Fighting game players are up in arms following news that RTS – a gaming talent agency and owner of the Evo tournament series – has been acquired by the Saudi Arabian mega city project Qiddiya.
This news came yesterday afternoon via an official statement by CSO at Qiddiya Muhannad Aldawood, who wrote on Linkedin: “Excited to share that Qiddiya has acquired full ownership of RTS, a strategic step that will further strengthen our esports business and unlock new opportunities across the broader gaming ecosystem. And most importantly, this will enable Qiddiya to keep fueling the continued growth of Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s largest fighting game event since 1996, with unlimited [potential].”
The response online from fighting game community members was largely one of disappointment, as various fans of the genre came out to express sadness at the new owners and emphasised the importance of supporting grassroots community-run events. Saudi Arabia has been criticised by Human Rights organisations for its prolific use of slavery, the death penalty, and more.
Professional Street Fighter 6 player ChrisCCH, who previously refused a place at the Saudi-owned Esports World Cup, wrote on X: “Not terribly surprising, but still unfortunate news. Sad for the LGBTQ+ members of the community, and also worried about the scene becoming increasingly funded by money that will disappear as soon as the funders get bored.”
Sajam, a popular commentator and content creator within the fighting game space, stated: “I think the news personally just makes me want to think about more ways to create cool stuff for the rest of our community. It feels like the pieces that belong to fighting game fans are shrinking all the time.”
With a general distaste around Evo following the news, some have looked to other American alternative events to attend, including CEO. One user on X Roycebracket summed up their thoughts with: “CEO is about to become the real evo” while LandedIt took a more humorous approach, writing: “Glory to Alex Jebailey ceo 2026 4 jebaillion entrants”.
In response to the news, Evo general manager Rick Thiher posted his own statement: “Everything I have worked on in fighting games has been with the ambition of bringing our communities together. Inclusivity, community, and connectivity matter to me. It’s deeply personal that they remain part of what I work on and that the future of Evo respects that.”
Whether or not this uproar on social media actually manifests into a material impact on the future of Evo remains a question mark: there’s a big difference between expressing displeasure on Twitter and taking actual action.