Fatal1ty_93_RUS
Noob
So as you guys know, just a couple of weeks ago, EVO has released an announcement trailer for EVO 2017, using the footage of various games EVO 2016 had in its lineup, among which MKX was seen as well, which at the very least gives hope of having NRS representation at the next year's Evolution Championship Series
But there are some things that worry me in regards to MKX being there, so allow me to lay them out right now
1) The support from NRS themselves.
Aside from the big balance patch released in Autumn and the Kombat Pack 2 release back in March, MKX hasn't really gotten any hints at actual new content for the game. Ed Boon has been focusing solely on promoting Injustice II, and as InjII draws near, I fear that the MKX community will slowly start disappearing, akin to how it happened with MK9 and the original Injustice, preparing to make a switch to Injustice II (at least on the competitive scene). No rumors or news about potential Kombat Pack 3 also somewhat point at the fact that the game might not see any new content for it
2) The game lineup.
As per tradition, EVO 2017 will most likely include 9 games in its lineup, most of which you can pretty much tell right off the bat. The obvious ones being:
- Street Fighter V (the FGC flagship)
- Super Smash Bros Melee and Smash WiiU (two of the biggest games)
- Tekken 7 (the latest entry)
- The King of Fighters XIV (first year at EVO)
- Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- (anime representation)
- and Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 (Marvel games were at EVO for nearly a decade now)
As you can see, 2 slots remain. One of which will go to Injustice II (since by the time it will be the newest and latest NRS fighter), and the last spot remains up for speculation (despite some concerns from the community in regards to UMVC3's presence at next year's EVO), which leads me to the last point....
3) The entry numbers.
Like I mentioned above, 8 out of 9 spots could be called with a 99% certainty, and the last, the 9th spot, is basically up for grabs. Killer Instinct, while not being the most popular game at the event, has been steadily rising in its entry numbers (this year it saw a 36% increase from 2015's numbers), which might secure its spot. Meanwhile, MKX saw a nearly 40% drop in entry numbers this year compared to 2015's numbers (2016's 707 vs 2015's 1140), and next year the drop might be just as significant. This especially raises a concern since most of thoe 707 people might just move onto Injustice II, and the NRS games haven't really shown good results while having two games at the event at once (also showing continuous entry drops)
What're your thoughts on this, guys? Do you think we'll see MKX played at EVO next year? Or was EVO 2016 MKX's swan song as far as the biggest fighting game event is concerned? The EVO spot fight might actually boil down to KI vs MKX vs another fighting game, if the EVO staff considers, say, a promotion of sorts (like this year's Pokken presence due to the partnership with Namco (or Nintendo)
But there are some things that worry me in regards to MKX being there, so allow me to lay them out right now
1) The support from NRS themselves.
Aside from the big balance patch released in Autumn and the Kombat Pack 2 release back in March, MKX hasn't really gotten any hints at actual new content for the game. Ed Boon has been focusing solely on promoting Injustice II, and as InjII draws near, I fear that the MKX community will slowly start disappearing, akin to how it happened with MK9 and the original Injustice, preparing to make a switch to Injustice II (at least on the competitive scene). No rumors or news about potential Kombat Pack 3 also somewhat point at the fact that the game might not see any new content for it
2) The game lineup.
As per tradition, EVO 2017 will most likely include 9 games in its lineup, most of which you can pretty much tell right off the bat. The obvious ones being:
- Street Fighter V (the FGC flagship)
- Super Smash Bros Melee and Smash WiiU (two of the biggest games)
- Tekken 7 (the latest entry)
- The King of Fighters XIV (first year at EVO)
- Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- (anime representation)
- and Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 (Marvel games were at EVO for nearly a decade now)
As you can see, 2 slots remain. One of which will go to Injustice II (since by the time it will be the newest and latest NRS fighter), and the last spot remains up for speculation (despite some concerns from the community in regards to UMVC3's presence at next year's EVO), which leads me to the last point....
3) The entry numbers.
Like I mentioned above, 8 out of 9 spots could be called with a 99% certainty, and the last, the 9th spot, is basically up for grabs. Killer Instinct, while not being the most popular game at the event, has been steadily rising in its entry numbers (this year it saw a 36% increase from 2015's numbers), which might secure its spot. Meanwhile, MKX saw a nearly 40% drop in entry numbers this year compared to 2015's numbers (2016's 707 vs 2015's 1140), and next year the drop might be just as significant. This especially raises a concern since most of thoe 707 people might just move onto Injustice II, and the NRS games haven't really shown good results while having two games at the event at once (also showing continuous entry drops)
What're your thoughts on this, guys? Do you think we'll see MKX played at EVO next year? Or was EVO 2016 MKX's swan song as far as the biggest fighting game event is concerned? The EVO spot fight might actually boil down to KI vs MKX vs another fighting game, if the EVO staff considers, say, a promotion of sorts (like this year's Pokken presence due to the partnership with Namco (or Nintendo)
