Nintendo Stunts Super Smash Bros. Once Again

By Ruben Oesterling

Weeks before the finals, Nintendo canceled the Smash World Tour. All run by a third-party, Video Game Boot Camp, the event had the green lights all year. According to the tour’s team, there were over 300,000 entrants this year. It made this the biggest esports tour ever with a cash prize over $250,000. They could’ve made history.

Instead, the lights turned off, doors sealed, and the curtains closed. This tour was scrapped without any warnings. Why? Video Game Boot Camp wasn’t licensed through Nintendo. They claimed they submitted a license application earlier this year, but nothing happened. 

A statement by Nintendo came out and explained the situation. 

“Any partner that we grant a license to has to meet the high standards we require when it comes to the health and safety of our fans. It’s also important that a partner adheres to brand and IP guidelines and conducts itself according to professional and organizational best practices. We use this same approach to independently assess all partners. If we discover that a partner is doing something inappropriate, we will work to correct it.”

So, what was Video Game Boot Camp doing wrong? The statement didn’t dive any deeper into their concerns. They left it at that and fans are left in confusion. What really happened between the third-party and Nintendo?  We may never know.