For the first time since 2019, the EVO Championship Series, well known as one of the most prestigious fighting game tournaments in the world, will be hosting an offline, in-person competition over at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. Recently showcased on March 8th, 2022, the current lineup of mainstage games for EVO 2022 has also been revealed, which include many expected picks including Grandblue Fantasy Versus, Melty Blood: Type Lumina, and Skullgirls: 2nd Encore. Among these titles, many safe and well-expected games made the cut, including Tekken 7, Dragonball FighterZ, Guilty Gear Strive, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, King of Fighters XV, and last but not least, Street Fighter V.

So how well did the fans take to the news? Well according to many users on Twitter, the fan reaction to the mainstage titles has been fairly positive, but there have been some noteworthy concerns that certain titles surprisingly didn't make the cut. One of the titles that fans have been asking for include Soul Calibur VI, as many fans were hoping to see this flashy, weapon-based fighting game finally have a spotlight at the big show.

A few other titles that spectators were hoping to see (but to a much lesser extent, compared to the other games shown above) include Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown and Killer Instinct (2013). However, there's also one game title that fans always seem to clamor for, no matter what the cause, that will also be absent at the EVO 2022 mainstage, which is Marvel vs. Capcom 2 or 3, as the classic “WHEN'S MAHVEL?!” phrase could be seen scattered throughout many replies on EVO's Twitter page.

But Marvel vs. Capcom 2 fans shouldn't give up hope for this year, as Rick “The Hadou”, General Manager for EVO has openly stated that something for MVSC2 may be in the works.

Overall, there has been a very positive reception to the lineup, but it is still hard to deny that the viewership for this year's EVO, despite being an in-person tournament, may still end up with a lower turnout and viewership compared to years past, as the absence of any Super Smash Bros may end up affecting the overall outcome.

EVO 2022 will be hosted at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas from August 5th to August 7th.