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Evo and Visa Announce Multi-Year Partnership to Power a Global Game Community

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Partnership enhances fan experiences, expands access, and enables seamless, global participation—online and on the ground

LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Evolution Championship Series (known as Evo), the world’s largest and longest-running fighting game tournaments, announced a multi-year partnership with Visa (NYSE: V), a world leader in digital payments, to elevate the experience at its global events through early 2028. Evo and Visa will work together to deepen the connection with the game community and help shape cultural moments, while enabling effortless, cross-border commerce.

The partnership debuts at Evo Las Vegas (June 26–28, 2026), with new experiences designed to bring the community closer together, including:

Friday Night Showdown at Evo Vegas 2026 Presented Break Free By VisaAn exhibition match featuring content creators Tyler “Tyler1” Steinkamp, the first player to reach the highest “Challenger” rank in all five distinct gameplay roles within League of Legends, and Ludwig “Ludwig” Ahgren, a YouTuber, live streamer, and digital entrepreneur, who will face off in Street Fighter 6 on the main stage at the Las Vegas Convention Center.Evo Flash Tournaments Presented By VisaAll-new pick-up brackets running hourly throughout Evo 2026, and they’re open to everyone attending onsite. Whether you’re a registered competitor or a casual fan in attendance, you can join any single elimination bracket that anyone can enter on the spot. Just show up with a controller, sign in, and play as many times as you want all weekend long. The more you compete, the more you can win — and if you’re concerned about those bracket sharks, you don’t need to win your entire bracket to win prizes.Evo Merchandise Discounts For Visa Cardholders onsite.

Visa champions the moments that bring fans closer to the passions they love, from gaming, sports and music to fashion and entertainment. Guided by a fan-first approach to partnerships, Visa designs experiences that deepen connection and make participation seamless and accessible for gamers around the world. Through high-impact partnerships like Evo, Visa helps shape cultural moments while enabling effortless, cross-border commerce.

Beginning in 2027, the partnership will also support grassroots growth through community-focused initiatives that reinvest back into the ecosystem, helping emerging players and local tournaments thrive.

“Gaming has become one of the most powerful ways people connect, compete and build community around the world, and our partnership with Evo puts Visa at the center of that experience,” said Frank Cooper III, Chief Marketing Officer at Visa. “Evo represents the passion, inclusivity and global reach that make gaming such a meaningful cultural force today. Together, Visa and Evo will create opportunities that elevate the fan experience, support the global gaming community, and bring participants closer to the action both in-person and online.”

“It’s incredibly exciting to have the Visa brand join the fighting game community in our commitment to deliver unforgettable experiences at our Evo events,” said Stuart Saw, CEO of RTS, who owns and operates Evo. “Our team will help bring Visa into our event in a way that feels natural and offers real value to our competitors and fans globally.”

Evo Las Vegas will feature an expanded 12 titles, with a fresh mix of legendary and emerging games. New in 2026, the six games with the most registered competitors will be featured in the Arena Finals, while the remaining titles will enjoy all the pomp and circumstance on the Showcase Stage. As the largest open tournament in the world, Evo Las Vegas will have a minimum guaranteed prize pool of $500,000 across all titles.

Evo will also feature many fan favorites, including the Evo Museum and the debut of a statue and collectibles exhibit, expanded cosplay contests, Anime Alley, Evo Arcade, and the Evo Showcase with industry-leading panels and keynote speakers. Fans can purchase tickets at https://evo.gg/events/evo2026.

Later this fall, Evo France returns to Europe at the Palais des Expos in Nice, France, on October 9 -11.

About Evo
Established in 2002 The Evolution Championship Series (Evo) represents the fighting game community and largest and longest-running fighting game tournaments. Evo brings together the best of the best from around the world with events in the U.S., Japan, and France (and soon-to-be Singapore in 2027) 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 is owned and operated by RTS.

About Visa
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

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SOURCE The Evolution Championship Series (Evo)

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PUDU D7 Named Honoree in IFA Innovation Awards for Best in IFA Next & Emerging Technologies

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BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pudu Robotics, a global leader in commercial service robotics, today announced that its PUDU D7 Semi-humanoid Intelligent Robot has been named an Honoree in the Best in IFA Next & Emerging Technologies category of the IFA Innovation Awards. The recognition highlights PUDU D7’s ability to combine mobile navigation, dexterous manipulation and intelligent sensing to perform a range of tasks in real-world industrial and commercial environments.

The IFA Innovation Awards recognize outstanding innovations across the global technology landscape. Entries are evaluated by an independent international jury based on criteria including technology and functionality, innovation and originality, and the potential to create tangible value for users and the market. The recognition places PUDU D7 among emerging technologies demonstrating new possibilities for the future of robotics.

From Industrial Operations to Guest Interaction

PUDU D7 is designed for industrial, warehouse, retail and hospitality environments, where it can move through human-oriented spaces and perform tasks that require both mobility and dexterous manipulation.

In industrial and warehouse settings, D7 can handle materials, pick items from shelves, replenish inventory, transport goods between work areas and push carts. With a payload capacity of up to 20 kg (44.1 pounds) and an operating height of up to 2 meters (6.6 feet), it can work with a range of storage systems and materials.

In retail, D7 can support shelf replenishment, item handling and store organization, moving products between storage areas and shelves and helping maintain product displays.

In hotels and hospitality, PUDU D7 can take on the role of an intelligent front-desk host, welcoming guests, preparing and serving coffee, interacting with visitors and providing engaging experiences. Its semi-humanoid form and dual-arm capabilities allow it to combine practical service tasks with natural human-robot interaction, bringing a more personable and engaging presence to the guest experience.

Designed for Adaptable Performance

PUDU D7 combines a dual-arm manipulation system, tactile sensing and a 360-degree perception system to support these applications. Front- and rear-facing LiDAR and other sensors enable navigation around people and obstacles, while tactile sensing provides precise control when handling objects.

The robot also features autonomous battery swapping, allowing it to independently replace its battery and reduce downtime during extended operation.

Together, these capabilities enable D7 to support different tasks across a range of environments without being limited to a single application.

PUDU D7 Makes Its European Debut at IFA

IFA 2026 marks the first time PUDU D7 is being showcased in Europe. At the Pudu Robotics booth, visitors can experience live demonstrations highlighting the robot’s capabilities and its potential for human-robot interaction.

D7 interacts directly with visitors through demonstrations including waving, making heart gestures and picking up objects. These demonstrations showcase the robot’s ability to combine movement, manipulation and interaction in a human-oriented environment.

Advancing the Next Generation of Intelligent Robotics

The IFA Innovation Awards recognition marks another step in Pudu Robotics’ expansion from service delivery, commercial cleaning and industrial delivery into embodied intelligent robotics.

PUDU D7 is part of Pudu Robotics’ broader strategy to develop a portfolio of specialized, semi-humanoid and humanoid robots, building on its capabilities in embodied navigation, manipulation and interaction. This approach enables the company to address a broader range of applications across commercial and industrial environments.

Pudu Robotics will continue working with customers and partners worldwide to explore new applications for embodied intelligence and bring increasingly capable robots into real-world environments.

About Pudu Robotics

Pudu Robotics is a global leader in commercial service robotics and the industry’s first company to offer a full portfolio spanning specialized, semi-humanoid, and humanoid robots. According to Frost & Sullivan’s latest market report, Pudu Robotics ranks No. 1 globally in commercial service robotics by both revenue and shipment volume. Built on its One Brain, Multiple Embodiments architecture, Pudu offers robots for service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery, and general embodied AI applications across hospitality, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, education, public services, and more. To date, Pudu Robotics has shipped over 130,000 robots to customers across 85+ countries and regions.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pudu-d7-named-honoree-in-ifa-innovation-awards-for-best-in-ifa-next–emerging-technologies-302870806.html

SOURCE Pudu Robotics

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Asia-Pacific Media Forum held in China’s Guangdong

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SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from Xinhuanet: 

The Asia-Pacific Media Forum opened on Saturday in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, with the theme of “Building a Path to Shared Prosperity for the Asia-Pacific Community: Media Consensus and Action.”

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech. Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, attended the forum and delivered a speech.

Participating guests noted that this year marks 2026 APEC “China Year,” during which China will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. They expressed their belief that with support from all sides, the summit will yield fruitful outcomes and elevate Asia-Pacific cooperation to new heights.

Participating guests emphasized that development and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region depend on the active participation of media. The media are expected to share stories of openness and integration, provide comprehensive coverage of the region’s progress and achievements across various fields, and help foster a favorable public opinion environment for the region’s open development.

Participating guests noted that the media should actively promote outcomes of the series of APEC activities, interpret policies and measures of various economies to support scientific and technological innovation, and build regional consensus for innovative development.

They also called for deepening results-oriented cooperation in joint reporting, technological innovation and personnel training, and leveraging media exchanges to carry forward civilizations, spread culture and convey goodwill, so as to enhance mutual understanding and closer bonds among the peoples of the Asia-Pacific.

The forum was co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, Xinhua News Agency and the Guangdong provincial government, and organized by the Shenzhen municipal government.

More than 400 representatives from over 40 countries and regions, as well as UN agencies and international organizations, attended the event. At the opening ceremony, 16 founding organizations from China and abroad jointly formed the Organizing Committee of the Asia-Pacific Media Partnership Program.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/asia-pacific-media-forum-held-in-chinas-guangdong-302870809.html

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ATTACK SHARK Announces Strategic Partnership with Cloud9 Esports’ League of Legends Team

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NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — High-performance gaming peripheral brand ATTACK SHARK today announced a partnership with leading esports organization Cloud9 Esports. Focused on Cloud9’s League of Legends team, the collaboration will showcase professional gaming insights, esports culture, and competitive gear content across digital, social media, and e-commerce channels.

A Championship Legacy in North American Esports

Founded in 2013, Cloud9 Kia has grown into one of North America’s most iconic esports organizations. Originally established through League of Legends, it has built a global reputation through competitive success, including 6 League Championship Series (LCS) titles, 10 World Championship appearances, the 2018 ELEAGUE Major Boston title, the inaugural Overwatch League championship, and a Rocket League World Championship. Cloud9 Kia remains one of North America’s most influential League of Legends teams.

Deep Collaboration: From Pro Scenes to Player Communities

The partnership will center on professional player training, competitive performance, and player-focused content. ATTACK SHARK will equip the Cloud9 League of Legends team with its latest gaming peripherals to support daily training and competitive preparation.

By combining Cloud9’s professional competitive expertise with ATTACK SHARK’s focus on hardware innovation, the partnership aims to explore the increasing demands placed on gaming equipment in high-level esports environments. Trusted by over 10 million players worldwide, ATTACK SHARK translates professional esports insights into accessible, high-performance gaming peripherals for competitive gamers. 

“At Cloud9 Kia, we believe gaming can unlock the best in everyone. ATTACK SHARK is on a mission to make high-performance mice and keyboards accessible to all gamers, and that’s the same idea from two directions. I’m proud to have them alongside Cloud9 Kia, and excited for all of the amazing peripherals this partnership will put into our fan’s hands,” said Jonathan Tran, President of Cloud9.

“Partnering with Cloud9 Kia is a significant milestone for ATTACK SHARK,” said Gavin Cheng, CEO and Co-Founder of ATTACK SHARK. “Their competitive spirit, professionalism, and relentless pursuit of excellence closely align with the values that have guided ATTACK SHARK from the beginning. This collaboration creates an opportunity to learn from professional competition and share those insights with players around the world.”

The partnership represents a deeper investment by ATTACK SHARK in the global esports ecosystem. Together, ATTACK SHARK and Cloud9 Kia will continue creating new experiences for competitive players and gaming communities worldwide.

For more information, visit https://attackshark.com/ or connect with the brand on social media and Discord.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/attack-shark-announces-strategic-partnership-with-cloud9-esports-league-of-legends-team-302870799.html

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