

If we're still playing now, you'll sure bet we're playing for another five 10 years."

His main character, Johnny - "a cool pirate captain that only lets cute girls on his ship," per one fan - hummed along with in-game expression, merciless with a bit of flash, juggling his opponents in the air for minutes on end until the beating finally ceased. A charismatic showman off stage and stone-faced when the game starts, Omito was the favorite to take the crown.

Akbar was talking about the appearance of Omito "Omito" Hashimoto, last year's runner-up. "You're in for a treat," says Hamad Akbar, one of the American favorites to possibly break into the top eight traditionally dominated by Japanese players. In some games, a round can be over in a matter of seconds, a combo leading to the next, and before you know it, the two adversaries are shaking hands, having gone through a complex battle that to the common man lasted only a couple minutes. Someone who doesn't follow the game closely would never notice it. Melee and Street Fighter V, the fans watching the qualifying rounds of Guilty Gear talked to each other in hushed tones, pointing out a minute detail that led to a combo. Instead of the hollers and chants heard from across the hall at the larger stages for Smash Bros. Fans were given thundersticks to great effect during the final rounds of the Guilty Gear championship at Evo 2017. If we're still playing now, you'll sure bet we're playing for another five 10 years," Saliza says. What draws him to Guilty Gear over everything else is the beauty - the bombastic characters flinging across the screen at a moment's notice, each character with a unique look and playstyle. In the back row sat Ron Saliza, 35, another lover of the game, playing a mobile game in between sets before raising his eyes once again to watch the games on the big screen. In front, the players who were awaiting their upcoming matches made up the brunt of the audience, talking to each other casually as the games on stage moved at lightning speed. There were a few rows of chairs for people to watch the action, and the attendance was lukewarm at best, people coming and going every few minutes after catching a match or two.

#Evo guilty gear player got up full
The high skill ceiling was on full display at the back of the convention center, where the main Guilty Gear stage stood a big screen dedicated to the qualifying rounds was sandwiched in between the stages for Tekken and King of Fighters. Right now, Guilty Gear has some of the most options and is the most technically demanding, so there is always room to grow into the technique." Vest, a veteran of the scene, was glad to help any newcomer to the Guilty Gear scene learn a bit about the expansive game. "Part of what sets Guilty Gear apart right now in the broader scene is that it has such a high skill cap," David Vest, one of the dedicated fans standing near one of the Guilty Gear tables, explains. The publisher hasn't wavered in support of its game, and the fans, regardless of how many, remain loyal. While bigger games such as Smash Brothers for Wii U and Street Fighter V take precedence, the fans and players of Guilty Gear were steadfast in their love of the over-the-top, bizarre, '90s hard rock-themed fighting game that was released in Japan almost two decades ago.Īlthough the prize pool was dwarfed by the two Smash games, Tekken and Street Fighter, Guilty Gear had the fourth-highest payout out of any competition at Evo, thanks to the game's publisher, Arc System Works, which donated $10,000 to the pot. A staple of the Las Vegas weekend tournament, Guilty Gear has continued to trudge on through different variations and new releases. This is Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2, one of the nine fighting game titles officially hosted at Evo this year.
