Evo 2014 Will See Switch To Xbox 360 Console Play

Evolution Championship Series has been the premier fighting game tournament year in and year out. This year has provided some of the hypest moments in recent memory, including massive live streaming viewership numbers during Super Smash Bros. Melee, UMvC 3 and Street Fighter 4. The team at Shoryuken plan to bring the magic back to Las Vegas once again for Evo 2014.

The tournament will take place July 11-13 at the LVH Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The caveat this year, however, is that the main console of use will be the Xbox 360, instead of the PlayStation 3. This doesn’t mean that only 360 games are allowed, as tournament organizer Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cuellar reminds us that, “Games that do not have a 360 port will still be eligible for a spot on the roster at Evo 2014!”

Additionally Escapist notes that the fighting game tournament began using official arcade cabinets, and only switched to the PlayStation 2 back in 2004. The console of choice has been the current-gen Sony console since then, including the PlayStation 3 after its launch.

The move to the Xbox 360 for Evo 2014 could be for a number of reasons. Some top players, including Chris G., complain about the PS3 and its alleged display lag. However, he could just be salty after a tough loss. Another reason could be a Microsoft deal with tournament organizers. They have been huge proponents of Major League Gaming (MLG), and would love to improve upon the PR they got after showcasing early Killer Instinct footage this past Evo.

Evo 2014 has only just been announced some hours ago, so a lot of the details and lineups are far from concrete. You can watch the announcement trailer below.