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June 25, 2026Editorial6 min read

Who Owns Evo? Saudi Acquisition and Sponsors Explained

Evo is owned by RTS, which Saudi-backed Qiddiya bought in 2025. Here is the chain from Sony to NODWIN, Evo 2026 sponsors and how the FGC has reacted.

Evo, the world's biggest fighting game tournament series, is now wholly owned by Saudi Arabia-backed Qiddiya. The chain runs like this: Sony and the company RTS bought Evo in 2021, Sony sold its stake to India's NODWIN Gaming in August 2025, Qiddiya bought RTS in September 2025, and in February 2026 RTS completed a buyout of NODWIN's share. Evo's own announcement says the tournament is owned and operated by RTS, and RTS is owned by Qiddiya Investment Company. Evo 2026 still took place in Las Vegas on June 26-28, 2026, with sponsors including Visa and Airheads, and the debate about the ownership has not gone away.

The ownership chain, step by step

2021: Sony and RTS. EventHubs reports that Sony Interactive Entertainment and RTS bought the rights to Evo from its founders, the Cannon brothers, in 2021. Evo had run since 1996.

August 2025: Sony sells to NODWIN. Kotaku describes this as Sony ending a pandemic-era side project by selling its majority stake. NODWIN Gaming, an Indian esports company that EventHubs notes is itself partly backed by Sony, became co-owner alongside RTS.

September 2, 2025: Qiddiya takes RTS. Qiddiya Gaming announced full ownership of RTS after investing further the month before. Shacknews and PocketGamer.biz both describe Qiddiya as backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and note that it had been an Evo global sponsor since 2024. At that point Qiddiya was the second-biggest stakeholder, with NODWIN holding the other share.

February 17, 2026: RTS acquires Evo from NODWIN. Evo published a business update saying RTS had completed the acquisition of Evo from NODWIN. NODWIN stays involved, with a focus on emerging markets. RTS CEO Stuart Saw remains in charge of the operator, and Evo general manager Rick Thiher was thanked when Qiddiya announced the RTS deal in 2025.

What about Savvy Games Group and EFG?

Searches for Evo ownership often pull in Savvy Games Group and ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), because they are also Saudi-funded. None of the sources I retrieved put either of them in Evo's ownership chain. The named owner is Qiddiya Investment Company, a giga-project developer backed by the PIF, according to PocketGamer.biz. Kotaku's 2025 report lists other Saudi gaming moves, including the 2022 purchase of ESL FACEIT and the takeover of SNK, as part of a wider pattern rather than as Evo owners. So the accurate shorthand is "Evo is owned by Qiddiya through RTS", not "Evo is owned by Savvy". The PIF connection is real, but it is an indirect one.

What has changed for Evo events

Shacknews reported on February 23, 2026 that Evo announced a large expansion. Las Vegas, France and Japan continue from 2026, while Singapore, Morocco, Brazil, China, Saudi Arabia and Mexico are listed as events beginning in 2027. Evo's statement, as quoted by Shacknews, says the existing events will not change in policies, values, investment or format. Evo's business update lists the remaining 2026 dates as Nice, France on October 9-11, and Singapore on January 15, 2027.

Evo 2026 and its sponsors

Evo Las Vegas ran June 26-28, 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Evo's recap counts 5,774 unique competitors across 12 main-lineup games, and lists winners including MenaRD in Street Fighter 6 and Arslan Ash in Tekken 8. Gfinity reported a higher pre-event registration figure of 7,904 and argued that attendance for Street Fighter 6 had dropped from 2025, citing high costs and brand dilution from the growing calendar. The two numbers measure different things, and Gfinity's is an opinionated read, so treat the attendance question as debated rather than settled.

On sponsors, SportsGrid reported a new multi-year partnership with Visa, which sponsored the Friday Night Showdown with streamers Tyler1 and Ludwig on Street Fighter 6, plus Flash Tournaments. That report lists Chipotle, AT&T, White Claw and Airheads as other non-endemic sponsors. Evo announced Airheads as an official partner on June 15, 2026. Qiddiya's own partnership with Evo, according to PocketGamer.biz, was extended through 2027.

How the community has reacted

Reactions differ, and it helps to attribute them.

  • Kotaku's June 24, 2026 feature by Ian Walker is sharply critical, framing the takeover as an attempt to improve Saudi Arabia's reputation. Kotaku quotes Qiddiya's chief strategy officer Muhannad Aldawood saying the aim is to support Evo's growth in a way that respects its heritage.
  • Eight-time champion SonicFox told Kotaku the situation was largely about business or ignorance, said they will still attend events in the US and Japan, and will not travel to Saudi Arabia. In 2025 they wrote that they would be "Gayer and Louder" at Evo.
  • Street Fighter 6 player ChrisCCH told Kotaku he does not plan to attend Evo events and worries about censorship and dependence on Saudi money.
  • Commentator Stephen "Sajam" Lyon, an Evo broadcaster for 11 years, described the funding as sportswashing, per Kotaku, and EventHubs reported his intention to boycott Saudi-backed events.
  • Evo's own February 2026 statement says its existing events will keep their policies and values and that it will keep welcoming the community from all countries and backgrounds, and EventHubs reported that key Evo leadership would stay in place.

Sportswashing is the accusation that a government funds popular events to soften its international image. Qiddiya's stated position, as quoted by Kotaku, is that it is investing in the future of play. Many players still compete at Evo; SonicFox told Kotaku that the sums involved are life-changing for an esport unused to that kind of money.

What is still unknown

  • Dates, venues and formats for Evo Saudi Arabia have not been given in the sources I found beyond "2027 onward".
  • It is unclear how much day-to-day influence Qiddiya has over rules, game selection or broadcast talent.
  • Whether attendance and sponsorship trends hold as the calendar grows is an open question.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns Evo right now?

RTS owns and operates Evo, and Qiddiya Investment Company owns RTS, according to Evo's February 17, 2026 update. Qiddiya is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

When did Sony sell Evo?

Sony sold its stake to NODWIN Gaming in August 2025, according to Kotaku, EventHubs and Shacknews.

Is Savvy Games Group the owner of Evo?

Not according to the sources I retrieved. They name Qiddiya, via RTS. Savvy is a separate PIF-backed company.

Did Evo 2026 still happen in Las Vegas?

Yes, on June 26-28, 2026. The next scheduled event is Evo France in Nice on October 9-11, 2026.

Which sponsors were at Evo 2026?

SportsGrid names Visa, Chipotle, AT&T, White Claw and Airheads. Evo also announced Airheads separately.

Is Evo moving to Saudi Arabia?

No. Las Vegas, Japan and France continue. Evo listed a Saudi Arabia event as one of several new locations starting in 2027.

Sources

  • #evo
  • #fighting games
  • #qiddiya
  • #nodwin gaming
  • #esports sponsorship
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