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WIth EVO 2022 finally wrapped up, fans got to witness countless exciting moments between talented fighting game players. With their eyes set on the EVO trophy, every participant flaunted their skills in front of the massive crowd attending the annual fighting game event. Among the several games featured, SNK's King of Fighters XV also made an appearance.
The King of Fighters XV Grand Finals saw Chia-Chen "ZJZ" Tseng go up against Lin "E.T." Chiahung. Both players' rosters featured the same three characters from SNK's legendary franchise: B. Jenet, Kula, and Krohnen. But which player came out on top?
The King of Fighters EVO 2022 Grand Finals was a spectacular series
The numbers next to each listing are the timestamps for the respective moments throughout the match between ZJZ and E.T.
1) ZJZ wins the first set thanks to an impeccable showcase of both offense and defense (3:45)
ZJZ balances both offense and defense in amazing fashion as he fights back against E.T.'s determined attacks. The latter seems to struggle with breaking ZJZ's defenses, who pounces aggressively at the opportunity when he finds an opening against E.T. This move secures ZJZ the first set with only one character downed.
2) ZJZ gets himself out of the corner with an amazing reversal (7:55)
With the match going in ZJZ's favor so far, E.T. goes all in, managing to take down his opponent's Kuja and Krohnen. He even ends up cornering ZJZ's B. Jenet, who fights back with block after block. But just as E.T. is about to lay down another stomp, ZJZ performs a beautiful reversal that whirlwind-kicks the opposing Krohnen into a 11-hit combo and creates significant distance between the two. However, all of this was eventually for naught as E.T. managed to counter ZJZ's every move, ultimately beating him. This set goes to E.T.
3) E.T. mistimes his special move leading to ZJZ capitalizing on it (11:23)
With both players' Krohnens facing off against one another, E.T. makes another push by getting up into ZJZ's face. Managing to throw back ZJZ, E.T. deploys his Heat Shield special move a bit too early, leading to the hit not connecting. A golden window for ZJZ, he manages to strike back and once again keeps E.T. guessing. Ultimately, E.T. is cornered and stomped on, leading to this round being won by ZJZ for a total of two wins to E.T.'s one.
4) Both butt heads at equal velocity and equally low health (15:10)
Things started to heat up as the matches turned into battles of attrition, with each player finding new ways to constantly one-up the other. The signs show up when ZJZ ends up taking out two of E.T.'s characters, leaving him with only Krohnen. However, E.T. does not give up and continues to put pressure on ZJZ until the very last moment as both players' health bars drop to critical levels. With the timer ticking down, the nerves start to pile up as both tip-toe around each other's attacks. However, as luck would have it, E.T.'s combo fails to knock out ZJZ. This leaves ZJZ's Krohnen alive with a small portion of health, allowing him to close the distance and catch E.T. off-guard for a win.
5) ZJZ takes home the victory, becoming EVO 2022's KOF15 champion (15:55)
It was a close call, but ZJZ finally emerged victorious as the Grand Finals champion for EVO 2022's King of Fighters XV tournament. Stay tuned for more updates and highlights from the fighting game showcase.
