The Evolution Championship Series (EVO) has launched EVO Locals, a new grassroots project that will invest $1 million every year to support local fighting game tournament organisers around the world.
Under the program, EVO will distribute the annual funding through Evo Locals Grants & Partnerships. The grants are designed to help tournament organisers cover a wide range of expenses, including gaming setups, venue rental, production costs, staffing, graphic design, promotional trailers, social media support, and commentator introductions.
The stated primary objective of this initiative is to support local fighting game communities by providing funding, new community tools, and easier ways for players to discover events and connect with others. EVO said the funding can be used for “pretty much anything needed to run your event” to help organisers improve existing tournaments, launch new events, or keep local communities active.
Grant applications are scheduled to open in Fall 2026. EVO said applications will be reviewed by people rather than relying entirely on automated systems, with the level of review depending on the amount of funding requested.
Alongside the funding program, EVO is introducing several new community resources. The first is the FGC Community Directory, which is already available in beta through the EVO Locals page. The searchable directory allows players to find fighting game communities by game, region, and language.
It includes verified Discord servers, regional community hubs, resource servers, and subreddits covering games such as Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Guilty Gear, Rivals of Aether, Mortal Kombat, Virtua Fighter, and others. Additional upgrades are planned for August 2026.
EVO also plans to launch an Interactive Locals Map in Fall 2026. The tool will help players search for nearby fighting game communities and events, making it easier for newcomers to find local scenes before attending in person.
A Global FGC Event Calendar is also scheduled to go live in August 2026. The calendar will list streamed fighting game tournaments from around the world, including event dates, stream schedules, broadcast languages, and viewing platforms. EVO said the tools are being developed with feedback from tournament organisers and players, with a dedicated EVO Locals website planned for early 2027.
The EVO Locals project launch comes after EVO’s full acquisition by Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed Qiddiya/RTS, which purchased NODWIN Gaming’s stake in the property. The company has also secured major sponsors recently, including payment gateway giant Visa and automobile manufacturer Suzuki.
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