If you’re a competitive Smash player eagerly awaiting the upcoming release of Lucas for Super Smash Bros. on June 14, you might be disappointed to learn that EVO will be banning Lucas for the EVO 2015 tournament. An eager fan asked Joey Cuellar, one of the founding members of the EVO Tournament on Twitter whether the new challenger would be allowed in this year’s tournament. According to Cuellar, Lucas’ release comes too late in the year to make him viable for tournament use.
@Slipperybo I'm afraid not, he comes out too late.
— Joey Cuellar (@EvilMrWizard) April 2, 2015
With the release date of Lucas coming just a month before the official EVO tournament on July 17, that would leave competitive players with just a month to practice and learn all of Lucas’ moves, or to develop a solid defense against the character. That assumes the best conditions are in place and that Lucas is balanced when he is released. As we know, sometimes characters need their balance adjusted over time. It’s a smart decision on the part of the EVO tournament organizers, but for fans of seeing new characters, you’ll have to wait until next year to see if anyone mains Lucas.