"Yesterday Qiddiya Gaming, which is backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). announced it was taking full ownership of RTS, making it the second-biggest stakeholder for Evo. Chief strategy officer Muhannad Aldawood called 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 move puts the premier event for Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and other fighting games squarely in the crosshairs of Saudi Arabia's ongoing efforts to "sportswash" its abysmal human rights reputation and the fact that it's still ruled by a literal monarch in the year 2025. Other notable attempts include things like merging with the PGA Tour, partnering with WWE, and paying Christiano Ronaldo $700 million to play soccer in Riyadh."
Sony sold its majority stake in Evo, transferring co-ownership to talent firm RTS and India-based NODWIN Gaming. Qiddiya Gaming, backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced full ownership of RTS, becoming Evo's second-largest stakeholder. Qiddiya's chief strategy officer Muhannad Aldawood described the move as a strategic step to strengthen esports business, unlock broader gaming opportunities, and fuel continued growth of the Evolution Championship Series. The acquisition raises concerns that Evo could be used to sportswash Saudi Arabia's human-rights record amid the kingdom's wider investments in global sports and major gaming companies.
Read at Kotaku
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