EVO Japan will return next year

EVO plans to host a second event in Japan following the success of the first one last year.

The event will be held on Feb. 15 to 17 in Fukuoka, Japan, and follows the inaugural tournament that took place last January at Sunshine City in Tokyo at Akiba Square. The first event featured games that were focused on the Japanese audience, such as ARMS, King of Fighters XIV, and BlazBlue: Central Fiction.

Not much else is known about the second iteration of the event at this time, though—but EVO plans to announce more details next month. It’s unknown whether EVO will reveal the location, games list, prize pool, or any other important details when the additional announcement is made.

A lot has changed in Japan since the first event was organized. The main prize at the time was one million yen ($9,000) for each title, except for Super Smash Bros. and ARMS. The tournament was also free to enter so EVO could get around the Japanese laws that prohibit organizers from offering large cash prizes to players who have paid for an entrance fee.

Now, however, the country has introduced the Japan Esports Union (JeSU) pro player license, which gives players the chance to sidestep these strict gambling laws in Japan to win bigger prizes. The new license could potentially give EVO the chance to host a bigger tournament with large prize pools to make it an event worth going to.

This is just speculation, however, until EVO announces more official information about what will be happening at the event.