Final evening in Las Vegas, many eyes had been on Road Fighter 6. The newly launched entry in Capcom’s preventing sport sequence held the ultimate slot of Grand Finals day at Evo 2023. With file entrants and an already heat reception, it’s straightforward to say expectations had been excessive. Nonetheless, I don’t assume we may have anticipated the stellar grand finals Road Fighter 6 received.

Let’s set the stage a bit, first. The Evolution Championship Sequence, or Evo, is without doubt one of the most storied and revered preventing sport tournaments round. Alongside its huge attendance, Evo can be an open event, so anybody can put up the doorway cash and battle. To win Evo is to, by extrapolation, beat everybody at Evo. And with Road Fighter 6 garnering an all-time file in entrants, there was no scarcity of expertise on show.

Going into Sunday’s Prime 6, many giants had already fallen alongside the roadside. Former Evo and Capcom Cup champions littered the trail to Sunday’s stage in Mandalay Bay, with names like SonicFox, Dogura, Daigo, NuckleDu, GO1, Fuudo, and plenty of extra all eradicated.

The storylines for Sunday had been all superbly laid out. On the prime stood Punk, a longtime competitor from Road Fighter V who was reportedly on an ideal streak by the bracket. Haitani bore the usual for Fashionable controls, using the simplified management scheme to execute some brutal reactions with Chun-Li. AngryBird and Kakeru had been additionally imposing threats, and much more warmth lay down beneath within the loser’s facet of the double-elimination bracket. On one facet, there was the legendary Tokido; the opposite, MenaRD, who took the highest spot at CEO 2023 in Road Fighter 6. Basically, by this level, there have been no straightforward rounds.

Drive to win

The tone was set early with a nail-biter end between AngryBird and Kakeru, as the previous’s Ken pressed to get in towards the ‘shmup-like projectiles of newcomer JP. This shut battle led to a dominating first battle for Punk, taking a Winners Last berth 3-0 over Haitani. The Fashionable controls would quickly fall to unimaginable play from MenaRD on Luke, and Tokido delivered a second Ken win over JP to advance ahead.

At this level, the finals had been already strong. However one thing shifted within the air, the second MenaRD and Tokido took the stage. The pair determined to face off, seemingly recreating the Road Fighter Alpha 2 artwork, forward of their Losers Semifinal bout.

A conflict of the titans.

Prime 4 of Road Fighter 6 is underway beginning with @_MenaRD__ vs @tokidoki77 in Losers Semi-finals!https://t.co/pRm0CRum2y | #Evo2023 pic.twitter.com/Yc5AEJ1mqf

— EVO (@EVO) August 7, 2023

The environment was electrical from right here on out. MenaRD unleashed Blanka, a sometimes-oddball decide he’d discovered success with, whereas Tokido fought again with an aggressive and spectacular Ken. Blanka-chan would win out, advancing MenaRD forward to await the loser of AngryBird vs. Punk.

Punk’s unimaginable run lastly met two obstacles; first in AngryBird’s still-impressive Ken, and once more in a slim loss to MenaRD’s Blanka. At this level, MenaRD was on an unimaginable run by the losers’ facet of the bracket, whereas AngryBird stood able to face this challenger. Each had outlasted among the event’s heaviest hitters, and the trophy was inside attain.

Grand Finals performed out superbly, highlighting the strengths that bore every participant there. MenaRD confirmed not simply talent, however versatility, swapping between Blanka and Luke. AngryBird stayed nimble and adaptive whereas discovering slim openings within the house. The heightened drama performed up all by a reset of the bracket and, finally, a win for AngryBird.

Historical past was made right this moment.@FGC_Angrybird pic.twitter.com/M0yWkN3eGH

— EVO (@EVO) August 7, 2023

Two gamers, whose highest Evo placements previous to Sunday had been simply outdoors the hallowed Prime 8, placed on an unimaginable competitors. AngryBird seized the win in stirring style. And it was laborious to not take discover that this was solely the primary yr of Road Fighter 6.

On to the subsequent challenger

In most years, Evo Grand Finals are often a deal with. However I actually don’t assume Road Fighter 6 may’ve requested for a greater first exhibiting on the largest stage in preventing video games.

As I used to be watching the occasion unfold final evening, our watch occasion stored remarking how totally different this felt from Road Fighter V. Its troubled launch put SFV off to a nasty begin, and although it could see help and updates, it by no means felt prefer it actually recovered, a lot much less attain the heights of its predecessor. Whereas we noticed many nice tales instructed on Road Fighter V‘s canvas, I don’t really feel like the sport matched as much as its real-life narrative highs.

Final evening, if something, confirmed that Capcom would possibly lastly have a automobile on its fingers that may match its driver. The calculating selections round Drive Gauge utilization, the liberty for adaptation and response mid-series, and even some strong character selection—Ken as the one repeat principal amongst the Prime 6—all present Road Fighter 6 has honest promise.

There’s nonetheless an extended street forward. Each scene waxes and wanes, as numerous different top-shelf video games within the aggressive house have proven. However it was very nice to shut out Evo 2023 with some good-ass Road Fighter, full cease. And there seems to be many extra battles forward, on the trail to Road Fighter 6‘s subsequent prime bracket at Evo.

You may catch the complete VOD for Evo 2023’s Grand Finals Sunday, together with some incredible Final Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and extra, right here.