\n
<\/p>\n
RIYADH: \u201cEvo is really a lifestyle,\u201d said RTS Executive Chairman Steven Roberts at Evo France 2026. \u201cWe celebrate the lifestyle of the fighting game community and we will continue to do that well into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Evolution Championship Series \u2014 Evo for short \u2014 completed its third flagship event of the year in Nice, France, bringing a stellar year to a close that began with Qiddiya Investment Co.\u2019s acquisition of the series in February through its gaming talent management and brand consultancy arm, RTS.<\/p>\n
Roberts, who worked with the Esports World Cup during his time at Sony, brings years of experience working directly with the Saudi gaming industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever met a group of harder-working people than the folks at the EWC and Qiddiya,\u201d he told Arab News. \u201cThey\u2019re young, they\u2019re passionate \u2014 and it\u2019s not just from the gaming perspective.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Qiddiya project is such a broad and expansive one, covering so many areas, and I find the work and passion behind it so energizing,\u201d he added. \u201cTo see such a young community \u2014 on the scale of the millions of young people in Saudi Arabia who consider themselves gamers of many kinds \u2014 is something very different from many other countries and cultures.\u201d<\/p>\n
Founded more than 20 years ago, Evo has grown from a grassroots tournament into the world\u2019s largest fighting game event \u2014 and Roberts believes this is merely the start of a journey toward further expansion.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of our key initiatives in the years ahead \u2014 not just in Saudi Arabia, but around the world \u2014 is to invest in local ecosystems,\u201d he explained. \u201cBecause it is that local ecosystem that has to be sustainable to ensure continued growth, participation and the engagement that can support an Evo-style event.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just about the professionals \u2014 an Evo-style event traditionally involves many grassroots participants. From the tournament organizers to the referees and amateur entrants, we are committed to making sure that the local ecosystem is healthy, vibrant and positioned to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Evo has yet to host a flagship event in Saudi Arabia, a \u201cRoad to Evo France\u201d event took place on Sept. 10 and 11 at the SEF Arena in Riyadh.<\/p>\n
At Evo France itself, Saudi players saw a host of excellent performances \u2014 with Team Falcons\u2019 Farzeen and Numan Ch finishing in the top eight of \u201cTekken 8\u201d alongside Twisted Minds\u2019 Hafiz Tanveer. Falcons had three top-eight finishers in \u201cFatal Fury: City of the Wolves\u201d \u2014 AbuOmar in seventh\/eighth, Kindevu in fifth\/sixth and Xiaohai in third place.<\/p>\n
\u201cRoad to Evo was the starting point. We aim to build on that until we reach the scale needed to be sustainable for an event as big as Evo Japan or Evo France \u2014 and that\u2019s something we plan on doing in Saudi Arabia too,\u201d Roberts explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have announced an expansion into many countries, where specific dates and times will be released over the next few months, because one of our objectives is to make Evo more accessible to people around the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe events around the world will not all necessarily be at the same scale as some of the biggest events, but they will capture the same feeling and essence of what the fighting game community is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Evo continues to expand on a macro scale, it ultimately returns to being about community at its core. Roberts believes that is key to building the kind of big events synonymous with Evo today.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think, when a fan enters an Evo event \u2014 of any kind \u2014 there are certain things that they should expect,\u201d he said. \u201cThe first is certainly the feeling of inclusion \u2014 that they can go anywhere at the event and feel part of the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also would like for them to get a sense of the history of the Evo brand and exactly what it stands for.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want it to be the case that, when you go through the door of any Evo event, you feel at home. And that\u2019s the kind of thing we plan on bringing around the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n