PlayStation has acquired Evolution Championship Series, AKA EVO, the largest fighting game tournament in the world, the two companies have announced.
In a joint statement, the companies say Sony and new esports venture RTS have "acquired the assets and properties" of the Evo series, meaning all future tournaments will be run by PlayStation in partnership with RTS, though Evo exec Mark Julio says the events won't be exclusive to Sony platforms.
"Also very important to note. [Evo] is still open to all platforms," Julio wrote on Twitter. "The teams at PlayStation and RTS are enabling us to continue working with our community to support fighting games."
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"Today, we're thrilled to announce the next chapter in the story of PlayStation and Evo, the world's largest and longest-running fighting game tournament," reads the announcement on Sony's blog. "Sony Interactive Entertainment has teamed up with RTS to acquire Evo through a joint venture partnership. With expertise spanning esports event management, brand and developer consulting and gaming talent management, RTS is a new venture led by CEO Stuart Saw and backed by investors including global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor."
Though Julio insists that Evo will remain open to platforms outside of PlayStation, it's unclear what the acquisition means for first-party games. For its part, Nintendo said in a statement to IGN that it 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."
As for this year's Evo, Evo Online 2021 will be a free event taking place from August 6 - 8 and 13 - 15. As usual, players in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America will have the chance to duke it out in Tekken 7, Street Fighter 5, Mortal Kombat 11, and Guilty Gear: Strive in an open format.
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