GO1 and Xiaohai Set up Potential Rematch at EWC 2026 Fatal Fury Bracket in Paris

AbaO took the ultimate spot, beating WBG Xiaocai 3-1 within the LCQ grand ultimate. SF|Gummy completed third, and Pida took the fourth and final obtainable slot. The LCQ drew 89 entrants competing for a $50,000 prize pool connected to the qualifier itself.

SNK’s combating sport returns to main competitors for the primary time in 26 years, backed by a $1 million prize pool at EWC 2026. The principle occasion runs July 7 by way of July 10 in Paris.

Format and Construction

The event makes use of a three-phase system:

• Part 1: 4 teams of eight gamers in a GSL-style double-elimination format. Matches are finest of 5. The highest 4 from every group advance.
• Part 2: Two teams of eight advance to a different GSL-style bracket, additionally finest of 5. The highest 4 from every group transfer to the playoffs.
• Part 3: Eight gamers enter a single-elimination bracket with best-of-nine matches.

First place earns $250,000. Second place takes $130,000. Third place earns $70,000, and fourth place takes $50,000. Placements from fifth by way of thirty second all carry money payouts, with the bottom bracket incomes $7,500 per participant.

Who Certified

GO1, the reigning EWC 2025 champion, enters as a locked competitor after defeating Xiaohai in final yr’s grand ultimate. Laggia joins because the SNK World Championship title holder.

Xiaohai returns to the bracket after profitable Evo 2026 in the identical sport. He reached the EWC 2025 ultimate and stays a high contender heading into Paris.

Dany “El Maza” certified by way of Dreamhack Birmingham and represents the Latin American area, coming off a win at CHAIN SHIFT. Darkangel, who took third place at EWC 2025, certified by way of GEMA LIVE in Mexico Metropolis.

Different certified names embody mi2ha4, ZJZ, Basher, Naiwang, Fenritti and Reynald, drawn from occasions together with Dreamhack Birmingham, Combo Breaker, and Evo 2026.

A Notable Ban

Kenshiro, a DLC character added in Season 2 and primarily based on the “Fist of the North Star” franchise, was banned from use within the LCQ. SNK has not detailed whether or not the ban extends to the principle occasion.

Why It Issues

Deadly Fury: Metropolis of the Wolves launched on April 24, 2025, on Ps 4, Ps 5, Xbox Sequence X/S, and PC. It’s the first mainline entry within the collection since Garou: Mark of the Wolves in 1999.

The sport introduces the REV System, which provides gamers entry to enhanced particular strikes, repositioning instruments, and defensive choices by way of a devoted meter. Overusing the meter triggers an Overheat state that limits a participant’s choices.

EWC’s three-year partnership with SNK positioned the sport inside a broader ecosystem that features a $75 million complete prize pool throughout the 2026 occasion and a $30 million Membership Championship pool for taking part organizations. Match placements on the Deadly Fury occasion depend towards these Membership Championship factors.

The $1 million prize pool marks one of many largest for any Deadly Fury event within the franchise’s historical past. It additionally raises the aggressive stakes for a title nonetheless constructing its esports scene in comparison with bigger franchises like Road Fighter 6 and Tekken 8.

A rematch between GO1 and Xiaohai stays attainable if each advance by way of their respective brackets. Dany El Maza’s run can be watched carefully as a measure of the Latin American area’s progress within the Deadly Fury scene.

The bracket begins July 7 in Paris, operating by way of July 10 on the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.