Nintendo continues to close Super Smash Bros. tournaments around the world. They just closed down PlayVS’ multiple Collegiate Tournaments. After Nintendo’s latest rampage, #FreeUltimate has resurfaced by fans demanding that Nintendo allows tournaments for players over 18.
#FreeUltimate is not the first hashtag campaign hoping to bring more eSports to the Smash Bros. community. It started with #FreeMelee after Nintendo cracked down on tournaments following abuse allegations and modded games. The game was modified to allow the players to play online against each other. Modding games is common in eSports to make the tournament possible. NES’ Tetris is changed to allow for multiplayer while games like Overwatch and Fortnite are played in a vacuum version of the game. Nintendo appears to really just want full control over their eSports.
PlayVS hosts many smaller tournaments spanning multiple games. As eSports grows, these indy competitions become the entry-level for new competitors. They announced on Twitter the closure of all Smash Bros. activities. They explained Nintendo has not issued a Cease and Desist but had a “conversation” with them. You can follow PlayVS on twitter here and keep up to date on their latest events.
Join us on the next podcast when we discuss the state of Indy eSports tournaments. They are being targeted by big companies but is that fair?
Sources: ScreenRant, Polygon
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