Violent Fighting to Come Again, in 2026

This episode of the Fighting Game Banter podcast gives 2025 its final playthrough, what worked, what didn't, why can't award shows understand the assignment, and what to look forward to in 2026. We also discuss the possible impact of U.S. Immigration Enforcement on local, national, and worldwide FGC events. We reached out to Run The Mix in Minnesota and asked if these political factors are influencing their attendance and participation as of late. The conversation emphasizes the resilience of the community amidst challenges, the importance of grassroots support and local organizers in maintaining the vibrancy of the fighting game scene.

Links to references mentioned or cited in this episode:

• FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul 
• National Immigration Law Center
• RunTheMix - Minneapolis Fighting Game Community
• HunterXHunter:Nen Impact on exA-Arcadia
• US Visa Waver Program (VWP)
• US names sporting events exempt visa ban

For Guest Inquires, Q&A questions for future episodes, and concerns about errors I may have made with the information said in the podcast. Feel free to email me fighthinggamebanterpodcast@gmail.com Don't forget to leave a like or review if you enjoyed

Thanks again for listening and I hope I made your day a little better.

Chapters

• 0:00 Violent Fighting to Come Again... in 2026.
• 1:43 Garou: Marketing of the Wolves
• 2:23 2XKO: Let's Tag Heroes!
• 4:16 Award Shows still don't understand the Assignment
• 5:34 AD Break
• 5:55 Run The Mix, not from ICE
• 6:53 VISA: It's what you want to have, if you need one...
• 9:51 Final Thoughts

Transcript

0:11

If you're planning on Evo Vegas in June 2026, you've probably already noticed something familiar. Hotel prices are volatile, travel plans feel heavier than usual, and the question isn't just, can I go? Is it worth it? Late June has always been expensive in Las Vegas, but now we're stacking on top of World Cup year, a shifting e-sports landscape and political climate that makes international travel feel less predictable than it did a few years ago, maybe even worse than the pandemic. And when you zoom out, the uncertainty just doesn't apply to Evo Vegas. It applies to the entire U.S fighting game landscape heading into 2026. Welcome back to the Fighting Game Bantler podcast. This episode isn't about the impending doom of the FGC or yearning for the good old days. I'm not saying anything new that hasn't already been said before. But first, let's do some housekeeping with 2025.

Today we're talking about why Fatal Fury: 1:10

City of the Wolves won best fighting game, while 2XKO didn't need to, and why HunterXHunter Hunter Nen Impact ended up exactly where it did. We'll also talk about why awards shows still struggle to define what a fighting game even is. Then we return to present day, present time, to the U.S. FGC, what's actually happening on the ground, and what events like Run the Mix in Minnesota tell us about community strength during a very unprecedented moment in history.

Fatal Fury: 1:45

City of the Wolves winning best fighting game wasn't accidental. And it wasn't just about gameplay. SNK ran one of the most consistent and intentional marketing campaigns we've seen from a fighting game in years. Strong visual identity, controlled reveals, presence, a clear narrative that balanced legacy without being trapped by it. voting is driven by visibility as much as merit, and City of the Wolves dominated Mindshare throughout 2025. This win reinforces a reality some players are uncomfortable with. Celebrity endorsements and a marketing budget matters almost as much as game mechanics. That standard is going to define who wins awards moving forward. And speaking of moving forward, 2XKO not winning best fighting game doesn't weaken its position. If anything, it strengthens it. Riot Games now has an entire year to exist as the assumed future of Tag Fighters. without having the pressure of defending a trophy. Any tag-based fighter in 2026 will be compared to 2XKO by default. System design, netcode expectations, spectator tools, infrastructure, that's a massive advantage. Riot isn't chasing validation. They just delayed the inevitable. So all you invincible versus, Saturday AM and Avatar players out there keep supporting your games even if they don't end up on the main stage. And speaking of a non-main stage tag fighter, let's briefly talk about the most disappointing fighter that couldn't even get a nomination for the game awards,

HunterXHunter: 3:22

Nen Impact. Nen Impact has been widely criticized for being underwhelmingly visually, home running on the i3 powered exA-Arcadia hardware. Despite the graphics, Nen Impact continues to see local play and side tournament representation at major events. Not to mention it's still getting updates and new DLC. Its release on the exA-Arcadia reinforces that position. This was never meant to be a AAA competitive title. It was built for dedicated communities and arcade / amusement centers. And with the U.S. relaxing tariff restrictions on imports from Taiwan, exA-Arcadia may finally be able to ship those ARC-32 cabinets to North America, something promised back in 2024. This is good news for those waiting for the arcade version of 2XKL and better news for U.S arcades and amusement centers. But we still gotta talk a little bit about the award shows because they still don't understand fighting games as a category. Recently, WWE 2K5 was nominated for best fighting game for the two 2026 DICE Awards. That's the latest example. It's not about disrespect by any means, but the definition. Competitive fighting games, sports simulators, and sports entertainment games operate on fundamentally different design philosophies. And as far as award shows that still haven't figured it out, this is how I would define the fighting game category. A multiplayer competitive game where each human player fights each other using similar rules and levels of special energy to display that energy. The moves, techniques, and the ability to take damage are exaggerated to the point of superhuman levels that cannot be replicated through sports simulation or sports entertainment. Any substantial level unbalanced scaling between the players and the CPU / boss / enemy character is isolated to the single player story mode of that game. This mode is not used in competitive / tournament settings and it was never meant to be. Until the industry agrees on something similar to what I've described, fighting games will continue to struggle for legitimacy, funding, and the perception about their role in the greater gaming landscape. The Fighting Game Banter podcast is supported and made possible by grassroots events, local organizers, and TOs who keep online fighting games alive. If you value analytical conversations like this, support your locals or share the show. And we'll be right back. And we're back. There's been growing concern about whether ICE activity and broader political tensions are impacting local FGC events, especially in Minnesota. I spoke with Pete from Run the Mix to get a perspective from the Minneapolis area. Run the Mix is actually based in Roseville, which is about 15 miles from where ICE and the protests have been happening in South Minneapolis. Because of this, ICE activity has minimal direct impact on the Run the Mix's weeklies. However, there is awareness. Some people adjust travel routes. Some people avoid public transportation. Some avoid going out at all, but then come back the following week. We'd love for things to return to normal. We'd love to not have to wake up and feel compelled to check the news for the latest bits of violence. But the overall mood? is pretty simple. The Weekly remains a space where the outside world does not get to intrude, even by the brutally cold weather. Vibes are still great, and gamers still show up to game. Something else that Pete mentioned were players from Canada avoiding Midwest Mixfest back in November due to possible border harassment and Leffen not having any issues getting into the U.S. for events like Frosty Foustings. Leffen is from Sweden and as such does not need a visa to enter the U.S. since they're one of the countries listed on the U.S.'s Visa Waiver Program. So players from Japan, the UK, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, France, and Sweden don't even need a P-1A visa to compete in any fighting game tournament in the United States. This is the visa esports athletes need to compete in the U.S. This is not really an issue for internationally sponsored esports players since the sponsors usually cover the cost of the visa. Pakistani players like Arslan Ash and Atif Butt are good examples of this. However, most esports tournaments are not exempt from the travel ban. Athletes that compete in the World Cup, WWE, AEW, and the Olympics are exempt. Fighting game players for countries such as Haiti, Iran, Sudan, Laos, and 35 other countries will not be able to enter the country regardless of visa status. These circumstances affect their communities as they try to get exposure and the prestige needed to help grow their local scenes. And you need that prestige to show that you are an exceptional athlete in order to get your P-1A visa. Now, what does this have to do with Evo? Let's go ahead and bring this back specifically to Evo Vegas. Late June hotel pricing in Las Vegas has always been volatile, especially on weekends like June 26th through June 28th. Add the 2026 World Cup, which at that time the group stages are happening, which means there's also people from 48 countries around that area. International travel fatigue. and the political uncertainty, Evo Vegas is no longer the automatic choice it was for international players. Vegas has always been a major tournament destination for people that cannot attend the World Cup. And the possibility of ICE being in that area is very high. We already know that they will be at the airports. Because of ICE's lack of training in immigration and visa protocol, the risk of being profiled as an illegal immigrant is high. due to the diverse player base the FGC has compared to other esports genres. Between EVO Japan, EVO France, and the Esports World Cup, players have more options that offer prestige without the same logistical hurdles. EVO Vegas still matters, but it's just no longer the final stage. That doesn't mean the U.S. FGC is dying. It just means stages that were hidden or restricted are now being unlocked and explored. The community layer remains strong. The esports layer is shifting worldwide. 2026 is going to be a defining year for the U.S. FGC. And while the bigger prize pools may be overseas, the strength of the U.S. FGC has always been about participation. But now the question becomes, who gets to participate without being profiled as not looking quote unquote American? Support your locals. Support your TOs. show up at community events. It's no accident that Run The Mix is one of the nominees for Best Local at the Awards. Because while fighting game e-sports shift to a more global scale, the heart of fighting games has always lived in small venues, weekly brackets, and people showing up despite the weather, despite the headlines, and the uncertainty. One thing to always keep in mind, at the end of the day, the FGC has always been grassroots. I'm JonisBrasko Thank you for listening to this episode of the Fighting Game Banter Podcast. If you get a chance, please like and subscribe. And as always, I'm looking forward to the next episode of Banter.