✈️ Flights & Arrival
I booked everything—flights and accommodations—on credit card points.
Fly in by Thursday night if you’re competing; badge pickup is a breeze, but you’ll want time to settle in. Stay through Monday if you can: Sunday night is Finals, and you’ll want to feel that electricity live.
🏨 Lodging + Monorail Hacks
I stayed at Desert Rose Resort, just off the Strip—great pool (deep end practice, check), full kitchen, and a family-style suite. It’s near the start of the Monorail, but don’t trust Google Maps blindly. On Day 1, it led me on a roundabout trek. Day 2, I followed crosswalks and EVO lanyards—much better.
Monorail: $5.50 one-way, 7am–midnight. West Hall (EVO’s venue) is a walk from the stop—follow the crowd.
🎒 Backpack Mistakes
I overpacked.
• ✅ PS5 Pro Controller (needed)
• ❌ Fight stick (never used)
• ❌ Steam Deck (dead weight)
Next time? Maybe my SWORL leverless for Marvel TOKON.
🧾 Badge Pickup
No line.
Doors to the main hall opened at 8:30am, and the lines zig-zagged all around.
⸻
🎮 My First EVO Pools: Mortal Kombat 1
Pre-Pools Practice
Found a free console and started warming up.
A guy asked to play and proceeded to destroy me—but also taught me combo breakers and favorite move displays. He was a Medical Assistant. We bonded over The Pitt. Didn’t see him in Top 8, but I was rooting for him. He grew up being taught by his uncle.
My Pool Matches
Round 1: My opponent no-showed. A win… technically.
Round 2: Margo bodied me with Kitana’s high/low fans. I had nerves, but I expected to lose—I only logged ~60 hours and wasn’t training weekly like some.
Round 3: I started cooking, until one of his friends leaned over mid-match to check a cord. Threw me off.
Later, Molina told me: it’s common to return to character select or reset tempo when you’re getting cooked. Mental tactics. I respect it.
⸻
💥 Making Friends, Getting Inspired
Nick & Corrinne (Australia)
We clicked instantly. Nick’s Scorpion was fire, and he competed in multiple games. He talked about how EVO lets you face characters—not just people—unlike home community scenes. He got eliminated by a sponsored pro but made a great run.
Corrinne was a sweetheart—she even took photos of me competing. Don’t let the kindness fool you: her Hwoarang in Tekken was brutal. She almost made it out of pools.
Molina and His Crew
These dudes have been coming to EVO for over a decade.
• JB nearly made it out of Pool 1
• Zangief nearly made it out of Pool 1
• And Molina? My man made it out of Pool 1 with Chun-Li!
He fell in Pool 2, but still—legend.
⸻
🕹️ Marvel TOKON + Leverless Fever
Marvel TOKON is my future.
Arc System Works promises 10 years of support, and I’m all in.
That’s when I stumbled on the SWORL leverless at Junk Food’s booth. Rubber mouse-ball nubs where your palms rest? Mind blown. I realized I love buying weird tech. I love innovators who have courage. I held off buying in person, but went back to my room, watched reviews, and pre-ordered. I’m ready to test it across games.
⸻
🛍️ EVO Merch + Artist Alley Damage
I went a little wild:
• Posters, charms, stickers
• EVO desk mat and shorts
• Marvel Rivals haul
Shoutout to Artist Alley: I kept circling back until I found pieces that stuck with me.
⸻
🎮 MvC2, Samurai Showdown & The Sphere
MvC2: The champ has played for 20 years. Respect. I won’t compete, but I’ll learn it—for Psylocke and Cyclops.
Samurai Showdown: I used to dabble, but now I’m in. Why? A character fights with a dog. #KryptoVibez
The Sphere: On Thursday and Saturday, I visited family I hadn’t seen in 20+ years. Afterwards, I did something Vegas—saw Aronofsky’s “Postcard from Earth” at the Sphere. One of the greatest cinematic experiences ever. Seriously. Dream concert here? Daft Punk reunion.
⸻
🎤 Finals Night: Street Fighter 6
Top 8 started at 8:30pm.
I was Team Mickey (Hong Kong underdog), but MenaRD’s Blanka steamrolled through the bracket. The moment he reset and beat the Japanese player twice? I loved how Japanese dude was sitting there, stunned, but also, moving onto the next one.
DENNYS
I was thinking to eat somewhere fancy on the last night but I opted for Dennys near my hotel, because it wouldn’t be as crowded as strip restaurants. No one was there so great service and they accommodated my plant based diet, it ended up being my best meal in Vegas.
⸻
📚 Comics, Toys, and Swimming in the Deep End
I snuck in a morning swim and finally conquered my fear: floating in deep water with no vest. Will keep this up at the Berkeley YMCA.
I also found a Cuban brunch spot, then stumbled into a local comic/toy store and scored cheap Jim Lee covers and display-worthy toys.
⸻
Why I’m Coming Back
For EVO.
For my cousin and family.
For the thrill of competition and community.
⸻
🎙️ Bonus: B-Sides
Molina: The Real Street Fighter
I’ve always admired FGC culture from afar. But when I found out my homie Molina has lived this for over a decade? It got real.
My Fighting Game Roots
I’m a 90s kid. 2Pac, Image Comics, SNES Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter 2. We played with quarters. When SNES copies dropped, it was like kissing your first crush.
Back then, girls didn’t like it—so I didn’t invest in combos. Now? I got time, no kids, and a comic book addiction.
X-Men 97 rekindled the flame. I stumbled into MK1 mods through Reddit, saw a Jubilee skin on Li-Mei… and fell down the rabbit hole. Now I’m hooked on MK1, TOKON, and collecting skins like they’re action figures.
⸻
TL;DR:
I bought a 3-day EVO pass. Molina goes, “It’s just $10 to compete.”
I say “f*** it.”
MK1 it is.
Now I know why I love the FGC.
13,000+ in attendance.
It’s something we all agree on—like Pickleball.
I booked everything—flights and accommodations—on credit card points.
Fly in by Thursday night if you’re competing; badge pickup is a breeze, but you’ll want time to settle in. Stay through Monday if you can: Sunday night is Finals, and you’ll want to feel that electricity live.
🏨 Lodging + Monorail Hacks
I stayed at Desert Rose Resort, just off the Strip—great pool (deep end practice, check), full kitchen, and a family-style suite. It’s near the start of the Monorail, but don’t trust Google Maps blindly. On Day 1, it led me on a roundabout trek. Day 2, I followed crosswalks and EVO lanyards—much better.
Monorail: $5.50 one-way, 7am–midnight. West Hall (EVO’s venue) is a walk from the stop—follow the crowd.
🎒 Backpack Mistakes
I overpacked.
• ✅ PS5 Pro Controller (needed)
• ❌ Fight stick (never used)
• ❌ Steam Deck (dead weight)
Next time? Maybe my SWORL leverless for Marvel TOKON.
🧾 Badge Pickup
No line.
Doors to the main hall opened at 8:30am, and the lines zig-zagged all around.
⸻
🎮 My First EVO Pools: Mortal Kombat 1
Pre-Pools Practice
Found a free console and started warming up.
A guy asked to play and proceeded to destroy me—but also taught me combo breakers and favorite move displays. He was a Medical Assistant. We bonded over The Pitt. Didn’t see him in Top 8, but I was rooting for him. He grew up being taught by his uncle.
My Pool Matches
Round 1: My opponent no-showed. A win… technically.
Round 2: Margo bodied me with Kitana’s high/low fans. I had nerves, but I expected to lose—I only logged ~60 hours and wasn’t training weekly like some.
Round 3: I started cooking, until one of his friends leaned over mid-match to check a cord. Threw me off.
Later, Molina told me: it’s common to return to character select or reset tempo when you’re getting cooked. Mental tactics. I respect it.
⸻
💥 Making Friends, Getting Inspired
Nick & Corrinne (Australia)
We clicked instantly. Nick’s Scorpion was fire, and he competed in multiple games. He talked about how EVO lets you face characters—not just people—unlike home community scenes. He got eliminated by a sponsored pro but made a great run.
Corrinne was a sweetheart—she even took photos of me competing. Don’t let the kindness fool you: her Hwoarang in Tekken was brutal. She almost made it out of pools.
Molina and His Crew
These dudes have been coming to EVO for over a decade.
• JB nearly made it out of Pool 1
• Zangief nearly made it out of Pool 1
• And Molina? My man made it out of Pool 1 with Chun-Li!
He fell in Pool 2, but still—legend.
⸻
🕹️ Marvel TOKON + Leverless Fever
Marvel TOKON is my future.
Arc System Works promises 10 years of support, and I’m all in.
That’s when I stumbled on the SWORL leverless at Junk Food’s booth. Rubber mouse-ball nubs where your palms rest? Mind blown. I realized I love buying weird tech. I love innovators who have courage. I held off buying in person, but went back to my room, watched reviews, and pre-ordered. I’m ready to test it across games.
⸻
🛍️ EVO Merch + Artist Alley Damage
I went a little wild:
• Posters, charms, stickers
• EVO desk mat and shorts
• Marvel Rivals haul
Shoutout to Artist Alley: I kept circling back until I found pieces that stuck with me.
⸻
🎮 MvC2, Samurai Showdown & The Sphere
MvC2: The champ has played for 20 years. Respect. I won’t compete, but I’ll learn it—for Psylocke and Cyclops.
Samurai Showdown: I used to dabble, but now I’m in. Why? A character fights with a dog. #KryptoVibez
The Sphere: On Thursday and Saturday, I visited family I hadn’t seen in 20+ years. Afterwards, I did something Vegas—saw Aronofsky’s “Postcard from Earth” at the Sphere. One of the greatest cinematic experiences ever. Seriously. Dream concert here? Daft Punk reunion.
⸻
🎤 Finals Night: Street Fighter 6
Top 8 started at 8:30pm.
I was Team Mickey (Hong Kong underdog), but MenaRD’s Blanka steamrolled through the bracket. The moment he reset and beat the Japanese player twice? I loved how Japanese dude was sitting there, stunned, but also, moving onto the next one.
DENNYS
I was thinking to eat somewhere fancy on the last night but I opted for Dennys near my hotel, because it wouldn’t be as crowded as strip restaurants. No one was there so great service and they accommodated my plant based diet, it ended up being my best meal in Vegas.
⸻
📚 Comics, Toys, and Swimming in the Deep End
I snuck in a morning swim and finally conquered my fear: floating in deep water with no vest. Will keep this up at the Berkeley YMCA.
I also found a Cuban brunch spot, then stumbled into a local comic/toy store and scored cheap Jim Lee covers and display-worthy toys.
⸻
Why I’m Coming Back
For EVO.
For my cousin and family.
For the thrill of competition and community.
⸻
🎙️ Bonus: B-Sides
Molina: The Real Street Fighter
I’ve always admired FGC culture from afar. But when I found out my homie Molina has lived this for over a decade? It got real.
My Fighting Game Roots
I’m a 90s kid. 2Pac, Image Comics, SNES Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter 2. We played with quarters. When SNES copies dropped, it was like kissing your first crush.
Back then, girls didn’t like it—so I didn’t invest in combos. Now? I got time, no kids, and a comic book addiction.
X-Men 97 rekindled the flame. I stumbled into MK1 mods through Reddit, saw a Jubilee skin on Li-Mei… and fell down the rabbit hole. Now I’m hooked on MK1, TOKON, and collecting skins like they’re action figures.
⸻
TL;DR:
I bought a 3-day EVO pass. Molina goes, “It’s just $10 to compete.”
I say “f*** it.”
MK1 it is.
Now I know why I love the FGC.
13,000+ in attendance.
It’s something we all agree on—like Pickleball.