SAN MATEO, Calif., December 21, 2021 - Evolution Championship Series (known as Evo), announced today the appointment of Rick “TheHadou” Thiher as its new General Manager for the world’s largest fighting game event. Thiher will be responsible for overseeing the overall strategic vision and direction for the event as well as the day-to-day operations. He will also continue as Event Director for Combo Breaker, a series of community-based conventions and an apparel brand dedicated to competitive fighting games.

“The fighting game community has had an idyllic vision of what Evo could be. As part of Evo’s team, I’m looking forward to realizing that aspiration while delivering memorable experiences for our players and fans in the process,” said Thiher. “The fighting game genre has attracted new fans across generations. We want to continue celebrating that legacy through Evo by introducing our community to undiscovered audiences for generations to come. “

Evo’s storied history includes celebrating some of the best fighting game titles on the planet. Evo recognizes the legacy of the fighting game genre, so it will continue to be supportive of the publishers as we collaboratively build the genre’s future. Evo plans to return next year as a live event with details to be announced in 2022.

“We have full trust and faith in Rick to propel Evo even further as the premier fighting game tournament while remaining true to its roots,” said Steven Roberts, VP of Global Competitive Gaming for Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). “Together with RTS and our valued publishing partners, we are excited to add Rick to the team that is working to bring Evo 2022 to the FGC!"

In March 2021, SIE and RTS formed a joint venture esports partnership and acquired Evo from Triple Perfect, Inc. Evo co-founders Tony and Tom Cannon will continue to serve as advisors and work in partnership with Thiher.

“Rick brings an exciting vision to Evo and understands the importance that this is a community driven event, so we must strike the balance between listening to our fans and players and pushing the envelope to innovate the experience for everyone,” said Stuart Saw, CEO for RTS.

Thiher is a strong advocate and voice for the fighting game community and brings a wealth of experience producing events, including most recently as a product manager for Twitch, where he worked on third party esports and the Twitch Rivals brand for the past 4+ years. For more than 13 years, he has also led The Hadou, a creative consultancy, focused on events from ideation and creation to branding and marketing to broadcast development. He is a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

ABOUT EVO

The Evolution Championship Series (Evo) represents the largest and longest-running fighting game tournaments on Earth. Evo brings together the best of the best from around the world in an electric showcase of skill and fun, as players and fans gather to honor the competitive spirit in an open bracket format that reveals the world’s strongest fighting game players. Evo was founded in 2002 after a series of local arcade tournaments run by Tom and Tony Cannon were first held in 1996.

ABOUT SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Recognized as a global leader in interactive and digital entertainment, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is responsible for the PlayStation®1 brand and family of products and services. PlayStation has delivered innovation to the market since the launch of the original PlayStation in Japan in 1994. The PlayStation family of products and services include PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation™Store, PlayStation®Plus, PlayStation™Now, and acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, SIE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation and has global functions in California, London, and Tokyo.

ABOUT RTS

RTS was founded with the goal of fixing the gaming and esports ecosystem chiefly around evolving the creator business model, avoiding bad brand deals, and developing sound esports strategies. RTS is the convergence of talent management, brand consulting, and gaming expertise. Led by a diverse team, RTS empowers growth by helping creators, brands, events, and publishers make a long-term impact across the industry. The company works with some of the biggest talent, events, and brands including RTS co-founder Imane “Pokimane” Anys, Epic Games/Fortnite World Cup, and Facebook. RTS also owns and manages with Sony Interactive Entertainment the Evolution Championship Series (Evo), one of the oldest and most storied events in esports. To learn more, visit https://www.rts.gg/.

CONTACTS

RTS@dkcnews.com

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