-sexy-for-espn-to-handle-during-evo-2017-3455646|website=GameZone|date=19 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-21}}{{cite web|last1=Beck|first1=Kellen|title=Esports moving to TV means more video games have to reckon with themselves|url=http://mashable.com/2017/07/19/street-fighter-espn-costume/#ow2MlmdEhOqD|website=Mashable|date=19 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-21}}

A day before Evo 2017 began, SNK announced PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita ports of Samurai Shodown V Special, with a beta build being playable during the event at the SNK booth.{{cite web|last1=Weatherford|first1=Joshua|title=Arcade Legend Samurai Shodown V Special Coming to PS4, Vita|url=https://blog.us.playstation.com/2017/07/13/arcade-legend-samurai-shodown-v-special-coming-to-ps4-vita/|website=PlayStation Blog|date=13 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-16}}{{cite web|last1=Romano|first1=Sal|title=Samurai Shodown V Special announced for PS4, PS Vita|url=https://gematsu.com/2017/07/samurai-shodown-v-special-announced-ps4-ps-vita|website=Gematsu|date=13 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-16}}

On the first day of the event, Capcom revealed three nostalgic costumes (one for Alex, Ibuki, and Juri) and Ryu's classic Street Fighter II stage, Suzaku Castle, for Street Fighter V.{{cite web|last1=Newhouse|first1=Alex|title=Street Fighter 5 Receiving Three More Retro Costumes And A Classic Stage|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/street-fighter-5-receiving-three-more-retro-costum/1100-6451695/|website=GameSpot|access-date=2017-07-16}} They also announced a new stage called Ring of Pride as well as a new costume for Guile designed by Capcom Cup 2016 champion, Du "NuckleDu" Dang.{{cite web|last1=Jones|first1=Elton|title=Street Fighter 5: Nostalgic Costumes, Classic Ryu Stage & More DLC Releasing Soon|url=http://heavy.com/games/2017/07/street-fighter-5-nostalgic-costumes-classic-ryu-stage-ring-of-pride-stage-champions-choice-guile-dlc-july-25/|website=Heavy.com|date=14 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-16}}

Shortly after the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 finals, Capcom's Peter "Combofiend" Rosas revealed Jedah for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite during a match against Street Fighter V finalist, Ryan "Filipino Champ" Ramirez.{{cite web|last1=Valdez|first1=Nick|title=Darkstalkers' Jedah confirmed for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite|url=https://www.destructoid.com/darkstalkers-jedah-confirmed-for-marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-449295.phtml|website=Destructoid|date=16 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-16|archive-date=2017-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717073034/https://www.destructoid.com/darkstalkers-jedah-confirmed-for-marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-449295.phtml|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last1=Good|first1=Owen|title=Darkstalkers' Jedah is coming to Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite|url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/7/16/15978742/jedah-marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-roster|website=Polygon|date=16 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-16}}{{cite web|last1=Jurek|first1=Steve|title=RyanLV wins Evo title in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3's swan song|url=https://dotesports.com/fgc/ryanlv-wins-final-marvel-evo-15919|website=Dot esports|access-date=2017-07-16}}{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Following the BlazBlue: Central Fiction finals, Toshimichi Mori of Arc System Works went on the Mandalay Bay stage to reveal Jubei as a DLC character for BlazBlue: Central Fiction. Additionally, Mori announced BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle, a crossover fighter featuring characters from BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth, and RWBY.{{cite web|last1=EVO 2017: Toshimichi Mori, Keeper of the Azure|first1=Michael|title=EVO 2017: Toshimichi Mori, Keeper of the Azure|url=https://www.redbull.com/us-en/evo-2017-blazblue-developer-interview|website=Red Bull|access-date=2017-07-16}}{{cite web|last1=Mejia|first1=Ozzie|title=EVO 2017: Anime worlds collide in BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, Jubei joins BlazBlue: Central Fiction|url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/100617/evo-2017-anime-worlds-collide-in-blazblue-cross-tag-battle-jubei-joins-blazblue-central-fiction|website=Shacknews|date=16 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-16}} Another trailer prior to the Tekken 7 finals showcased Arika's upcoming fighting game, also revealing Street Fighter EX characters Skullomania and Darun Mister would be joining the roster.{{cite web|last1=Hussain|first1=Tamoor|title=Street Fighter EX Dev Brings Skullomania Back For Its New Fighting Game|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/street-fighter-ex-dev-brings-skullomania-back-for-/1100-6451718/|website=GameSpot|access-date=2017-07-16}}{{cite web|last1=Valdez|first1=Nick|title=Skullomania is back in Arika's new fighter, which is releasing next year|url=https://www.destructoid.com/skullomania-is-back-in-arika-s-new-fighter-which-is-releasing-next-year-449319.phtml|website=Destructoid|date=16 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-16|archive-date=2017-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717023425/https://www.destructoid.com/skullomania-is-back-in-arika-s-new-fighter-which-is-releasing-next-year-449319.phtml|url-status=dead}} Between the Tekken 7 finals and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U finals, Bandai Namco Entertainment showed the first gameplay footage of Trunks in the upcoming Dragon Ball FighterZ, as well as announcing a nine character beta for later in the year;{{cite web|last1=Workman|first1=Robert|title=Trunks Announced For Dragon Ball FighterZ – And There's A Beta Coming This Month|url=http://comicbook.com/gaming/2017/07/16/trunks-announced-for-dragon-ball-fighterz-and-there-s-a-beta-com/|website=Comicbook.com|access-date=2017-07-16}} this was instantly followed by Katsuhiro Harada and Michael Murray revealing Geese Howard as a DLC guest character for Tekken 7.{{cite web|last1=Ramos|first1=Jeff|title=Geese Howard from Fatal Fury is Tekken 7's new character|url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/7/16/15979398/geese-howard-tekken-7|website=Polygon|date=16 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-16}} Before the Street Fighter V finals began, Yoshinori Ono went on-stage to announce Abigail from Final Fight as the next DLC character in Street Fighter V{{'}}s second season.{{cite web|last1=Romano|first1=Sal|title=Street Fighter V adds Abigail from Final Fight on July 25|url=http://gematsu.com/2017/07/street-fighter-v-adds-abigail-final-fight-july-25|website=Gematsu|access-date=2017-07-16}}{{cite web|last1=Jones|first1=Elton|title=WATCH: Street Fighter 5 Abigail Reveal Trailer|url=http://heavy.com/games/2017/07/street-fighter-5-abigail-gameplay-reveal-trailer-release-date-dlc-evo-2017/|website=Heavy.com|date=16 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-16}}

Prior to the Street Fighter V finals, the EVO tournament organizers announced the EVO Japan 2018 dates as January 26–28.{{cite web|last1=Mejia|first1=Ozzie|title=EVO 2017: Evo Japan 2018 lineup includes Street Fighter 5, ARMS, and more|url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/100621/evo-2017-evo-japan-2018-lineup-includes-street-fighter-5-arms-and-more|website=Shacknews|date=16 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-16}}

File:Evo 2017 Street Fighter V grand finals.jpg featured on the video board.]]

Evo 2017 was the second year that Street Fighter V was featured on the big stage with the event once again being the closing game. Ryota "Kazunoko" Inoue would notably place 3rd in the tournament, making his appearance in the Street Fighter V finals his second Top 8 finish during the event. Hiromiki "Itabashi Zangief" Kumada would place 4th in the event; both Kazunoko and Itabashi Zangief were sent to the Loser's Bracket by the event's eventual runner-up Victor "Punk" Woodley.{{cite web|last1=Jurek|first1=Steve|title=Tokido knocks off Punk to win Street Fighter V title at Evo 2017|url=https://dotesports.com/fgc/tokido-wins-sfv-evo-2017-15933|website=Dot esports|access-date=2017-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917124117/https://dotesports.com/fgc/tokido-wins-sfv-evo-2017-15933|archive-date=2017-09-17|url-status=dead}} The finals had a diverse number of characters including Karin, Nash, Cammy, Zangief, and Akuma.{{cite web|last1=George|first1=Daniel|title=Tokido is your Evo 2017 Street Fighter V Grand Finals champion|url=https://apptrigger.com/2017/07/17/tokido-evo-2017-street-fighter-v-grand-finals-champion/|website=FanSided|date=17 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-17|archive-date=2017-09-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917124530/https://apptrigger.com/2017/07/17/tokido-evo-2017-street-fighter-v-grand-finals-champion/|url-status=dead}}

The Grand Finals was a showdown between Japan's Hajime "Tokido" Taniguchi and the United States's Victor "Punk" Woodley. Tokido took the first two games with the first match notably having Tokido using Akuma's taunt to defeat Punk's Karin.{{cite web|last1=Van Allen|first1=Eric|title=Tokido Battles Back Through Losers Bracket To Win Evo Street Fighter V Championship|url=http://compete.kotaku.com/tokido-battles-back-through-losers-bracket-to-win-evo-s-1796972015|website=Compete|date=17 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-17}}{{cite web|last1=Yin-Poole|first1=Wesley|title=Tokido crowned Street Fighter 5 Evo 2017 champion|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-07-17-tokido-crowned-street-fighter-5-evo-2017-champion|website=Eurogamer|date=17 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-17}} Tokido's relentless pressure, okizeme, and fireball game would lead to him resetting the bracket 3-1 and then follow it up with a clean 3–0 upset over Punk in order to become the Evo 2017 Street Fighter V champion.{{cite web|last1=Lee|first1=Timothy|title=Tokido upsets Punk to win Street Fighter V title|url=http://www.espn.co.uk/esports/story/_/id/20084655/tokido-upsets-punk-win-street-fighter-v-title|website=ESPN|date=17 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-17}} Tokido received $35,000 for winning the finals and at the time moved up to second place in the Capcom Pro Tour 2017 standings. This victory would also give Tokido his third EVO trophy, with his first two being for Capcom vs. SNK 2 (2002) and Super Street Fighter II Turbo (2007).

PC Gamer described the grand finals between Tokido and Punk as a match between a veteran and a newcomer as the players at the time of the event were 32 and 18 respectively.{{cite web|last1=Fenlon|first1=Wes|title=EVO 2017's Street Fighter 5 grand final was like the last 15 minutes of a Rocky movie|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/evo-2017s-street-fighter-5-grand-final-was-like-the-last-15-minutes-of-a-rocky-movie/|journal=PC Gamer|date=18 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-18}} One of the Twitch commentators at the end of the finals, James Chen, notably bursted in tears and gave a message saying "Evo is love. L-O-V-E. When you hold that L and run it back: EVO.”; the message is a response to all of the passion and support that the fighting game community has done towards the events and fighting games.{{cite web|last1=Oller|first1=Jacob|title=The 10 Best Moments from EVO 2017|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/07/the-10-best-moments-of-evo-2017.html|website=Paste|access-date=2017-07-18|archive-date=2018-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114020742/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/07/the-10-best-moments-of-evo-2017.html|url-status=dead}}

Taking the spot of Melee on Sunday, Wii U nevertheless saw a drop in attendance from 2016, but still had the second highest attendance of any game at Evo 2017 with the exception of Street Fighter V. Wii U featured many notable upsets; the game's 2016 winner Elliot "Ally" Carroza-Oyarce and runner-up Takuto "Kameme" Ono were both eliminated before the semi-final round. Ultimately, despite seven of the final thirty-two players using the controversial top tier Bayonetta, only one secured a place in the finals, and each of the top eight players mained a different character. Evo 2015 champion Gonzalo "ZeRo" Barrios of Chile defeated veteran player Larry "Larry Lurr" Holland in winners' finals 3-2 after being down 2–0. Saleem "Salem" Young, after being sent to the losers' bracket by Larry Lurr, defeated Kengo "KEN" Suzuki in losers' quarters, Gavin "Tweek" Dempsey in losers' semifinals, and won a rematch with Larry Lurr 3–1 in losers' finals. Salem would then go on to win the tournament, resetting the bracket against ZeRo 3-2 and then winning 3–2 in the second set of grand finals.{{cite web|last1=Banusing|first1=Justin|title=Salem upsets ZeRo for first Smash Wii U Evo title|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/20083810/evo-2017-salem-upsets-zero-first-smash-wii-u-evo-title|website=ESPN|date=17 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-17}}

The third year at the Evolution Championship Series and its first since its console release,{{cite web|last1=Shea|first1=Cam|title=TEKKEN 7 IS COMING HOME A LITTLE LATER THAN EXPECTED|url=http://ca.ign.com/articles/2017/01/23/tekken-7-is-coming-home-a-little-later-than-expected|website=IGN|date=23 January 2017|access-date=2017-07-16}} Tekken 7 had over 1,200 entrants competing for a qualification to the Tekken World Tour finals. South Korea was the most dominant region represented in the finals with half of the Top 8 being Korean players. Sang-hyeon "JEOnnding" Jeon was the lowest finishing of the four in 5th place, with the top three being established EVO champions; Jae-min "Knee" Bae, Jin-woo "Saint" Choi, and Hyun-jin "JDCR" Kim placing 3rd, 2nd, and 1st respectively. JDCR's victory in an Echo Fox team kill Grand Finals lead to him receiving his second EVO championship, his previous title was in 2014 for Tekken Tag Tournament 2.{{cite web|last1=Lee|first1=Timothy|title=JDCR wins Tekken 7 crown at Evo|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/20082610/jdcr-wins-tekken-7-crown-evo|website=ESPN|date=16 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-16}}{{cite web|last1=Jurek|first1=Steve|title=JDCR stands tall as Korea dominates Tekken 7 at Evo 2017|url=https://dotesports.com/fgc/jdcr-wins-evo-2017-tekken-15927|website=Dot esports|access-date=2017-07-16}}{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Although BlazBlue: Central Fiction didn't have more entrants than its sibling, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2, the finals did not disappoint. The title is considered to be among the most popular fighting games in Japan, in which all of the Top 8 finalists hailed from. In the grand finals, it came down to Shoji “Fenrich” Sho and Ryusei Ito using Jin and Carl respectively. Both have played each other frequently in tournaments and are well acquainted friends. Fenrich was able to reset the bracket, sending Ryusei Ito to the loser's bracket; however in the final game of the event, Ryusei came out as the victor 3–2.{{cite web|last1=Womack|first1=Barrett|title=Evo 2017: Sunday Top 8 Highlights|url=https://www.redbull.com/us-en/evo-2017-top-8-highights|website=Red Bull|access-date=2017-07-17}}{{cite web|last1=Van Allen|first1=Eric|title=Two Of BlazBlue's Best Go The Distance In Evo Championship Match|url=http://compete.kotaku.com/two-of-blazblues-best-go-the-distance-in-evo-championsh-1796964053|website=Compete|date=16 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-17}}

The finals of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 at Evo 2017 was considered by many as the game's swan song. The defending champion, Christopher "NYChrisG" Gonzalez would fall second place to fellow Morrigan player, Rene "RyanLV" Romero. RyanLV benefited in the grand finals with his unique synergy of Chun-Li, Morrigan, and Phoenix; a style which emphasized very heavily on offensive play, in contrast to NYChrisG's defensive play.{{cite web|last1=Gach|first1=Ethan|title=Dramatic Finish Cements Pro's Legacy As Final Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Evo Champion|url=http://compete.kotaku.com/dramatic-finish-cements-pros-legacy-as-final-marvel-vs-1796962107|website=Compete|date=16 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-16}}{{cite web|last1=Lee|first1=Timothy|title=RyanLV beats reigning UMvC3 champion Chris G to win at Evo 2017|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/20081672/ryanlv-beats-reigning-umvc3-champion-chris-g-win-evo-2017|website=ESPN|date=16 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-16}} The third-place finisher, Canada's Jose "Quackbot" Aldape (who entered as PC Marvel God), was a surprise by many as he upset many fan favorites along the way including Ichihara Takumi, Kenneth "K-Brad" Bradley, Vineeth "ApologyMan" Meka, Justin Wong, Raynel "RayRay" Hidalgo among others.

Although the finals took place on Saturday, the Super Smash Bros. Melee event had as much excitement as the previous years. One notable upset was where fan favorite, William "Leffen" Hjelte was notably eliminated by Ryan "The Moon" Coker-Welch in a match to advance in Top 8 in Loser's Bracket. Adam "Armada" Lindgren would face off against Joseph "Mango" Marquez in the Winner's Finals with Armada sending Mango to Loser's Finals, 3–0. Mango then eliminated the defending champion, Juan "Hungrybox" Debiedma over the course of five close games. In Grand Finals, Armada won the first set 3-1 and took the title of EVO champion for the second time.{{cite web|last1=Gach|first1=Ethan|title=Armada Wins Second Evo Melee Championship, Makes It Look Easy|url=http://compete.kotaku.com/armada-wins-second-evo-melee-championship-makes-it-loo-1796958916|website=Compete|date=16 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-16}}{{cite web|last1=Khan|first1=Imad|title=Armada cements Melee legacy with second Evo title|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/20077379/evo-2017-armada-cements-melee-legacy-second-evo-title|website=ESPN|date=16 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-16}}{{cite web|last1=Newell|first1=Adam|title=Armada is your Smash Smash Bros. Melee champion at Evo|url=https://dotesports.com/fgc/melee-evo-2017-armada-15911|website=Dot esports|access-date=2017-07-16}}{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In its debut year at the Evolution Championship Series, Injustice 2 had one of the most unexpected victories at the event. While Echo Fox's Dominique "SonicFox" McLean was the favorite to win the event, he fell victim to Tim "HoneyBee" Commandeur's Flash in Winner's and Andrew "Semiij" Fontanez' Catwoman and netted himself a fifth-place finish. The grand finals would see HoneyBee face off against Ryan "Dragon" Walker in a runback from Winner's Finals. Dragon would come out on top with his Aquaman secondary 3–2 against HoneyBee's Flash. The event saw plenty of character diversity with characters such as Atrocitus, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Batman, Black Adam, Brainiac and the aforementioned Flash and Aquaman receiving exposure.{{cite web|last1=Birch|first1=Nathan|title=Injustice 2 EVO 2017 Championships Feature Surprise Upsets And Character Choices|url=http://comicbook.com/gaming/2017/07/16/injustice-2-evo-2017-championships-results-upsets/|website=Comicbook.com|access-date=2017-07-17}}{{cite web|last1=Lee|first1=Timothy|title=SonicFox upset in top 8, Dragon wins Injustice 2 Evo debut|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/20076205/evo-2017-sonicfox-upset-top-8-dragon-wins-injustice-2-evo-debut|website=ESPN|date=16 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-17}} Many of the mistakes in the finals made were attributed to the title's status as a recently released title as Injustice 2 was released two months prior to the event itself.{{cite web|last1=Plagge|first1=Kallie|title=Injustice 2 Release Date Revealed [UPDATE]|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/injustice-2-release-date-revealed-update/1100-6446713/|website=GameSpot|access-date=2017-07-17}}

As with the previous years that the King of Fighters franchise was represented, which was with the thirteenth installment; the Evo 2017 King of Fighters XIV tournament had global talent represented in its Top 8 with six countries represented. The finals saw some upsets as the Evo 2013 champion and KOF XIV World Champion, Reynald Tacsuan and Murakami "M'" Masanobu respectively, were notably eliminated by Chia-Chen "ZJZ" Tseng and Ruber "Pako" Partida respectively. Ultimately, Taiwanese player and Evo 2014 3rd placer Chia-Hung Lin "E.T." Lin would become the champion after defeating the Evo 2014 champion, Zhuojun "Xiao Hai" Zeng of China with a 3-2 finish, having earned 60% of the $14,000 pot bonus.{{cite web|last1=Jurek|first1=Steve|title=E.T. wins King of Fighters XIV title at Evo 2017|url=https://dotesports.com/fgc/et-wins-kof-evo-2017-15899|website=Dot esports|access-date=2017-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170716055820/https://dotesports.com/fgc/et-wins-kof-evo-2017-15899|archive-date=2017-07-16|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last1=George|first1=Daniel|title=E.T. wins the Evo 2017 King of Fighters XIV Grand Finals|url=https://apptrigger.com/2017/07/15/e-t-wins-evo-2017-king-fighters-xiv-grand-finals/|website=FanSided|date=15 July 2017|access-date=2017-07-15|archive-date=2018-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114021029/https://apptrigger.com/2017/07/15/e-t-wins-evo-2017-king-fighters-xiv-grand-finals/|url-status=dead}} His victory was attributed to a surprise character pick in which Goro Daimon was used.{{cite web|last1=Walker|first1=Ian|title=Surprise Character Pick Wins Evo 2017's King Of Fighters XIV Tournament|url=http://compete.kotaku.com/surprise-character-pick-wins-evo-2017-s-king-of-fighter-1796949725|website=Compete|date=15 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-15}}

The Street Fighter V event has received a $50,000 pot bonus as part of the 2017 Capcom Pro Tour Season. The King of Fighters XIV received a $14,000 bonus pot courtesy of SNK and Atlus.{{cite web|last1=Jones|first1=Elton|title=Evo 2017: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|url=http://heavy.com/games/2017/07/evo-2017-games-entrants-lineup-schedule-announcements-animevo-japan/|website=Heavy.com|date=July 2017|access-date=2017-07-14}} Injustice 2 received a pot bonus of $50,000 as part of the Injustice 2 Pro Series by ESL Gaming.{{cite tweet|number=864188046425571328|user=EVO|title=Evo 2017 is part of the Injustice 2...|accessdate=2017-07-14|date=15 May 2017}} Arc System Works and Aksys Games provided a $10,000 pot bonus each for Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 and BlazBlue: Central Fiction.{{cite web|last1=X|title=Aksys Games and Arc System Works partner up for Evolution Championship Series 2017|url=http://www.aksysgames.com/2017/06/28/aksys-games-and-arc-system-works-partner-up-for-evolution-championship-series-2017/|website=Aksys Games|access-date=2017-07-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114020545/http://www.aksysgames.com/2017/06/28/aksys-games-and-arc-system-works-partner-up-for-evolution-championship-series-2017/|archive-date=2018-01-14|url-status=dead}} Bandai Namco Entertainment also provided a $15,000 pot bonus towards the Tekken 7 finals as part of the 2017 Tekken World Tour Season.{{cite web|title=Tekken World Tour Schedule|url=https://www.bandainamcoent.com/news/tekken-world-tour-schedule|website=Bandai Namco Entertainment|access-date=2017-07-17}}

Due to being the most donated fighting game for the Make-A-Wish Foundation crowdfunding, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 received a $10,000 pot bonus.{{cite web|last1=Valdez|first1=Nick|title=EVO 2017 Championship lineup revealed|url=https://www.destructoid.com/evo-2017-championship-lineup-revealed-414626.phtml|website=Destructoid|date=25 January 2017|access-date=2017-07-14|archive-date=2017-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170715160202/https://www.destructoid.com/evo-2017-championship-lineup-revealed-414626.phtml|url-status=dead}}

In a Super Smash Bros. Melee match between Juan "Hungrybox" Debiedma and Zac "SFAT" Cordoni in Winner's Quarter-Finals, both players were issued a yellow card after Debiedma called his coach, Luis “Captain Crunch” Rosias over for advice; Gordon "G$" Connell mocked Debiedma by miming a coaching session with Cordoni. As both players violated the "No Coaching After Pools" rule, lead EVO tournament organizer Joey "Mr. Wizard" Cuellar let the match stand.{{cite web|last1=Van Allen|first1=Eric|title=Yellow Card Ruling On Melee Coaching Stirs Controversy|url=http://compete.kotaku.com/yellow-card-ruling-on-melee-coaching-stirs-controversy-1796956065|website=Compete|date=16 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-16}} Had Connell not teased Debiedma with the coaching session, Debiedma would have most likely been disqualified. This upset many fans, as they believed that Cordoni was not being coached and didn't deserve to get carded. Furthermore, the official EVO ruleset stated that, if the incident was not reported at the time it took place, then the incident will be ignored, meaning that both Debiedma and Cordoni shouldn't have been carded in the first place, since the incident was not reported.{{Cite web|url=http://evo.shoryuken.com/tournament-rules/#matchplay|title = Evo 2021}}

{{cite web |title=Evo 2017 final results |url=http://shoryuken.com/2017/07/16/evo-2017-championship-series-results/ |publisher=Shoryuken.com |date=16 July 2017 |access-date=26 August 2017 |archive-date=26 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226223207/http://shoryuken.com/2017/07/16/evo-2017-championship-series-results/ |url-status=dead }}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{Official website|http://evo.shoryuken.com/}}

{{Evo}}

{{Capcom Pro Tour 2017}}

Category:2017 fighting game tournaments

Category:2017 in sports in Nevada

Category:Evolution Championship Series

Category:Esports competitions in the United States