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The Smash World Tour has been announced this last weekend and will create a year-long series of tournaments throughout the world for both Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. After more than 15 years of competition, we now have a much-needed global tournament circuit.
Specifics about the circuit: Players will be ranked based on how well they perform at specific tournaments. The final tournament will take place with the top 31 players that qualify and they’ll be competing for a $250,000 prize pool. Prior to the finals, a Last Chance Qualifier open tournament will take place to round out the bracket to 32 competitors.
Nintendo nowhere to be seen: The structure of this circuit is similar to most major fighting games. However, the major difference here is that the game developer (Nintendo) is not partnering with the tournament. According to the circuit’s official website, “As of now, The Smash World Tour is not associated or affiliated with Nintendo or Nintendo of America – though we hope to team up with them in the future! One of our goals with the Tour is to offer a unified way for Nintendo to directly support the competitive scene.” This is a rather disappointing announcement, though it comes as no surprise that Nintendo continues to ignore the esports world. Twitch and tournament organization platform Smash.gg are currently listed as Smash World Tour’s official partners.
Who knows, maybe they’ll change their tune after they see the turnout created by this circuit.
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