As of today, Evolution Fighting Games Tournament has been acquired by PlayStation. EVO will be the beginning of a new chapter for PlayStation’s esports entertainment endeavors, which will operate in cooperation with esports company RTS. Evo 2021, a two-part online-only event taking place from August 6-8 and August 13-15, will be the setting for this announcement.
According to the blog post, EVO 2021 is still on schedule and will take place this August as an online event. So far, Street Fighter V, Guilty Gear Strive, Tekken 7, and Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is on the tournament’s current list of games.
Even though EVO is now owned by PlayStation, Mark Julio indicated that the tournament is still available to games from all platforms, meaning that games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and old Melee can be added to the roster of games in the near future, according to the blog post.
Nintendo made the following comment to GameSpot regarding the recent news and what it implies for Super Smash Bros. at EVO:
In previous Evo events, Nintendo loved interacting with fans and wishes the show’s organizers the best of luck with their new endeavor.
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As we plan for future online and offline Super Smash Bros. tournaments, we’ll keep an eye on Evo and other tournaments said a Nintendo spokesman.
Fighting game events like the EVO Fighting Games Tournament, which have featured games like Street Fighter, Tekken, and Super Smash Bros., have helped launch the careers of several well-known players. After allegations of sexual harassment against EVO organizer Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cueller surfaced and the virus spread, EVO 2020 was postponed.
According to EVO’s head of Business Development Mark Julio, the merger with PlayStation would allow them to continue supporting the fighting game community. As a result of EVO’s cancellation and leadership shift, the tournament’s future has been unknown.
This year’s competition is still a scaled-down version of prior tournaments, but this news shows that plans are moving forward.
Fighting game event EVO has had a rough year, but this year’s EVO looks like a new beginning. However, EVO’s new leadership is hoping to get things back on track by forming a partnership with Sony.
The EVO founders Tom and Tony Cannon have announced that the Cueller has been removed from their company and that EVO will reiterate its support for community members in a message on the official EVO website:
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Because of the faith you have all placed in Evo, we have come to recognize the need of finding an experienced strategic partner who values the FGC as a whole. Therefore, we are happy to announce that Evo has joined forces with Sony Interactive Entertainment and RTS in a joint venture.
With this new partnership, we hope to deliver you even more exciting tournaments and competitive gaming opportunities in the coming year and beyond.”
