Evo France came and went this weekend as fighting game players from across Europe and the world flocked to Nice, France. However, while veteran champions were crowned and a major milestone was passed for European fighting game players, young talent came out in force.
Take Blaz, a 15-year-old Chilean Ryu player. He's been making a name for himself for some time now Street Fighter 6 He first made an impact on regional competitions in South America back in 2023 and has since gone on to achieve high rankings around the world, such as a third place finish at the Ultimate Fighting Arena earlier this year.
But at Evo France, Blaz managed to make his mark in what was perhaps one of the most important events he attended. During his run at Evo France, he managed to defeat several prominent and legendary players, including Kobayan and hometown French favorite Mister Crimson. Blaz finished second at Evo.
But while Blaz has become a fairly well-known figure in the fighting game scene, a new contender has also managed to attract attention and well-deserved praise. Neia, a 16-year-old Lily player from Paris, broke through Tekken 8 bracket for Evo Europe. She dominated the early pool matches with relative ease. It wasn't until Neia faced the legendary South Korean player Kudans that they lost the match, the same Kudans who ended up finishing 7th overall in the tournament.
After that, falling into the losers' bracket, Neia ended thanks to another very famous player: Tetsu. After this defeat, Neia will be in 17th place out of 1,169 players. What's noteworthy is that this was Neia's second major tournament: she previously competed at French Ultimate Fighting Arena 2025 and finished in 13th place.
So why does this matter? Well, both players are great examples of not only the benefits of going beyond typical gaming event markets, but also proof against the stereotype that the genre isn't just for old men.
When it comes to age, it is well known that different generations prefer different types of games. For example, millennials make up a significant portion of MMO players these days, and live-service games like Roblox and Fortnite they tend to be dominated by the younger generation of gamers. It's safe to say that the fighting game audience is aging. Although players like Blaz and Neia prove that this generalization does not apply to the entire player base.
Their ages are also exceptionally impressive when you consider the ages of some of the most successful players in these games. Leshar, who won the Street Fighter 6 tournament at Evo France, is 26 years old. Tokido, another top eight player and a favorite character among fighting game enthusiasts, is 40 years old. The top level of competition in this genre is filled with adults who have years of tournament experience under their belts.
But while Blaz and Neia's ages are a big draw, and with good reason, I'd also like to point out the geographical advantages of this story. Blaz's homeland of Chile isn't exactly known for its bustling video game communities. Sure, there's an audience there, but when you think of South American video game powerhouses, you usually think of Brazil or Mexico. But it was thanks to events like the Capcom Pro Tour: South America League that Blaz was able to launch his professional career: support that is always welcomed and happy to see from major publishers.
As for Neuilly, she and many other European players may never have been able to attend Evo if it had not been introduced to the region this year. Neia played in French tournaments and clearly made a name for herself, but would she be able to spend over 1000 euros (at least!) to go to Vegas or Japan to play Tekken! Probably not!
Among other things, Evo France was a battleground where young talents could make their presence known on the world stage. It was not only a testament to the importance of providing opportunity to underrepresented parts of the world, but also a reminder that the Bison player I'm losing to online isn't necessarily a 35-year-old guy with kids and a mortgage.
We hope that in future events, one of these newcomers will be able to take home the first place trophy and fight back against all the veterans of the genre. Fresh blood, as they say, is good blood.
