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[BennyBlanco]

That was fast. Who the hell is NODWIN?

Evo 2025 Business Update

The future for Evolution Championship Series (Evo) takes a major step forward

evo.gg

"When SIE acquired Evo alongside RTS in 2021, our goal was to help the Evo community grow and spotlight the skills and passion of fighting game fans on a global stage," said Phil Rosenberg, SVP and Head of Global Partner Development & Relations at Sony Interactive Entertainment. "As SIE transitions to become an Evo sponsor, the momentum for Evo has never been stronger, following a successful Las Vegas event and upcoming expansion to new regions. We look forward to supporting the continued growth of Evo globally."

New co-owner NODWIN Gaming is a leading name in the South Asian gaming, esports, and youth entertainment industries, with Evo complementing its wide range of properties.

 

[Kacho]

nial is this a good thing?

 

[Dr_Ifto]

I think having a platform owner own it is not as good as it being on its own. They are remaining a sponsor, and thats a good thing. This can help nintendo and xbox to sponsor as well.

 

[diffusionx]

fallout from their gaas meltdown continues

Gotta pay for fairgames somehow

 

[ecosse_011172]

Is Evo this stuff?

 

[Signalis]

absolute crud

 

[Punished Miku]

I'm expecting them to sell Spider Man any minute at this rate. The superhero wave has probably peaked and is losing value now, and we all know Tom Holland isn't getting any younger.

 

[BennyBlanco]

I think having a platform owner own it is not as good as it being on its own. They are remaining a sponsor, and thats a good thing. This can help nintendo and xbox to sponsor as well.

tbh feels like they're getting out at the right time IMO. EWC made Evo look like an amateur hour local TV event.

Payouts wayyyyy better than Evo. Way nicer setup. Players are gonna follow the money.

 

[diffusionx]

tbh feels like they're getting out at the right time IMO. EWC made Evo look like an amateur hour local TV event.

I thought EVO was going to become a little more professional and better produced but it never happened. It's still as cringey and low budget as it was after SF4 came out.

 

[BennyBlanco]

I thought EVO was going to become a little more professional and better produced but it never happened. It's still as cringey and low budget as it was after SF4 came out.

It is still the most prestigious FGC event but who really cares. Guarantee Arslan Ash would trade his Evo trophy for that 250k.

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

tbh feels like they're getting out at the right time IMO. EWC made Evo look like an amateur hour local TV event
Payouts wayyyyy better than Evo. Way nicer setup. Players are gonna follow the money.

100% this.

Now that SF is in the event the EVO is really just a NA based regional event for bragging rights but I think that will fall off really quick. EVO could have become "a premier league" of sorts but with only supporting the FGC it was a struggle to build prize pools and secure more funding for production.

 

[Loomy]

This seemed like an acquisition without a plan from the beginning.

 

[Hookshot]

If I ran a games company, even if it made fighting games I would stay as far away from the FGC as I could.

 

[bender]

 

[nial]

nial is this a good thing?

idk

 

[[Sigma]]

SIE was like "aint no money here" lol

 

[Roman Empire]

EVO hasn't been the same for a long time now. Fuck this sanitized FGC.

 

[nial]

lmao

 

[reinking]

This news is going to blown out of proportion isn't it?

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Another failed investment?

 

[adamsapple]

nial is this a good thing?

Somehow, tariff's are to blame.

 

[Klosshufvud]

I thought EVO was going to become a little more professional and better produced but it never happened. It's still as cringey and low budget as it was after SF4 came out.

A lot of people would argue that EVO becoming more professional and better produced is what killed its identity. The sheer thuggery and poverty of it was part of the appeal.

 

[Kacho]

Here's the OG "Sony bought EVO" thread for reference. RIP Mana.

M

Thread 'Sony Buys EVO'

Mar 18, 2021

Link isn't working right now, but here's the Tweet announcing it:

• ManaByte
• Replies: 359
• Forum: Gaming Discussion

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

 

[EN250]

SIE was like "aint no money here" lol

It ain't any money coming from them awful GAAS games they been pumping either...

 

[f~N_CH_1:3:3:3_SushiBoat]

EVO hasn't been the same for a long time now. Fuck this sanitized FGC.

I have the EVO 2002 DVD trailer saved that i watch a few times a year to remind myself why fighters are the greatest genre. Then i shed a stoic tear for what the community has become.

 

[nial]

This news is going to blown out of proportion isn't it?

A bit too late for that.

 

[realcool]

tbh feels like they're getting out at the right time IMO. EWC made Evo look like an amateur hour local TV event.

Payouts wayyyyy better than Evo. Way nicer setup. Players are gonna follow the money.

 

[[Sigma]]

It ain't any money coming from them awful GAAS games they been pumping either...

Seems to be coming from Helldivers 2 at least.

 

[[Sigma]]

tbh feels like they're getting out at the right time IMO. EWC made Evo look like an amateur hour local TV event.

Payouts wayyyyy better than Evo. Way nicer setup. Players are gonna follow the money.

Yeah those payouts and lavish layouts are something else. They're burning hot money.

 

[Roman Empire]

I have the EVO 2002 DVD trailer saved that i watch a few times a year to remind myself why fighters are the greatest genre. Then i shed a stoic tear for what the community has become.

The players used to mimic the fighters and it was so cool to have the villain and hero stereotypes. Guys would do the old WWE taunts before fights and trash talk their adversaries for sake of making it entertaining. Now it is all gone. Too professional. Too baby-fied. Too clean for my taste.

 

[Kvally]

Somehow, tariff's are to blame.

I blame the Series S.

 

[March Climber]

I thought EVO was going to become a little more professional and better produced but it never happened. It's still as cringey and low budget as it was after SF4 came out.

There has to be a balance. Maximum professionalism doesn't bring peak fun moments like this:

 

[[Sigma]]

The players used to mimic the fighters and it was so cool to have the villain and hero stereotypes. Guys would do the old WWE taunts before fights and trash talk their adversaries for sake of making it entertaining. Now it is all gone. Too professional. Too baby-fied. Too clean for my taste.

Yep. Some of that still exist at times but often enough these days, things like beef between players be getting squashed before they even play the set lol. There's multiple examples of that recently too if you pay attention to the scene. They instead go cry on twitter about the game and try to get each other's main nerfed in a patch which is lame as hell.

 

[Punished Miku]

Maximum professionalism

Are we talking about the picture of the drummers in hoodies and sparks everywhere?

 

[March Climber]

Are we talking about the picture of the drummers in hoodies and sparks everywhere?

Every industry has their own ceiling of professionalism. Assuming you're discussing that picture above, that's pretty close to gaming's ceiling without it just being this:

 

[Zacfoldor]

Apparently SIE didn't want to meet us at the APT.

 

[Griffon]

I thought EVO was going to become a little more professional and better produced but it never happened. It's still as cringey and low budget as it was after SF4 came out.

They quickly found that there was no money and no other benefit to owning it.

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

Have any of their investments not failed?

 

[BennyBlanco]

Have any of their investments not failed?

Team LFG

 

[Dafegamer]

nial is this a good thing?

I told Nial already that it seems like Sony wants to compensate for all that wasted budget over the Years

 

[kazuyamishima]

NODWIN Gaming is backed by Sony Group Corporation.

 

[Dafegamer]

Another failed investment?

Given their GA(A)S initiative, nothing new

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Sony scrapping some cash for one last Fairgames push.

 

[mckmas8808]

NODWIN Gaming is backed by Sony Group Corporation.

So...........Sony still basically owns EVO then?

 

[kazuyamishima]

So...........Sony still basically owns EVO then?

I dunno, but as many mentioned above, prize money is way better at other tournaments, even Capcom Cup Japan will have $1m. prize for the winner if I'm not mistaken.

 

[adamsapple]

NODWIN Gaming is backed by Sony Group Corporation.

Where are you seeing this? Sony is not listed in their investors list, Krafton is tho.

NODWIN Gaming - 2025 Funding Rounds & List of Investors - Tracxn

NODWIN Gaming has raised a total funding of $63M over 5 rounds from 9 investors. Investors include Sony, Pratithi Investments and 7 others. Their latest funding round was of ₹19.2Cr on Dec 11, 2024 .

tracxn.com

 

[[Sigma]]

Sony's investment nodwin is insignificant. They're not a majority owner nor do they run it.

 

[kazuyamishima]

Where are you seeing this? Sony is not listed in their investors list, Krafton is tho.

NODWIN Gaming - 2025 Funding Rounds & List of Investors - Tracxn

NODWIN Gaming has raised a total funding of $63M over 5 rounds from 9 investors. Investors include Sony, Pratithi Investments and 7 others. Their latest funding round was of ₹19.2Cr on Dec 11, 2024 .

tracxn.com

In the Original Evo article about this, I dunno since the information is very scarce.