Evolution Championship Series: History and Background

The Evolution Championship Series, commonly known as Evo, is an American, Saudi-owned annual esports event that focuses exclusively on fighting games. The tournaments are completely open and use the double elimination format. As with Super Battle Opera, contestants travel from all over the world to participate, including gaming hubs such as Japan, South Korea and Pakistan. The first Evolution was originally held as a Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter Alpha 2 tournament called the Battle by the Bay. It changed its name to Evo in 2002. Every successive tournament has seen an increase of attendees. It has been held at various venues across the Las Vegas Valley since 2005, while spin-off events have since been held in Japan and France.

The event was originally founded by Tom Cannon; in 2021, Evo was acquired by a joint venture between Sony Interactive Entertainment and the Endeavor-backed agency RTS. In 2025, Sony sold its stake to the Indian company Nodwin Gaming, while Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund subsequently acquired RTS. In turn, RTS acquired Nodwin's stake in Evo in February 2026, placing it solely under Saudi ownership.

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