Fighting game tournament Evo 2020 has been canceled after co-founder Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cuellar was accused of assaulting a minor. The esports tournament, which announced in May that it was going online-only in the wake of COVID-19, will now not go ahead. In a tweet, Evo said that it was parting company with Cuellar, who “will no longer be involved with Evo in any capacity.” Co-founder Tony Cannon will now lead the company, “prioritizing greater accountability across Evo, both internally and at [its] events.” 

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— EVO (@EVO) July 3, 2020

Ars Technica reports that Cuellar was accused of assault by Mikey “Crackpr0n” Pham while the latter was a teenager. After his story was posted on Twitter, a number of high-profile players and commentators said they would not take part in this year’s tournament. Cuellar subsequently appeared to acknowledge the accusations in a tweet, saying that he has done things he is “not proud of,” and expressed remorse. Shortly after publication, Evo cancelled the event and dismissed Cuellar from his role. 

The coronavirus pandemic forced organizers of the annual Evo fighting game event to cancel their 2020 event, but now they’ve announced details of an online version. According to a video they posted, the event will include five weekends of fighting game action running through the month of July. While that will include “special exhibitions and content” for the original tournament lineup, going online will also make it more interactive for fighting game fans.

That’s because the new schedule includes four open tournaments. Players can go head-to-head in Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath, Killer Instinct, Them’s Fightin Herds and Skullgirls 2nd Encore. Signup and event info is “coming soon,” and the action gets started on July 4th.

The “world’s biggest fighting game tournament” has joined the list of events canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers announced in a tweet that the annual battle in Las Vegas is off for 2020, but “to keep the Evo spirit alive, we’re bringing the event online this summer.”

According to the post, all arena tickets and hotel reservations will be refunded automatically, with a form going up next week for tournament registration. Fighting games are a little more complicated to do online than other esports with the tight timing that can be impacted due to connection issues, but we’ll see if the tournament’s game lineup stays the same or adjusts due to conditions.

Cannon referred to Riot’s upcoming fighting game as “the worst-kept secret” in the universe. He said during the EVO livestream, “Back in 2016 when we joined forces with Riot I said that we were going to go in the hole for a while. I want to be able to let people in on maybe the worst kept secret in the universe which is that I can confirm we are working on a fighting game for Riot.”

Riot acquired Radiant Entertainment in 2016, a studio formed by Cannon and his twin brother that was behind the online fighting game Rising Thunder. Radiant is staffed by many prominent figures in the fighting game community, and many expected Riot’s next title to be a fighting game.

While Cannon didn’t reveal any further details about the game, he did mention that it would strive to have broad appeal. “So, the reason why we did Rising Thunder in the first place is that we felt that fighting games needed to be enjoyed by way more people. Like as big as things are, we think it has the potential to get bigger,” said Cannon.

Watch Evo 2019 – Day 1! from evo on www.twitch.tv

The Evo is essentially the One X morphed into a foldable form factor, yet at $419.99, it only costs about $20 more. You get the same 5.7K video resolution and 18-megapixel still resolution, along with handy features like FlowState stabilization, TimeShift hyperlapse plus WiFi hotspot connectivity for its dedicated iOS or Android app.

The most obvious difference here is the new 180-degree capture mode, which is automatically enabled when you unfold the Evo and lock its position using the top latch. Then it’s just a matter of toggling either photo or video capture before you start shooting, and you can manage all of these on the camera itself or via its companion app over a Wi-Fi connection.

According to CEO JK Liu, his team came up with this versatile device to offer an extra means of capturing one’s special moments, because depending on the content, sometimes 180-degree capture works better. I can imagine how this may benefit parents who want to remember what it feels like gazing at their newborn baby, for instance. Liu added that the Evo is also fit for capturing sporting activities in first-person view, the depth perception of which contributes to extra immersiveness.

Like before, you can easily download or stream the camera’s content in the app, and then share it on Facebook (except for 3D photos at the moment), YouTube or Insta360’s own hosting service. But for those who want to get immersive right away, the company is now offering two more ways to enjoy your own VR content.

First of all, owners of the Oculus Go, Samsung Gear VR and HTC Vive Focus (support due later this month) will be able to connect their headsets directly to the Evo over WiFi, then they can transfer files over or even stream videos within the dedicated VR app, as opposed to having to manually copy (and maybe convert) files using a PC or an OTG accessory. I can imagine how this newfound convenience will make the Evo a useful learning tool for VR filmmakers as well as newbies.

The second option is Holoframe, a clever glasses-free 3D solution using eye tracking, and it’s co-developed by Samsung spin-off, Mopic. This requires an optional $29.99 transparent smartphone case with a special filter on the back, and to use it, simply flip the case around so that it’s covering the screen, and then toggle Holoframe playback in the app. For now, this case is only available for the iPhone X, XS, XS Max plus XR, with Samsung’s Galaxy S8, S8+, S9, S9+ and Note 8 to be supported at a later date.

After an initial calibration, I was able to use Holoframe to view my 3D content on my iPhone XS Max, and the results were better than I expected — think of it as a much sharper version of what you might have seen on the HTC Evo 3D and the LG Optimus 3D from 2011. There’s still room for improvement, though, and Liu added that his team is already working on an update which will enable dynamic 3D effect — it’ll look as if you’re peering through a window, especially if you tilt the phone around.

There’s technically a third option, too, as the Insta360 Evo comes with a “3D Viewer,” which is just a little foldable VR goggle attachment for any phone. This is obviously a quick and dirty way to play with the VR playback mode in the Evo’s app, but alternatively, you can also pop your phone into a Cardboard-like enclosure just like in the good old days.

Sadly, I don’t have an Oculus Go nor a GearVR headset to try the new Insta360 VR app, so I’ll have to wait for the app to hit the HTC Vive Focus later this month. For the rest of you, the Insta360 Evo is already available for purchase, and in addition to the 3D Viewer, the camera comes bundled with a mini-tripod grip (not pictured here) plus a protective pouch. Just make sure you also have a microSD card rated with UHS-I V30 speed, and you should be good to go.