EVO's SHAKE-UP: NEW OWNERS, GLOBAL TAKEOVER, SAME OLD FIGHTING

In a move that’s got the whole FGC talking, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has officially sold its stake in Evo to NODWIN Gaming. This doesn't mean Sony is out of the picture entirely, though. They'll be sticking around as a new global sponsor until 2028 and plan to continue their commitment to fighting games through their PlayStation Tournaments platform. Phil Rosenberg, the SVP of Global Partner Development & Relations at SIE, stated that their original goal in 2021 was to help Evo grow globally, and now that the momentum is stronger than ever, they’re transitioning to a sponsorship role.

Credit: TEKKEN 8

Meet the New Bosses

The new co-owner, NODWIN Gaming, is a big name in the South Asian gaming and esports scene. Their co-founder, Akshat Rathee, promised to honor the legacy of Evo while opening the doors for a new generation of players. So, no need to panic about them turning the whole thing into a mobile-first, microtransaction-riddled mess. Probably. At least not yet.

Adding another pile of money to the growing mountain, Qiddiya, which first partnered with Evo last year, is also investing in RTS, Evo's co-owner and operator. They’ve extended their global partnership with Evo through 2027. It seems like everyone wants a piece of this particular pie, and frankly, with the fighting game community's rabid passion, who can blame them?

The Conquest for Global Dominance

All this financial maneuvering and corporate musical chairs is aimed at one thing: world domination. Okay, fine, not world domination in the "evil mastermind" sense, but global expansion. Evo is planning more original content and deeper, more immersive experiences for their live events. This is all happening on the heels of their most recent Las Vegas event, which brought in players from over 60 countries, and a record-breaking tournament in Japan.

The European debut in Nice, France, is already setting records for registrations, and there are plans to expand to Singapore in 2027. According to Evo's general manager, Rick Thiher, these partnerships are meant to turn Evo into a global "nexus point for fighting game culture". It sounds like they're building a goddamn empire, and we're all invited to the party, so long as we’re ready to watch people get punched in the face.