After the RTS ownership announcement passed, Evo decides to expand their reach to more global places and other ideas. The major remembers their 20 year plus history as the premiere fighting game tournament major where several genre-defining moments, upsets, and victories, occurred.
The Next Phase of Evolution: Discover Evo's vision for the future of the fighting game community, including locals support and new Championships, beginning in 2027.https://t.co/5qUXsAXlSW pic.twitter.com/XKxM1tZnG5
— Evo (@Evo) February 23, 2026
Local Support From Evo
Evo will be looking to help local tournament scenes to elevate and do better.
Beginning later this year, Evo will be working together with the community, on the ground level, to elevate it and help it grow. We will be dedicating significant resources to locals around the world to help create sustainability for the bedrock of the FGC. We know first-hand that no event grows without local support, Evo included, and we want all events to have locals that can help them grow into pillars of the community.
Evo is setting out to help solve the challenges locals face, from equipment, to awareness and player connectivity, permanently. More details will be communicated to our locals partners and the community over the coming months.
As to what this will entail has yet to be determined by Evo.
The Expanding Global Scale
Alongside Singapore coming in 2027, Morocco, Brazil, China, Middle East, and Mexico, have been announced as 2027 Evo major stops. The new places could potentially increase visibility amongst other games that may not get the shine in other regions. For instance, Latin America is known as a heavy SNK support spot with much love for titles such as The King of Fighters series. The Middle East seems as though the least surprising between the new areas since RTS is Quiddiya based.
Evo Fighting Game Championships
There will be a new Grand Championship for the Evo scene in order to determine who is ultimately the best of the best. Unlike the original runs, this is for multiple games per combatant. According to Evo, the company will be looking through not only modern titles, but also legacy titles, too through companies and the community. Hopefully, Sailor Moon SNES and Gundam Wing Endless Duel is included.
The Grand Championship will be held in either the US or Japan where Evo started. How the fans will react to the new announcements since the ownership might still be divisive, but the move itself might be the turning point for support.
Meanwhile, within the FGC
Yo why am I so divided af on this new Evo news man, It's actually amazing cuz the pros could finally earn a legit shit ton of cash after all these years, and FGC has always been this super complicated niche grind where prize pools were trash and barely anybody could eat off it.…
— DECYPHER (@Knhum_) February 23, 2026
The community at large has different points to how the news should be taken. This could be the way to get to an Evo featured event if Vegas is either out of the picture or just never in the cards. Others are concerned that this could lead to a single entity to control most of the tournament stakes since the events could potentially overlap with regionals. Decypher’s point stands out a bit.
Yo why am I so divided af on this new Evo news man, It’s actually amazing cuz the pros could finally earn a legit shit ton of cash after all these years, and FGC has always been this super complicated niche grind where prize pools were trash and barely anybody could eat off it. So yeah I’m genuinely happy for them, they deserve that bag fr.
But at the same time… with all these extra locals support and new Championships popping off in 2027, it’s gonna water down the value of the ONE Evo being that special *** place where everybody knew “yo this dude right here is actually the best on the planet.”
Idk what to think anymore
This could also be a steppingstone for those who are inspired to make Esports a career in the form of arcade stick fisticuffs. Bru M‘s point is also one. Especially with some references to times where players were held back by country formalities.
I see a few people complaining, but you guys hv no idea how it’s impossible to travel to compete in to the us , with this government. So many amazing players who got their visa denied or doesn’t have any funds to travel, I really hope it’s a new opportunity for them.
— Bru M (@BeebsMac86) February 23, 2026
As to how the rest of this will go is up to the announcement’s forthcoming. Only time, and the 3 Evo events this year, Japan, Vegas, and Nice, will tell.
Source: Evo.gg
