Evo Locals launches with $1m fund for grassroots fighting game events — but not everyone wants in

Evo, the world's largest fighting game tournament, announced Evo Locals last week — a new initiative combining a global directory of grassroots events with a $1 million annual support fund. Applications for grants and partnerships open later this year, with the program currently in beta.

Crucially, this isn't just prize pool money. Evo Locals is designed to help organisers with the practical side of running events: equipment setups, venue fees, production costs, staffing, graphic design, social media guidance, and introductions to commentators. RTS CEO Stuart Saw, whose company owns and operates Evo, framed it as a community-first move: "The FGC is for everyone, and it all starts at your local. Our goal with our Evo Locals Program is to help the community solve their challenges, from equipment to player connectivity, and help build the next generation of fighting game competitors and fans."

The timing matters. Evo recently announced a significant expansion into multiple regional major events and a new World Championship — a move that sparked concern about whether large-scale Evo-branded tournaments would pull attention and resources away from the smaller grassroots scene that built the FGC in the first place. The cost-of-living squeeze has made things harder across the board: attendees have less cash to show up to locals, and tournament organisers — already running on thin margins — are absorbing rising venue and operational costs. A fund that covers the unglamorous infrastructure of running an event, rather than just inflating prize pools, addresses a real gap.

Reaction from the community has been mixed, though. New York tournament organiser and DIY co-founder Sway called the initiative "awesome" and praised Evo for focusing on operational support rather than pot bonuses, which he says "never work." But he also flagged a key concern: that locals taking Evo money shouldn't have to sacrifice their identity in the process. That tension — between accepting support and maintaining independence — is likely to define how many grassroots organisers approach the program once the full terms and conditions are revealed later this year.