Sony buys Evo esports tournament

In a joint agreement with a company called RTS, Sony has bought the Evolution Championship Series, one of the oldest and longest-running esports tournaments in the world. Sony didn't disclose the terms of the deal but did note it will operate the organization with help from RTS, which is an offshoot of talent management agency Endeavor.

According to Sony, Evo co-founders Tom and Tony Cannon will stay on in advisory roles to help continue to guide the organization. "The new partnership is committed to bringing amazing tournaments and competitive gaming experiences back to you this year and beyond," the two said in a joint statement. In a separate message, Evo business developer Mark Julio said the tournament will continue to be open to all gaming platforms.

Last year, Evo was scheduled to go forward as an online-only event but was canceled after co-founder Joey "Mr. Wizard" Cuellar was accused of assaulting a minor. Several video game publishers, including Capcom, started to distance themselves from the tournament. "We want to reaffirm that harassment or abuse of any kind has no place within Evo or any of our future events, and we’re taking every precaution to make sure members of our community will always be treated with the respect, dignity and decency you deserve," the Cannons said in their statement.

Sony said it will have more information to share on the acquisition over the next couple of weeks and months. In the meantime, Evo will return on August 6th with an online tournament spanning two weekends. The event will feature Guilty Gear Strive, Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition and Tekken 7, with entry open to anyone who wants to compete.