EVO Now Fully Owned by Saudi Fund: Netizens' Fifth Point Exploded
This Is for the Better
Saudi Arabia consolidates control over the world's largest fighting game tournament series, EVO. RTS, a company owned by the Qiddiya City project, has become the sole owner of the Evolution Championship Series.
Previously, RTS co-owned the tournament with India's NODWIN Gaming, which bought out Sony's stake in 2024. Now, NODWIN has completely exited the capital.
RTS stated its intention to continue investing in EVO's development and supporting the fighting game community. The acquisition is part of Saudi Arabia's strategy to diversify income through the Public Investment Fund.
Netizens call this an attempt at "sportswashing" — using sporting events to "improve international reputation" against a backdrop of systematic "human rights violations," including the "suppression of press freedom, the prohibition of homosexuality, the application of the death penalty, and torture in places of detention."