
Evo
Annual open-bracket esports event for fighting games.
Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
---|---|---|---|
investor | €0.0 | round | |
* | N/A | Acquisition | |
Total Funding | 000k |

The Evolution Championship Series, or Evo, is the world's largest and longest-running annual esports event focused exclusively on fighting games. It started in 1996 as a 40-person tournament in California called Battle by the Bay, founded by Tom and Tony Cannon, along with Joey "MrWizard" Cuellar and Seth "S-Kill" Killian. The event was rebranded as Evo in 2002 and moved to Las Vegas in 2005, where it has been held since.
Evo's business model revolves around hosting a multi-day festival that brings together players, fans, developers, and publishers. Revenue is generated through ticket sales for attendees, sponsorships, and brand partnerships. The tournaments feature an open-bracket format, allowing any player to compete against top professionals for cash prizes. The event is streamed live on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, broadening its reach to a global audience of millions. In addition to the main tournaments, Evo features a large arcade with hundreds of games, developer and publisher booths, a cosplay contest, and community showcases.
The company behind the event is E-Sports Evolution, LLC. In 2021, Evo was jointly acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment and RTS, a venture of Endeavor. This partnership aims to expand Evo's global presence. Following this, Evo has expanded internationally with events like Evo Japan, and has announced future events in France and Singapore.
Keywords: fighting games, esports tournament, video game competition, FGC, competitive gaming, Las Vegas event, open bracket tournament, Street Fighter, Tekken, Mortal Kombat, Guilty Gear, Evo Japan, Sony Interactive Entertainment, esports festival, gaming culture, professional gaming, live streamed event, arcade, cosplay, community gaming, global esports