The eve of Evo, the world’s biggest celebration of fighting games, is almost upon us. This massive event in Las Vegas Will host over 10,000 participants in 2024, making it officially the biggest esports event yet on record. Prepare for plenty of world-premiere announcements, upcoming game showcases, and the main draw: tournaments for eight carefully selected fighting games.

Are you unsure what’s on the roster or what to expect from the different games? We’ve assembled a handy primer on what makes each game special and what to look out for. 

Street Fighter 6 

Publisher: Capcom | Developer: Capcom

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The newest installment of Capcom’s legendary, genre-defining fighting game series. Released last year, it quickly became (and remains) Evo’s biggest game.

Street Fighter 6’s gameplay is built around the all-new Drive gauge. By spending Drive, players can perform all sorts of advanced techniques: the momentum-shifting Drive Impact, the defensive Drive Parry, a fierce Drive Reversal counterattack, the aggressive Drive Rush dashing movement, and the special-move enhancing Overdrive. Drive management is crucial to strategy: running out of Drive puts a competitor in a very bad Burnout position, restricting their Drive usage and inflicting other disadvantageous effects. 

Street Fighter 6, having the largest pool of competitors, is undoubtedly going to have some major upsets in the brackets. Plenty of the biggest names in the Street Fighter series’ competitive scene will be in attendance, but just because you’re a big name doesn’t mean you can’t be caught off-guard by a fresh-faced player who happens to be really good and with two recent DLC character additions, fan favorites M. Bison and Akuma, a lot of surprises could happen. 

Tekken 8

Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment | Developer: Bandai Namco Studios Inc.

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Hello! I’m one of the developers who made Exhausted Man, an absurd sitcom depicting an exhausted life coming to PS5 and PS4 on July 25. In this game, the protagonist can only crawl and does everything while lying down. You can see that in the teaser trailer below.

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Today, I want to tell you how I designed such weird characters.

Origin

It all started with a phrase: running out of energy, which became the theme of a respective game jam. I like to participate in such events, as making a game from scratch in 48 hours is a great way to relax.

Based on the theme, I came up with the idea of “people running out of energy” and built a simple character who was slumped on a couch. I posted a screenshot of it and got a lot of likes – not because of my modeling skills, but due to the resonance of exhaustion the character exuded.

I decided to make a game with this exhausted character – so he couldn’t just stay slumped on the couch, he needed to move. We’re all familiar with how our bodies feel when we’re extremely tired, standing up was not an option, so I made him crawl on the floor.

This crawling animation got even more likes. I tested the crawling maneuver on the ground in real life and it hurt all over. But since people liked it, I kept it.

Crawling like a bug

To crawl, especially on walls, humans need to learn from bugs. First, we made a ladybug that can crawl on any surface in a 3D environment.

The character’s head could

Hello everyone, this is Simon Dasan, A44’s creative director on Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. Today we shed some light on one of the most mysterious aspects of our upcoming game, set for release on July 18 – the gods that have taken over the world of Kian. To do so we’ve released a brand new story trailer and are giving more information below!

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Before the Siege

Before the Door to the Great Below was abruptly torn open, the people of Kian saw the ancient stories of gods and magic as nothing but myths. A new age fueled by black powder technology brought previously bickering nations closer together. Even the most conservative of places such as Three Peaks began to abandon the old ways in pursuit of the riches both trade and technology had to offer.

The Door to the Great Below itself remained as the one, grim reminder of the old world. Once upon a time, the city of Dawn had been built around it by those who struggled to let go of the dead. In modern times the Door had become an unexplainable curiosity, a landmark for a city that was forgetting its past.

The Siege of Dawn

Ten years before the events of the game an unprecedented disaster struck Kian; the Door opened and the Dead themselves marched into the world of the living, overrunning the unsuspecting city of Dawn. By the time there was any understanding of what had transpired the city was lost entirely, those lucky enough to escape the massacre having abandoned the city by the thousands.

The Dead threatened to overrun the entire world. The Coalition was thrown together to answer them, volunteers from many nations gathering themselves into a makeshift army. At tremendous cost, they pushed their enemy back, but ultimately failed to progress further than containing the Dead within the city walls. The Door to the Great Below remained open – and The Siege of Dawn had just begun.

Ten years later, black powder technology has finally advanced far enough to convince Sama, Field Marshal of the Coalition, to sign off on a mission behind enemy lines. Sama entrusts her unit of Sappers with the task of blowing the Door shut and ending a decade of suffering. However, the mission has overlooked a crucial detail; even after all these years, the Coalition remains in the dark concerning exactly how the Door opened… and who opened it.

The Sappers make it deeper into Dawn than a

Concord’s Early Access Beta is almost here! All of us at Firewalk are so excited to finally be able to welcome you all into the Concord galaxy. We can’t wait to hear who your new mains and favorite Freegunners are, or what combos and strats will cook up as you build your crew. Most importantly we can’t wait to queue up and play right alongside you!

Before we head into both our Early Access and Open Beta weekends, we wanted to share some more important information with you like, when you can pre-download, when the servers go live, some goodies you can earn from participating, and more. So, let’s dive in!

Concord Beta Early Access (July 12 – 14) and Open Beta (July 18 – 21)¹

The Concord Beta Early Access weekend on PS5 and PC will begin tomorrow, Friday, July 12, at 10am PDT. If you are playing on a PS5, you can pre-download the Concord Beta starting today, Thursday, July 11 at 10 am PDT.

Pre-ordering any edition of Concord will grant you access to the Beta Early Access weekend, as well as four extra codes you can share with friends so you can squad up with your own crew and take on rival crews together. Your extra codes will be for the same platform you pre-ordered on. Additionally, we’re excited that PlayStation Plus is also inviting all members to participate in the Beta Early Access weekend. Just look for the option to download and play the beta when you boot up your PS5.

Our Open Beta will begin next week, from Thursday, July 18, at 10am PDT, through Sunday, July 21. You will also be able to pre-download on PS5 starting Wednesday, July 17 at 10 AM PDT.

Get to know the Concord galaxy  

During the Early Access and Open Beta, all 16 of our launch Freegunners will be unlocked and available to play and customize. Whether you want to snipe from afar, lock down an area, provide support for your teammates, or… just dive head-first into the fight, our roster of Freegunners has something for everyone. It’s been a minute since we’ve checked in with the Freegunners of the North Star, so we’ll also be sharing our first Vignette during our Early Access Beta and can’t wait for you to learn more about the crew and their tidy ship.

We will have three modes, Clash Point, Trophy Hunt and Cargo Run, available to play during the Beta Early Access weekend. It was important to us when developing Concord to make sure we had modes for everyone, so whether you are looking to queue up for a quick round of Trophy Hunt or want to prove you and your crew have the best strats to retrieve Blue Buddy in Cargo Run, there’s something for everyone. There will also be four maps you’ll get to explore and play on: Freewater, Star Chamber, Water Hazard, and Shock Risk.

Once we head into our Open Beta next weekend, we’ll also add a new mode, Area Control, and new map, Bone Mines. Check ou

Tackle deadly creatures, wield the legendary Buster Sword, carve out a kingdom to call your own and much more with July’s Game Catalog lineup! Remnant II, Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord and many more games will be available from July 16 for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members. We’re also announcing new classic and PS VR2 game offerings coming to PlayStation Plus Premium.

Let’s take a closer look at each of the new game announcements. 

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog

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Remnant II – Standard Edition | PS5

Remant II is the sequel to the best-selling game Remnant: From the Ashes that pits survivors of humanity against new deadly creatures and god-like bosses across terrifying worlds. Play solo or co-op with two other friends to explore the depths of the unknown to stop an evil from destroying reality itself. To succeed, players will need to rely on their own skills and those of their team to overcome the toughest challenges and to stave off humanity’s extinction.

The post-apocalyptic survival horror Metro series – based on the best-selling sci-fi novel series of the same name by Dmitry Glukhovsky – plunged players into an oppressively dark and dank underground network and the ruins beyond.

Highly immersive and critically acclaimed, the franchise has spawned three games to date. Before year’s end, that count will reach four. Announced at State of Play this past January, Vertigo Games – creator of Arizona Sunshine and After The Fall – revealed it has spent the last few years working on an all-new game built for PS VR2. Metro Awakening is a standalone story set prior to the events of the original title – Metro 2033. I sat down with Creative Director Martin de Ronde and Game Director Samar Louwe to discuss more about how this world has been adapted to VR and how they’re keeping the title authentic to the series.

The game’s story has been created in collaboration with the original author

“One of the first things that we did when we embarked upon this project was to reach out to Dmitry [Glukhovsky],” explains de Ronde. “For us almost like, we were expecting him to come in and come up with another story for the game that was in line with the other Metro games. But instead, he came up with a very, very personal, emotional story for a new character. […] It also meant that our focus started to shift from taking a straightforward approach to a more story-heavy and story-driven approach in this particular game. And of course, the Metro series has always been known for the story that differentiates from other first-person shooters out there, but this time around, I think Dmitry really wanted to make sure that the story and the development of the characters was even more important.”

It’s still going to stick close to the playstyle of the mainline games… 

“Part of our onboarding process for every team member is to play the games, of course,” explains Louwe. “And so we look at what the strengths are of the franchise, and specifically on which of those strengths are translatable to VR. And some of the things that we noticed is the dynamic that they have between stealth and combat. And always making sure that you’re on your toes, and that you are never really sure when people are going to spot you. That’s something that works very, very well in VR. There’s just something about creeping up on enemies, listening to what they’re talking about. Of course the nature of VR, you can physically sit behind cover, maybe you can peer through a hole in the cover, and then you can spy on your enemies.”

“But rest assured for everybody that is a little bit more trigger happy,” interjects de Ronde. “There’s plenty of classic Metro action in the game.”

“I think it’s also good to say that the mainline games, of course, have Artyom,” Louwe continues. “After the first game he becomes a Spartan. But in [Metro Awakening], our protagonist is not necessarily a combat expert. So with that in mind, it also fits better to have a bit of a slower pace to the combat versus narrative than the original Metro series.”

…and keep close to their look and feel, thanks to original developer 4A Games

“We were very happy that 4A helped us fantastically well with supplying all the assets that they have from those games,” explains de Ronde. “We were able to either use some of those assets directly or us

Welcome to Frenzies, the wildly chaotic and stylishly slick multiplayer shooter, coming to PS VR2!

I’m thrilled to share some more information about Frenzies following its unveiling. If you missed that, here’s our announcement trailer that gives you a taste of Frenzies’ unique blend of fun and chaos: 

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Make friends, break friends

In Frenzies, you’re thrown into a winner-takes-all showdown across five rounds with a randomized, lucky dip of round types and maps that ensures no two games are ever the same. Frenzies’ mixture of solo and team-based round types means one minute you’ll be forging friendships and working together to pick up a win, and the next you’ll be trying to take those friends down in a frenetic free-for-all.

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Last month, Skydance’s Behemoth put us through our paces with the first taste of the combat heavy, dark fantasy VR adventure that’ll launch later this year on PS VR2. Now we’re turning the spotlight on three other immersive experiences also coming to the platform soon. 

Frenzies is a brand-new title debuting today, which fuses Synapse creator nDreams’ award-winning gunplay with neon-infused multiplayer arenas. Announced earlier this year, Metro Awakening VR is a return to the post-apocalyptic world of Dmitry Glukhovsky’s survival horror series. Developer Vertigo Games takes us on a trip to the underground, illuminating us as to how it’s adapting the franchise to VR, while keeping this new entry authentic to what’s come before. Finally, Mighty Eyes gives us an update on Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate with an exclusive, in-depth look into the time-traveling title.  

And remember, starting on August 7, you’ll be able to have even more content options for PS VR2, by way of a PC adapter. Players will have access to buy and play Steam’s expansive library of thousands of VR games, including fan favorites like Half-Life: Alyx, Fallout 4 VR, and War Thunder. Find out more here. 

Now, onto the games, as introduced by their creators. 

Frenzies

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Hey everyone! I’m Shaun “Unconkable” Rivera, game director on 2XKO. 2XKO is our new free-to-play, team-based fighting game featuring champions from League of Legends, releasing in 2025. Fight solo or with a friend in intense 2v2 battles, and master powerful abilities, assists, and combos to outplay enemies.

Our team is led by Evo founders Tom and Tony Cannon here at Riot Games—the studio behind League of Legends and Valorant—and is composed of developers who have deep connections with the fighting game community, including former professional players, creators, and tournament organizers. 

2XKO is currently in development. We’ve just revealed a new champion and announced Alpha Lab, the game’s first at-home playtest. Sign up for a chance to play starting August 8. 

Meet Braum, the Heart of the Freljord

2XKO’s newest playable character is Braum, a beloved hero blessed with mighty biceps and an even bigger heart. He joins the previously announced roster of re-imagined League of Legends champions, which includes Ahri, Yasuo, Ekko, Darius, and Illaoi. 

Since 2v2 combat and playing with your friends is at the core of 2XKO gameplay, the team was eager to design a champion who would thrive as a support character. Braum’s protective abilities make any duo partner shine. 

Stand behind me

Early concept art of Braum with his shield

Braum’s design is centered around his massive shield, which was once the unbreakable door to an ancient treasure vault. With it, he protects allies from incoming damage. Braum excels at disrupting opponents and blocking their attacks, making space for his team to land devastating combos. 

Defense is key to Braum’s gameplay design, but he still has strong offensive options. He gains a unique buff called Unbreakable when he lands certain abilities, which coats Braum’s shield in ice and makes his special moves deal more damage. 

His kit also introduces a unique freeze mechanic to 2XKO. By activating the magic of his shield, Braum can gain extra armor and stop opponents cold.

Fluffs of fury

Early concept art of Braum’s beloved poros

Braum’s warm and infectious personality has fostered his friendship with poros—magical creatures who hail from the frozen Freljord, Braum’s home region.  

Braum’s little friends are ready to assist him however they can, whether it’s by flying through the air to stop fleein

It’s time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, PS VR, and free-to-play games topped the download charts last month. The launch of the huge new expansion Shadow of the Erdtree catapulted Elden Ring back up the PS5 charts across US and Europe, while the PS VR2 list saw Beat Saber rocking back to the top of the chart in the US and European regions.

Check out the full listings below. What titles are you playing this month?

PS5 Games

*Naming of products may differ between regions
*Upgrades not included

PS4 Games