Welcome back to the Weekend Warmup. 

In a few hours, 2XKO’s second Major event kicks off at Evo Japan, and there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered. Three powerhouse regions: the US, Japan, and France, are joined by hundreds of hungry local hopefuls in a high-stakes, single-day marathon tournament live from Tokyo. If you’re tuning in to a 2XKO Major for the first time, or need a refresher, here are five stories to watch out for.

Evo Japan begins at 6pm PT on April 30 (that’s today!). Watch it all go down at twitch.tv/2xko or youtube.com/@2XKO. Stream info, schedule, commentators, on-site experience and more over here. 

Can a duo win a Major?

The dev team spent years wondering if a duo could actually take home an Evo-level trophy. In a few hours, we’ll find out. Two frontrunner duos: 2WINz Haru and Toshi, bringing their twin telepathy to the main stage; and the dominant unpredictable powerhouse of SonicFox and INZEM. The matchup history favours the Americans, but the 2WINz have home field advantage.

Japan’s FGC goes big

Evo Japan marks a massive milestone as the first open 2XKO Major in Japan. With a stacked roster—including ikoan, poka, and the 2WINz, the local FGC is hungry to claim a title. US and EU attendance is lighter than at Frosty Faustings, and the path is clear for a Japanese champion.

I also see FGC legends GO1 and Fenritti on the signup sheet but I’m not sure if they’re actually playing lmao. If they are, I will be locked in.

ikoan's aura.

bleed’s runback

Fresh off his January Frosty Faustings victory, bleed is the player to beat. His consistency with Ekko/Illaoi has carried him to weekly online wins at TNS and FlyQuest’s Fight Series. If somehow he takes a second Major against significantly leveled-up opponents, he’s already carving his name into the 2XKO Hall of Fame just a few months in.

France’s redemption arc

After a shaky performance at Frosty, the French scene (repped by players like Wawa, WADE, Noka, Kayne, Senshii and yasha) is back with something to prove. Don’t let their last Major outing fool you; they have been grinding in US-based online weeklies, and led Season 1 of the EU Community Series with a confident win against Spain. Will that momentum be enough to take home the title for France?

2XKO’s first ever official tournament champion, Wawa.

Akali strikes from the shadows

Smoke-shifting assassin Akali hit 2XKO a couple of weeks ago, and since then players have been digging deep into the power of her mix and neutral tools. She has a tough-to-handle 50/50 setup in the corner (there’s counterplay!) but many top players are sticking to what they know. After Hikari’s Akali domination of the recent LVL UP EXPO tournament, I’d expect her to show up a few times in Top 24.

Upcoming Dates

• April 30: Blood Moon Megabundle available
• April 30: Evo Japan (2XKO Major Event) begins
• (approx) May 12: Patch 1.2.1 live, Season 2 begins

All dates are in PDT.

Closing Thoughts

Contrary to popular opinion, I actually don’t run our social accounts on the daily. But for one night only, they’re giving me access for Evo Japan, so I’m pulling the night shift here in LA to post all the action live. Given the whole tournament takes place across a single day, expect upsets, and for those of you staying up to watch, please support your favourites during the stream!

Evo Japan marks the end of Season 1’s competitive action. It’s been cool seeing the meta and player storylines develop, and we’re only a month away from Combo Breaker! With a new Fuse on the horizon, who knows what sort of high-level chaos will soon unfold…

—@draggles