Key takeaways
- AbaO won the July 5 LCQ in Paris, defeating WBG Xiaocai 3-1 to claim the final spot among the 32 players.
- SNK and EWC have set a $1 million prize pool for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, which will take place July 7-10 in Paris.
- GO1 defends its EWC 2025 title against Xiaohai, Laggia and Dany El Maza for Club Championship points.
AbaO took last place by defeating WBG Xiaocai 3-1 in the LCQ Grand Final. SF|Gummy finished third and Pida took the fourth and final available spot. The LCQ attracted 89 participants competing for a $50,000 prize pool attached to the qualifying tournament itself.
SNK’s fighting game returns to major competition for the first time in 26 years, backed by a $1 million prize pool at EWC 2026. The main event takes place July 7-10 in Paris.
Format and structure
The tournament uses a three-phase system:
- Phase 1: Four groups of eight players in a GSL-style double elimination format. Matches are best-of-five. The top four in each group advance.
- Phase 2: Two groups of eight advance to another GSL-style bracket, also best-of-five. The top four in each group advance to the playoffs.
- Phase 3: Eight players enter a single-elimination bracket with best-of-nine matches.
First place earns $250,000. Second place wins $130,000. Third place wins $70,000 and fourth place wins $50,000. Placements fifth through 32 all feature cash payouts, with the lowest bracket earning $7,500 per player.
Who qualified
Reigning EWC 2025 champions GO1 enter as an established contender after defeating Xiaohai in last year’s Grand Final. Laggia joins the group as the SNK World Championship titleholder.
Xiaohai returns to the group after winning Evo 2026 in the same match. He reached the EWC 2025 final and remains one of the main contenders in Paris.
Dany “El Maza” qualified through Dreamhack Birmingham and is representing the Latin American region, after picking up a win at CHAIN SHIFT. Darkangel, who took third place at EWC 2025, qualified via GEMA LIVE in Mexico.
Other qualified names include mi2ha4, ZJZ, Basher, Naiwang, Fenritti and Reynald, from events such as Dreamhack Birmingham, Combo Breaker and Evo 2026.
A notable ban
Kenshiro, a DLC character added in Season 2 and based on the “Fist of the North Star” franchise, has been banned from use in the CQL. SNK did not specify whether the ban extended to the main event.
Why it matters
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves launched on April 24, 2025 on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. This is the first mainline entry in the series since Garou: Mark of the Wolves in 1999.
The game introduces the REV system, which gives players access to enhanced special moves, repositioning tools, and defensive options via a dedicated meter. Overusing the meter triggers an overheat state which limits the player’s options.
EWC’s three-year partnership with SNK placed the game within a broader ecosystem that includes a total prize pool of $75 million for the 2026 event and a $30 million Club Championship prize pool for participating organizations. Placements in Fatal Fury event tournaments count toward these Club Championship points.
The $1 million prize pool is one of the largest in any Fatal Fury tournament in franchise history. It also raises the competitive stakes for a title that continues to build its esports scene compared to bigger franchises like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8.
A rematch between GO1 and Xiaohai remains possible if both progress in their respective groups. Dany El Maza’s run will be closely watched as a measure of the Latin American region’s growth in the Fatal Fury scene.
The period will begin on July 7 in Paris and will continue until July 10 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
