EVO 2015 Preview (July 17-19, live from Las Vegas) 3 days, 9 world championships to be decided!

@starvinggamer: Core-A-Gaming has been doing a lot of great work for the (South Korean) FGC.

All right, let's go over the FGC events of this weekend:

Mad Catz is at Tokyo Game Show and they are going to be streaming a lot of (fighting) game action all weekend long (starting Friday in the USA and Saturday in Europe and Japan due to time differences).

Highlights on Saturday include GGXrd exhibition matches, a 3v3 round robin university vs university USFIV tournament and an insane USFIV exhibition match featuring Team MCZ (Tokido, Mago and Daigo) vs Team Top 3 at EVO2K15 (Momochi, Gamerbee & Infiltration). (!!)

Then on Sunday we have the ludicrously stacked CPT Premier tournament featuring some of the biggest names in USFIV today and not just East Asian players either. HoodaMan, Snake Eyez, K-Brad and PR_Balrog have come to represent the USA as well.

For more information check out http://madcatz.com/join-mad-catz-tokyo-game-show-2015/

Brackets: http://challonge.com/mcztgs2015

Top 8: http://challonge.com/mcztgs2015top8

CPT tournament starting time:

The streams will be:

• English: http://www.twitch.tv/madcatz
• Japanese: http://www.twitch.tv/madcatzjp
• CPT Premier tournament: http://www.twitch.tv/capcomfighters

Edit: I'm not sure what's going on but the Mad Catz twitch channel is currently hosting http://www.twitch.tv/topangatv and that channel is currently broadcasting the university competition.

Edit 2: There is a SFV stream happening over on niconico featuring Momochi and Fuudo: http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv232963212

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But wait, there's more!

Over in Europe we have another big set of tournaments going on at DreamHack London. More specifically for us, an USFIV and a SSB Melee tournament.

For the USFIV tournament you can expect top European competition like Ryan Hart, Luffy, Problem X, RMZ, Andreas, Flawless Deku, F-W0rd, Pro Fluke, Infexious, Slizzle, Logan Sama and more. They will be competing for a $5000 prize pool.

For Melee the stakes are even higher with no less than $20 000 on the line! Now, I see you thinking "A prize pool that high is sure to attract some killers!" and you are correct! EVO2K15 Melee champion Armada is coming for that money. It gets even better though, the 2 finalists of the tournament will be invited to DreamHack Winter 2015 in Sweden and have their travel and accommodation paid for by DreamHack. There they will be able to compete for a cool $30 000.

Streams:

• USFIV: http://www.twitch.tv/DreamHackfighters
• Smash: http://www.twitch.tv/DreamHackSmash

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More Melee you say? We got that B-roll!

HTC is throwing a lil' tournament in the good old USofA as well. It's called HTC Throwdown. Basically the who's who of Melee who isn't at Dreamhack will be competing at this tournament. Expect to see the likes of Leffen, Mang0, Mew2King, Hungrybox, Axe, MacD, HugS, Plup, Silentwolf, Shroomed and more!

Guys, they're streaming some Karin action over here:

http://www.twitch.tv/capcom_channel

Chip denied.

If anyone missed the Team MCZ vs EVO2K15 top 3 exhibition match you can watch the archive here: http://www.twitch.tv/madcatz/v/16730688

I have also managed to find a top 16 bracket for Dreamhack London which is going on right now: http://challonge.com/DHL15USF4

What time is the USF4 tournament going down? The MadCatz website doesn't say.

@hippie_genocide:

Live Stream Start Times:

Also I just found out Valmaster is now YP | Valmaster!

Heads up, after the Dreamhack London tournament ends (Grand finals are on right now) there will be an exhibition tournament in SFV (Rashid build).

Heads up heads up, it's time. http://www.twitch.tv/capcomfighters

Yooo Choco v Infil was sooo close, don't get to see her play nearly enough.

Looks like we are going to miss a whole lot of matches. Damn.

Zhi Commentary = Ai Ai staring Snake Eyez in the eye.

Snake!? SNAAAAAAAAAAKE!!!

Haitani with the Kazunoko Tech, DA GAWD!

Oh hey, a challonge! http://challonge.com/mcztgs2015

Also Zhi just said all the matches are being recorded. Thank you Avermedia.

Fuudo has really fallen far recently, impatient Fuudo is the worst Fuudo. That's what killed him at EVO as well. I wonder if he's trying new things or if he's just been playing too much Gunslinger Stratos and his SF skills diminished accordingly.

Poongko similarly has been on a voyage of self-discovery. He said he wants to tone down the crazy and take cues from Infiltration and get his game back together but I think he might not be able to get to the next level before the end of SFIV.

Eduardo please.

Decapre

Tokido still free to Yang.

Qualified for Top 8:

Winners:

• Mago
• Infiltration
• Gamerbee
• Dashio

Losers:

• Bonchan
• Kawaguchi
• Nemo
• -6

This means we can already confirm that a new player will get a guaranteed spot on the Capcom Cup. Will it be Dashio, Bonchan, Kawaguchi, Nemo or -6?

(Kazunoko getting 0 on-screen matches.)

I guess the Poison prophecy could still come true.

@fredchuckdave: What's that?

@hassun: I said a Japanese Poison would make Capcup since they were all awesome last year, but they've all but vaporized this time around (or are playing different characters).

Top 8 bracket: http://challonge.com/mcztgs2015top8

Bonchan going from fighting Rose to fighting Adon. Jesus Christ.

K-Brad's commentary during this Bonchan vs Gamerbee match is riveting.

@fredchuckdave: I think it's because they are having audio problems.

TIGAH UPPAHCUT

That Bonchan/Gamerbee match...

Dashio making a serious claim for best Seth right now.

Dashio or Bonchan getting a ticket to the CapCup!

Passed out, just woke up for this Bonchan rampage through Nemo > Infil and now Dashio

This Seth is just silly

Dashio is starting to look a little ragged. It feels like the wheels might come off at any second now.

@starvinggamer: Gamerbee too, and Ai Ai in the runback. Bonchan still the lord of second place.

Set(h) play

DOHOHOHOHOHO

@hassun: Europe is top tier at mario maker, so you guys have something going for you.

I enjoyed watching the matches so I decided to play SF4 today and that was a terrible idea. Playing SF5 has completely soured me on playing SF4. It's still fun to watch, but actually playing is a nightmare for me now. Can't wait to never deal with a focus attack, a crouch tech, 1 frame links online, SF4 netcode or invincible backdashes ever again.

@hassun: In the zealous pursuit of 1000 posts I pose to you this question: What do you think the cutoff will be for Capcup points? Zhi seems to put it at around 150 but the "sponginess" of Infiltration and the like might still keep people below that threshold in there; there's 8 people below Misse's 140 points and they are the following:

Itabashi Zangief, Balrog, Ricki Ortiz, Gackt, Fuudo, KoG, StromKubo, and Ai Ai.

I think we're safe to assume Ai Ai is fucked since he's not going to go to enough events, Gackt and Fuudo have a decent enough shot and Itabashi is probably in there. Balrog just doesn't go to enough stuff so I think he's probably on the outside looking in, Ricki Ortiz does go to enough stuff but it's hard to say whether that will work out or not. KoG and Stromkubo are dark horses maybe but I think both have a reasonable shot just going to a few more events.

Catching up on the TGS tourny.

Any blow ups yet?

@fredchuckdave: Originally my idea was that you basically had to win a ranking or get an equivalent amount of points (128) to get in. This was also one of the big complaints I had about the CPT, that winning premier tournaments wasn't really better than winning a ranking event in terms of CPT points.

Right now getting 128 points will put you in 25th place. That's good but not probably not good enough. If top players keep hovering up the points this will probably still be enough, if they start holding back and staying in the gym it may end up being more. Maybe 150ish points?

Like you said it will depend heavily on players travelling, I'm pretty sure Fuudo is just going to keep grinding to get in even though he is underperforming. Ai Ai is a possibility since r/Kappa seems interested in sending him to something although I think he does have work to worry about. r/Kappa is currently working on getting Pepeday to Brazil.

In fact it's probably a more interesting exercise to think about who the players are that are not in the top 32 but definitely have the ability to do so. ("Ability" meaning being a good tournament player and able/willing to travel to the remaining tournaments.)

MKX patch notes: http://community.wbgames.com/t5/Latest-Updates/Patch-notes-9-21-2015/ba-p/794168#M14

@hmoney001: Blow ups where?

I hope y'all are ready for a goddamn avalanche of fighting game tournaments. This time they're not even going to wait for the weekend to begin!

KO Fighting Game Festival

Where:

Kuwait International Fairground, 1 St, Kuwait

When:

24 - 25 September (That's Thursday and Friday folks!)

What:

• This is a CPT PREMIER tournament, meaning that a guaranteed Capcom Cup spot is at stake here.
• Tekken Tag Tournament 2 tournament.
• The latest playable build of SFV will be there.

Additional info:

http://capcomprotour.com/premier-tournament-ko-fighting-game-festival-2015/

Notable players:

Brackets:

http://challonge.com/KOFGF15_USF4_Pool_1

Streams:

• USFIV: http://www.twitch.tv/capcomfighters
• TTT2: ?

(I'm still looking for info on the TTT2 tournament.)

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The Call of Ragnarok

Where:

House of Nerds - Oslo, Norway

When:

25 - 26 September

Time converter: http://www.worldtimebuddy.com/?pl=1&lid=3143244,2643743,5128581,5368361&h=3143244

What:

• CPT Ranking tournament
• SSBM tournament

Additional info:

http://capcomprotour.com/ranking-tournament-the-call-of-ragnarok/

Notable players:

Brackets:

http://challonge.com/CPTOSLO

Stream:

http://www.twitch.tv/rbnorway

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Absolute Battle 6

Official schedule:

http://www.versusgameplay.com/tournament/absolute-battle-6-schedule/

Where:

Texas, USA

When:

25 - 27 September

What:

Big tournament in Texas, not CPT but it will be a KI World Cup Qualifier tournament and it is also the setting of the Panda X Gaming Ultra Fight Night. (Judging by what he said on Daily Dot yesterday I think Fchamp will not be attending.)

Additional info:

http://www.versusgameplay.com/events/absolute-battle-6/

Notable players:

?

Brackets:

?

Streams:

• http://www.twitch.tv/pandaxgaming
• http://www.twitch.tv/versusgameplay
• http://www.twitch.tv/saltymayhem
• http://www.twitch.tv/tourneylocator

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EGX

Where:

Birmingham, UK

When:

26 - 27 September

What:

• Big video game expo
• CPT Ranking tournament

Additional info:

http://capcomprotour.com/ranking-tournament-egx-2015/

http://unequalledmedia.com/egx/

Notable players:

Brackets:

http://unequalledmedia.challonge.com/egx2015

Stream:

http://www.twitch.tv/unequalledmedia

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Bonus

Alex Valle demoing the future Wednesday Night Fights venue called "Esports Arena".

@hassun: I'm probably going to miss most of Thursday's stuff, mind filling me in on what happens?

@fredchuckdave: There's a good chance I'll miss quite a bit of both Thursday and Friday myself because of work so I can't make any promises.

Absolute Battle 6 schedule has been updated. KO fighting game festival has been updated in the sense that Momochi nor Bonchan will now be going to it. Apparently they were given the wrong schedule. So those who wish to see Momochi play again after winning EVO will have to wait a while longer.

@fredchuckdave: They played until top 16 today at KO Fighting Game Festival. The rest tomorrow: http://challonge.com/KOFGF15_USF4_Top_16

@hassun: I saw a fair amount of it, Big Bird and Fruit not being there hurts the Middle East's chances. But hey Fuudo in Winners Top 16 at a pretty difficult event.

Latif destroyed everyone in his pool surprisingly enough.

@fredchuckdave: Momochi and Bonchan not making it really hurt the prestige of the tournament but hey we're getting another guaranteed new face in the CapCup so that's all right by me. Latif visited Yubiken right before TGS so it'll be interesting to see him face them in tournament. This tournament is also probably Fuudo's best chance of qualifying so far but with his mediocre results recently he's always a question mark.

Poor Itazan though, having to go up against Santarouman right off the bat. He just can't catch a break. I really think he deserves to qualify for the CapCup with the amount of work he's been putting in.

Time to make that post #1000.

@hassun: Dashio now has 258 or 260 capcup points!