Marvel vs. Capcom 2 returns to the Evolution Championship Series as a main game for the first time since 2010, and it's doing so in style. The Evo 2025 Marvel vs. Capcom 2 bracket will be the largest Marvel vs. Capcom 2 tournament of all-time, with old standbys and new players alike coming together to celebrate one of the greatest and most influential fighting games ever made.
Last year's retro game, Street Fighter III: Third Strike, proved that these old games can still produce plenty of excitement on the big stage. Younger players who never got the chance to show their stuff got to compete alongside legends of the game, and together they made some of the greatest moments the game had ever seen.
This year, it's Marvel's turn. A whopping 569 players will be fighting it out in what's sure to be an electrifying bracket.
SETTING THE STAGE
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is one of Evo's foundational games. Not only was it present at the inaugural Evolution in 2002, it was present at the last two Battle by the Bay tournaments that preceded Evo in 2000 and 2001. Between its lightning fast gameplay and the collection of iconic characters, it's easy to see why this was one of the biggest draws in fighting games, both for players and spectators.
Marvel 2's revival has been made possible by 2024's Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics release, the first time Marvel vs. Capcom 2 has been available on modern consoles in nearly 20 years. Not only has this made the game more accessible to modern audiences, but it is also the first time Marvel vs. Capcom 2 has had rollback netcode, opening the door to widespread competitive play from the comfort of your own home.
The Marvel community has ensured that the competitive scene has survived in the 15 years since the game was last featured at Evo. It will be fascinating to see who rises to the top. Will it be one of the legends of the game, somebody who was on the finals stage all those years ago when Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was one of Evo's top draws? Or will it be somebody new, somebody who grinded the game thanks to the inspiration from those very legends?
MAJOR STORYLINES
Many of Marvel 2's historic greats, like Justin Wong, Sanford Kelly and Yipes, won't be competing in this bracket. A lot has changed in the 15 years since Marvel 2 was last a main game at Evo. Who's ready to capitalize in this brave new world of Marvel 2?
DucVader won Marvel vs. Capcom 2 at Evo 2005 and is the only returning Evo Champion in 2025's bracket. That means there will be a clear spotlight on him, and a target on his back. It's very difficult to say what kind of form we can expect from Duc. He hasn't entered a major bracket in recent years. All we've seen from him is his two sets at the Tournament of Champions for MvC 2 that was hosted as part of the inaugural Evo Awards, where he lost both of his sets… but they were against fellow Evo Champions Sanford Kelly and Justin Wong, so it's hard to make much of anything from those sets either way. Nobody in this bracket has the top-level Marvel 2 experience he has on the game's biggest stage, though, and regardless of how he finishes, it will be fantastic to see a legend of the game playing in a main Evo bracket once again.
Harry Potter, aka simply "potter," was a consistent force when Marvel 2 was at its peak, finishing 7th at Evo 2004 and 2007 and reaching his peak in 2005, when he finished 3rd, outplacing the GOAT of Marvel 2 himself, Justin Wong. He has entered three big offline events in the 2020s and has shown that he still has plenty of skills on the sticks, placing second at all three: Texas Showdown 2023, Evo 2024's community showcase bracket, and COMBO BREAKER 2025. So, obviously, a second at Evo 2025 is in his future… right?
SmoothViper took the championship at last year's Evo 2024 Community Showcase bracket, defeating Harry Potter and Servbot en route to the title. He also took third at the recent Twitch Rivals for Marvel 2, and fifth at Texas Showdown 2023. If there's a big Marvel 2 bracket, SmoothViper will find it. Now that Marvel 2 is a main bracket game, the competition will be much stiffer, but somebody with SmoothViper's dedication to Marvel 2 can't be counted out.
Viscant is best known as the 2011 Evo Champion in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, so it shouldn't surprise anybody to see him enter this year's Marvel vs. Capcom 2 bracket. He placed 3rd at Evo predecessor Battle by the Bay all the way back in 2001, and he's also the originator of one of the best known teams in Marvel 2 history: "Team Santhrax," made famous by Sanford "Santhrax" Kelly, as Sanford revealed in an interview at Evo 2007. Can this self-described "fighting game player with emeritus status" show the strength of the old heads in the big 2025?
g_conceptz was one game away from taking the $5,000 grand prize at October 2024's Twitch Rivals - MVC2 Lives, an online tournament organized by Twitch and Maximilian Dood. He calls himself a "Marvel Professor" and backs that up with a series of excellent tutorial videos for beginning MvC2 players. Given the nature of the scene, his recent tournament results are few and far between, but his second place finish at Defend The North 2019 stands out, as he got there by taking out Justin Wong in Losers Finals. Can the knowledge bring the professor to the main stage at Evo 2025?
If there's a big Marvel vs. Capcom 2 bracket held in the 2020s, one of the strongest bets you can make is that Servbot will be there. He took 2nd at Texas Showdown 2022, 3rd at Texas Showdown 2023, and 3rd at both Evo 2023 and 2024's side brackets. Few players have more offline tournament experience in recent years, and that could be the asset that lets him make his way to the final stage now that Marvel 2 has a slot on the main stage in 2025.
15 years after he placed 4th in the Marvel vs. Capcom 2, crizzle won Evo 2023's Marvel vs. Capcom 2 side bracket. He also placed 5th at Evo 2010, making him one of the strongest legacy players in this bracket who also has a recent tournament win under his belt. Not only does he have the experience, but he's clearly been keeping his skills fresh, a combination that makes him a favorite to make a deep run this year.
All these players and more will scrap it out at the biggest Marvel vs. Capcom 2 tournament of all time starting August 1st in Las Vegas. Make sure to subscribe to Evo on YouTube so you don't miss any of the action.
