A company backed by the Saudi Arabian government's Public Investment Fund have become the co-owner of the Evolution Championship Series (Evo) fighting game tournament.

Following Sony's sale of their stake in Evo, with India-based esports company Nodwin gaming buying it up, the event's co-owners have been Nodwin and talent management company RTS. Well, RTS have now been bought by Qiddiya Investment Company, a PIF-backed firm that's also overseeing the building of Qiddiya City as part of Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 initiative.

Over on LinkedIn, Qiddiya's chief strategy officer Muhannad Aldawood called the move "a strategic step that will further strengthen our esports business and unlock new opportunities across the broader gaming ecosystem". He added: "Most importantly, this will enable Qiddiya to keep fueling the continued growth of Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s largest fighting game event since 1996, with unlimited potentials."

As with the array of other games industry-related investments and acquisitions Saudi PIF and Saudi government-backed firms like Savvy Games Group have made in recent years, the word of the day is sportswashing. The country's been accused of using videogame investments like these and the Esports World Cup - as well as paying to host the likes of the 2034 World Cup, WWE events, and the LIV Golf series - as part of efforts to turn around its terrible international reputation.

A bad reputation Saudi Arabia and bin Salman's regime have earned through an abysmal human rights record including state-sanctioned homophobia, the murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi, and mass killings of migrants at the country's border with Yemen. Invest in things people in other countries already like or follow, and maybe all of that gets buried a bit in the collective consciousness - or so appears to be the goal.

It's not surprising then, that when you visit Qiddiya's website, the first thing you see is big splash about the freshly-built Qiddiya City golf course. "This is the stage on which the Kingdom showcases its rich culture and traditions to the world and the bridge that connects us to the wonderful things the rest of the world has to offer," reads the self-described "PIF company and giga project"'s blurb on culture.

We'll have to see what immediate effects, if any, this ownership change has on Evo. However, as my former VG247 news running mate Connor Makar notes at Eurogamer, several prominent members of the Evo/fighting game community have already shared their disapproval or begun looking towards alternative events.

"Not terribly surprising, but still unfortunate news," wrote professional Street Fighter player ChrisCCH. "Sad for the LGBTQ+ members of the community, and also worried about the scene becoming increasingly funded by money that will disappear as soon as the funders get bored."