Saudi Arabia Now Co-Owns Largest Street Fighter Tournament Of The 12 months

Sony just lately ended one in every of its more unusual pandemic-era side-quests by promoting its majority stake within the preventing sport occasion Evo. One of the most important esports occasions of the 12 months is now co-owned by expertise administration firm RTS and India-based NODWIN Gaming. That appeared largely superb, till now.

Yesterday Qiddiya Gaming, which is backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). introduced it was taking full possession of RTS, making it the second-biggest stakeholder for Evo. Chief technique officer Muhannad Aldawood referred to as it “a strategic step that will further strengthen our esports business and unlock new opportunities across the broader gaming ecosystem.”

He added, “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 potentials.”

The transfer places the premier occasion for Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and different preventing video games squarely within the crosshairs of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to “sportswash” its abysmal human rights repute and the truth that it’s nonetheless dominated by a literal monarch within the 12 months 2025. Other notable makes an attempt embody issues like merging with the PGA Tour, partnering with WWE, and paying Christiano Ronaldo $700 million to play soccer in Riyadh.

There have additionally been massive shifts into gaming as properly. This has included investing billions throughout the whole lot from Nintendo and Capcom to Electronic Arts and Nexon Gaming. Earlier this 12 months, it purchased Pokémon Go and different Niantic-developed cell video games for a whopping $3.5 billion. It even purchased all of King of Fighters and Metal Slug writer SNK Corporation, taking the corporate non-public and seemingly forcing the builders to place Ronaldo on this 12 months’s Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.

But the push has been much more obvious in aggressive gaming. It bought main international match organizer ESL FACEIT in 2022, and snagged a 30 % stake in Chinese esports firm Hero Esports in 2023. And it simply wrapped up the 2025 Esports World Cup, an try to astroturf a brand new main aggressive gaming occasion into existence by means of huge prize swimming pools by no means earlier than seen, even within the esports bubble years of the late 2010s.

While some communities have boycotted the occasion, others have been comfortable to lean on the publicity and cash at a time when professional gaming is struggling. A documentary selling the 2025 EWC was launched on Amazon earlier this 12 months, however the model streaming in Saudi Arabia stripped out gamers speaking about LGTBQ+ points and issues.

“We are disappointed to learn, upon your request for comment, that the Saudi broadcast of Esports World Cup: Level Up has been altered to remove images of our Pride jersey, as well as important parts of our Co-CEO Steve Arhancet’s story as a gay man in esports,” Team Liquid, which fields gamers in League of Legends, Overwatch 2, Apex Legends, and extra, wrote on the time.

Saudi Arabia’s funding fund remains to be solely a minority investor in Evo, and it’s unclear how the change in possession will influence the occasion shifting ahead. At the very least, it’s laborious to see Saudi Arabia not being added to the record of nations that presently host annual Evo tournaments. How professional gamers reply additionally stays to be seen.

Fighting video games have at all times been distinctive inside esports. With a legacy that dates again to the early arcade days and communities constructed on native, grassroots connections quite than company branding workout routines, Evo has at all times had a particular place inside aggressive gaming. It’s now one which must confront the ethical calculus of co-owners presently accused, amongst different issues, of a recent surge in extra-judicial executions.

“Everything I have worked on in fighting games has been with the ambition of bringing our communities together,” Evo common supervisor, Richard Thiher, wrote on X following the information. “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.”

One of the most important names in struggle video games, Dominique “SonicFox” McLean, already revealed what his method to the brand new co-ownership will probably be. “I will not be erased, even if it means I’m the only voice there,” the eight-time Evo champion wrote X. “I will simply be Gayer and Louder than ever as I wave my Trans Rights Flag in grand finals.” He referred to as on others to do the identical.

Update 9/3/2025 8:22 a.m. ET: Added feedback from McLean and Thiher.