The leadership of the Evolution Championship Series (Evo) announced Thursday that Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has sold its stake in the fighting game circuit to India-based NODWIN Gaming for an undisclosed amount.
SIE will move from being a partial owner to new global sponsor of Evo through 2028, and will continue its “commitment to the fighting game community through the PlayStation Tournaments platform and key products currently in development that appeal to fighting game players,” according to the announcement.
New multi-year partnerships with Qiddiya, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and existing shareholder RTS, were also announced, but specific details were not disclosed.
“When SIE acquired Evo alongside RTS in 2021, our goal was to help the Evo community grow and spotlight the skills and passion of fighting game fans on a global stage,” said Phil Rosenberg, SVP and Head of Global Partner Development & Relations at Sony Interactive Entertainment. “As SIE transitions to become an Evo sponsor, the momentum for Evo has never been stronger, following a successful Las Vegas event and upcoming expansion to new regions. We look forward to supporting the continued growth of Evo globally.”
New co-owner NODWIN Gaming is a leading competitive tournament and gaming festival in South Asia, and earlier this year opened an office in the United States.
Qiddiya also announced today that it has invested an undisclosed amount in Evo co-owner RTS. Qiddiya served as a global partner of Evo in 2024. Qiddiya is a mega-city project backed by the Saudi Arabian government-owned sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund.
“Teaming up with Qiddiya strengthens the future of RTS and what we’re building with Evo, an event that lives up to its name by driving real transformation in the fighting game community through new opportunities, deeper connections, and meaningful growth,” said Stuart Saw, CEO of RTS.
NODWIN’s buy-in of Evo follows a busy season of acquisitions for the company; it acquired AFK Gaming, West Asia/Turkey-focused gaming/esports marketing agency Ninja Global FZCO, European esports and gaming marketing agency Freaks 4U Gaming, Singapore-based live events company Branded, Comic Con India, Ukraine-based tournament organizer StarLadder, and influencer and MCN business Trinity Gaming, among others. In July it announced a partnership deal with another PIF-backed entity, the Esports World Cup Foundation.
Projects backed or owned by the Saudi Arabian government such as Esports World Cup and Qiddiya are frequently criticized for helping the government engage in “sports washing,” or using various forms of entertainment to cover up its record on human rights, women’s rights, LGTBQ+ rights, military actions in Yemen, and more. These and other criticisms have been highlighted by international watchdog groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.