Sony Interactive Entertainment surprised many fighting game fans when it announced the partnership with RTS. This allowed SIE to acquire the assets of the Evolution Championship Series or Evo. Under the agreement, Evo co-founder Tony and Tom Cannon continue as advisors to make sure that Evo remains to be what it is, a grassroots competitive platform for fighting games. Sony hopes that with this partnership, Evo will grow as the premier fighting game tournament.
The competition began in 1996 though back then, it was known as Battle by the Bay. It has officially used the name Evo since 2002.
Evo 2021
For this year, the competition is scheduled for August 6 to 8 and August 13 to 15 with entry being free. So far, the games scheduled for this year are:
- Tekken 7
- Street Fighter V: Champion Edition
- Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate
- Guilty Gear Strive
More details about this event are set to be released at a later date.
Mark Julio, Head of Business Development at Evo, tweeted that the tournament remains open to all platforms. The games announced are either available on PlayStation or on a particular platform.
Official Statements
In a press statement, Evo co-founder Tony Cannon said both he and Tom are excited about this partnership considering that the two companies have the same passion when it comes to fighting games. He added that they are excited to move Evo to the next level while making sure that it remains true to its roots.
Meanwhile, Steven Roberts, VP for Global Competitive Gaming at Sony, revealed that fighting games have always been part of PlayStation and this partnership marks a new chapter for the company and Evo.
Finally, RTS CEO Stuart Saw shared that Evo has been an important part of the fighting game community. They are happy to be part of this collaboration and have a lot of plans not only for this year but even beyond.
PlayStation also released a statement saying that this development is an excellent move forward as it relates to the growth of the fighting game community and esports. PlayStation further said that they are more than committed to bringing down the barriers and allowing gamers to participate in all levels, while also giving them the best platform to show their skills.
What about you? What do you think about this move by Sony?
