Evo Fighting Tournament Has Been Acquired By Sony

In a move that no one could have predicted, Sony Interactive Entertainment has acquired the Evolution Championship Series (also known as Evo). The acquisition comes as part of a joint venture partnership with RTS. Evo’s co-founders Tony and Tom Cannon will still be involved in an advisory position so as to make sure that Evo “continues to service the fighting game community and support its vibrant growth.”

In their announcement of the acquisition, SIE looks to the future with their purchase of Evo being “an exciting step” for them in their endeavors to grow both the fighting game community and esports, as well as support competitive gamers on their consoles. “We’re committed to breaking down the barriers for gamers to compete at all levels and providing a best-in-class, global platform for them to showcase their skills and passion.”

Tony and Tom Cannon released their own statement about the acquisition, where they share the same enthusiasm. “The new partnership is committed to bringing amazing tournaments and competitive gaming experiences back to you this year and beyond.” Sony ensures that all parties are intent on Evo remaining authentic to what it’s always been, while also finding ways to make the event grow and become more accessible.

Things haven’t been that great for Evo recently. Last year’s Evo Online tournament was cancelled after former CEO Joey Cuellar was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple individuals. In Evo’s statement, they explain that in light of those events, they needed an “experienced strategic partner” that had respect for the fighting game community. The duo also reiterated their stance on harassment and abuse in the fighting game community.

“We want to reaffirm that harassment or abuse of any kind has no place within Evo or any of our future events, and we’re taking every precaution to make sure members of our community will always be treated with the respect, dignity and decency you deserve.”

Sony shares the same views in their statement, saying that the entire team will work together to make sure that all Evo events are “safe and welcoming for the entire community.”

Looking to the future, Evo Online will return this year during two weekends: August 6-8 and August 13-15. The games that are currently set to appear in the tournament are Tekken 7, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, and Guilty Gear Strive. More games will be announced at a later date.

Some fighting game fans have been worried that games from other platforms wouldn’t be allowed at Evo anymore since Sony now owns the event. Evo’s Business Developer Mark Julio has put those worries to rest, saying on Twitter that the tournament is still open to all platforms.

Nintendo spoke to IGN about the acquisition, offering them a statement. “Nintendo has enjoyed engaging with fans at past Evo tournaments and wish the show organizers the best with their new venture. We will continue to assess Evo, and other opportunities, as we plan for future online and offline Super Smash Bros. tournament activity.”

While it doesn’t look like there is any bad blood between Nintendo and Evo following this acquisition, it doesn’t appear as if the company is jumping at the chance to have the game return to the tournament. Before last year’s event was cancelled, the game was dropped from the lineup, presumably due to its poor online connection quality. Even more troubling were the rampant sexual misconduct allegations that were spreading throughout the Smash community last summer, leading to Nintendo speaking out against them. With all that taken into account, it makes sense that Nintendo would pause for a moment before returning to the Evo stage.

Sony acquiring Evo is just the latest in a big news day for the company. Earlier this morning, we got our first look at the new controllers for their next-gen PSVR headset, as well as some details on their new features.