Taiwan's ET wins 'KOF XV' title at EVO 2025, finishes runner-up in 'Fatal Fury'

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) Taiwanese esports veteran Lin "ET" Chia-hung (林家弘) claimed the championship title in "The King of Fighters (KOF) XV" and finished runner-up in "Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves" -- both fighting games -- at the 2025 Evolution Championship Series (EVO) in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Lin, who placed second in the KOF XV tournament at EVO 2024, outdid his previous performance this year and also secured a spot in the "Fatal Fury" division of the 2025 SNK World Championship (SWC), the third season of SNK's official global tournament circuit.

The SWC, which previously featured only "KOF XV," has since expanded to include other titles such as "Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves" and "Samurai Shodown."

With one championship and one runner-up finish, Lin said EVO 2025 marked a high point in his fighting game career, particularly because of his progress in "Fatal Fury."

"Although it's a bit of a shame to fall just short of the title, I'm happy to see my improvement and to earn a ticket to the SNK World Championship," Lin told CNA.

"I'll keep working hard in the next tournament, and I'm grateful to everyone who has supported me."

Now 42, Lin also won back-to-back KOF XV titles at EVO Japan in May.

In the "Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves" bracket in Las Vegas, which used a double-elimination format, Lin reached the winners' final but lost 0-3 to Japan's Goichi "GO1" Kishida, the reigning Esports World Cup champion.

He then rallied through the losers' bracket, defeating GO1 3-1 in the first grand final set. However, after a reset, Lin narrowly lost the second set 2-3, finishing second overall.

Shortly afterward, Lin returned to compete in "KOF XV." Despite an earlier loss in the winners' semifinals, he fought his way back through the losers' bracket, beating Mexico's Layec 3-0 in the first grand final set and 3-1 in the reset to capture the title.