{"id":1786232,"date":"2026-02-22T15:50:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T12:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1786232"},"modified":"2026-02-22T15:50:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T12:50:00","slug":"evo-insists-its-traditions-values-and-identity-will-remain-unchanged-as-saudi-acquisition-completes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1786232","title":{"rendered":"Evo insists its &#8220;traditions, values, and identity will remain unchanged&#8221; as Saudi acquisition completes"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">Evo insists its &#8220;traditions, values, and identity will remain unchanged&#8221; as Saudi acquisition completes<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Saudi owner says: &#8220;This is about investing in the future of play, and safeguarding what makes Evo special.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/evo-tournament.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Evo tournament crowd shot.\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"evo-tournament.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"321\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Evo \/ Sony Interactive Entertainment<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vikki Blake avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/1533038852.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Vikki Blake avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"1533038852.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/vikki-blake\">Vikki Blake<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Contributor<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\nPublished on <time datetime=\"2026-02-22T15:50:00+00:00\">Feb. 22, 2026<\/time>              <\/div>\n<div class=\"comments\">\n      <a class=\"comments__link comments-bubble\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/evo-insists-its-traditions-values-and-identity-will-remain-unchanged-as-saudi-acquisition-completes?view=comments\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n          4 comments<br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has now completed its acquisition of the Evolution Championship Series \u2013 Evo, as it&#8217;s more commonly known \u2013 and insists that &#8220;Evo&#8217;s traditions, values, and identity will remain unchanged&#8221; under its new parent company.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/fighting-game-players-in-uproar-after-evos-new-saudi-government-owners-calls-to-support-grassroots-events\">Fighting game players were up in arms when news broke last year that RTS<\/a> \u2013 a gaming talent agency and owner of the Evo tournament series \u2013 would be acquired by the Saudi Arabian mega city project, Qiddiya.<\/p>\n<p>As Eurogamer reported at the time the news broke, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/fighting-game-players-in-uproar-after-evos-new-saudi-government-owners-calls-to-support-grassroots-events\">the response online from fighting game community members was largely one of disappointment<\/a>, as various fans of the genre came out to express sadness at the new owner \u2013 which is a subsidiary of Mohammed bin Salman&#8217;s Public Investment Fund (PIF) \u2013 and emphasised the importance of supporting grassroots community-run events given Saudi Arabia has been criticised by Human Rights organisations for its prolific use of slavery, the death penalty, and more.<\/p>\n<p>Now, in a <a href=\"https:\/\/evo.gg\/news\/2026-business-update\">statement<\/a> posted to Evo&#8217;s website now the acquisition has completed, the organisation said it will &#8220;stage major international events&#8221; in Tokyo, Las Vegas, and Nice, France, later this year, &#8220;as it continues its role as a global platform for competitive excellence, cultural exchange, and community connection&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Under RTS ownership, Evo&#8217;s traditions, values, and identity will remain unchanged, with a continued focus on serving players, fans, and publishers at every level of the industry,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Key leadership will remain in place, ensuring long-term stability, including Stuart Saw in his role as Chief Executive Officer at RTS.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Qiddiya&#8217;s chief strategy officer, Muhannad Aldawood, added: &#8220;Evo is a global gaming institution, built on community, competition, and creativity. Through RTS and Qiddiya City, we are committed to supporting Evo&#8217;s long-term growth in a way that respects its heritage and strengthens its role within the global Fighting Game Community. This is about investing in the future of play, and safeguarding what makes Evo special.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Numerous fans are not convinced, however.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Support your locals any way you can, folks. I was already on my way out of Evo because I don\u2019t like how corporate the scene has become,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/Fighters\/comments\/1r94pvj\/comment\/o69vznc\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button\">said<\/a> one commenter. &#8220;I don\u2019t even want fighting games to be a scene anymore, just play and watch the games you like, give feedback that you care about, and growth will come organically.&#8221; Another simply <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/Fighters\/comments\/1r94pvj\/comment\/o69zec4\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button\">said<\/a>: &#8220;And this, everybody, is why supporting grassroots locals should still be the priority over pushing big tentpole tournaments.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A number of prolific players and content creators in the fighting game community, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/Fighters\/comments\/1pq6xzu\/sajam_boycotting_all_evo_events\/\">Sajam<\/a>, have pledged not to attend Evo this year.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has now completed its acquisition of the Evolution Championship Series \u2013 Evo, as it&#8217;s more commonly known \u2013 and insists that &#8220;Evo&#8217;s traditions, values, and identity will remain unchanged&#8221; under its new parent company.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/fighting-game-players-in-uproar-after-evos-new-saudi-government-owners-calls-to-support-grassroots-events\">Fighting game players were up in arms when news broke last year that RTS<\/a> \u2013 a gaming talent agency and owner of the Evo tournament series \u2013 would be acquired by the Saudi Arabian mega city project, Qiddiya.<\/p>\n<p>As Eurogamer reported at the time the news broke, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/fighting-game-players-in-uproar-after-evos-new-saudi-government-owners-calls-to-support-grassroots-events\">the response online from fighting game community members was largely one of disappointment<\/a>, as various fans of the genre came out to express sadness at the new owner \u2013 which is a subsidiary of Mohammed bin Salman&#8217;s Public Investment Fund (PIF) \u2013 and emphasised the importance of supporting grassroots community-run events given Saudi Arabia has been criticised by Human Rights organisations for its prolific use of slavery, the death penalty, and more.<\/p>\n<p>Now, in a <a href=\"https:\/\/evo.gg\/news\/2026-business-update\">statement<\/a> posted to Evo&#8217;s website now the acquisition has completed, the organisation said it will &#8220;stage major international events&#8221; in Tokyo, Las Vegas, and Nice, France, later this year, &#8220;as it continues its role as a global platform for competitive excellence, cultural exchange, and community connection&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Under RTS ownership, Evo&#8217;s traditions, values, and identity will remain unchanged, with a continued focus on serving players, fans, and publishers at every level of the industry,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Key leadership will remain in place, ensuring long-term stability, including Stuart Saw in his role as Chief Executive Officer at RTS.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Qiddiya&#8217;s chief strategy officer, Muhannad Aldawood, added: &#8220;Evo is a global gaming institution, built on community, competition, and creativity. Through RTS and Qiddiya City, we are committed to supporting Evo&#8217;s long-term growth in a way that respects its heritage and strengthens its role within the global Fighting Game Community. This is about investing in the future of play, and safeguarding what makes Evo special.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Numerous fans are not convinced, however.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Support your locals any way you can, folks. I was already on my way out of Evo because I don\u2019t like how corporate the scene has become,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/Fighters\/comments\/1r94pvj\/comment\/o69vznc\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button\">said<\/a> one commenter. &#8220;I don\u2019t even want fighting games to be a scene anymore, just play and watch the games you like, give feedback that you care about, and growth will come organically.&#8221; Another simply <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/Fighters\/comments\/1r94pvj\/comment\/o69zec4\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button\">said<\/a>: &#8220;And this, everybody, is why supporting grassroots locals should still be the priority over pushing big tentpole tournaments.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A number of prolific players and content creators in the fighting game community, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/Fighters\/comments\/1pq6xzu\/sajam_boycotting_all_evo_events\/\">Sajam<\/a>, have pledged not to attend Evo this year.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Evo insists its &#8220;traditions, values, and identity will remain unchanged&#8221; as Saudi acquisition completes Saudi owner says: &#8220;This is about investing in the future of play, and safeguarding what makes Evo special.&#8221; Image credit: Evo \/ Sony Interactive Entertainment News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Feb. 22, 2026 4 comments Qiddiya Investment [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-1786232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1786232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1786232"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1786232\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1786232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1786232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1786232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}