History Įvo was founded by Tom Cannon, also known for his work on, a fighting game website. As of 2021, the event is jointly owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment and the Endeavor esports venture RTS.
It has been held at various venues across the Las Vegas Valley since 2005. Every successive tournament has seen an increase of attendees. The first Evolution was originally held as a Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter Alpha 2 tournament called the Battle by the Bay. As with Super Battle Opera, contestants travel from all over the world to participate, most notably from Japan.
The tournaments are completely open and use the double elimination format. The Evolution Championship Series, commonly known as Evo, is an annual esports event that focuses exclusively on fighting games.
