4Stack #20 — answers & breakdown
Sunday, August 2, 2026
The gaming calendar, sorted by what kind of event it is, with a purple group that is a list of things that no longer happen.
The sixteen cards in this puzzle were: Gamescom, PAX, The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest, The International, Worlds, Champions, Esports World Cup, EVO, CEO, Combo Breaker, Frosty Faustings, E3, MineCon, PlayStation Experience, G4.
The four stacks
Gaming events (still running)
Gamescom, PAX, The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest
Trade shows and showcases still on the calendar. Summer Game Fest is the newest and grew directly into the space E3 vacated.
Esports world championships
The International, Worlds, Champions, Esports World Cup
World championships, one per game: Dota 2, League of Legends, Valorant and the multi-title Esports World Cup.
FGC tournaments
EVO, CEO, Combo Breaker, Frosty Faustings
Fighting game majors. EVO is the one that matters most and the only one most non-FGC players could name.
Gone but not forgotten
E3, MineCon, PlayStation Experience, G4
Gone. E3 ran from 1995 and was formally discontinued at the end of 2023, which is the closest the industry has to a landmark death — the others are Nintendo, Sony and cable television respectively giving up on the format.
Want to try it yourself? Play puzzle #20 — archive plays don't affect your streak. Or jump into today's puzzle.