Evo France came and went this weekend, as fighting game players from across Europe and the wider world flocked to Nice, France. However, while veteran champions were crowned and a milestone was passed for European fighting game players, younger talent showed up in force.
Take Blaz, the 15-year-old Chilean Ryu player. He’s been making a name for himself for some time now at Street Fighter 6 events, first making an impact at South-American regional events back in 2023 before securing high placements around the world, such as his third-place finish at Ultimate Fighting Arena earlier this year.
But at Evo France, Blaz managed to show up in a major way at what is likely one of the most important events he’s attended. During his run through Evo France, he managed to take down multiple prominent and storied players, including Kobayan and French hometown favourite Mister Crimson. Blaz would finish in second place at Evo.
But while Blaz has become something of a known quantity among fighting games, a new challenger managed to also draw eyes and well-deserved praise. Neia, the 16-year-old Lili player from Paris, tore through the Tekken 8 bracket at Evo Europe. She dominated in early Pools matches with relative ease. It was only until Neia ran into legendary South-Korean player Qudans that they lost a match, the same Qudans who would end up placing 7th overall in the tournament.