Nintendo Pulls The Plug On Smash World Tour And Panda Esports
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The Super Smash Bros. esports scene just took a massive hit from Nintendo. After years of operating with support from the fanbase, the organizers of Smash World Tour announced Nintendo would not let them continue hosting the events.
The decision was made “without any warning” from Nintendo and left the upcoming Smash World Tour finals in a very rough spot. With several players planning to participate and sponsors working alongside the organizers to create, once again, a quality event for all involved.
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The organizers of SWT had previously met with Nintendo and apparently, there was progress from both parties to reach a full-licensed partnership.
Nintendo partnered with Panda Global in 2021 to create the “Panda Cup” as an official Super Smash Bros. tournament licensed (and supervised) by Nintendo. Despite the announcement last year, SWT was still allowed to host their events and continued to apply for a license in 2022.
The statement from Nintendo claims they “were unable to come to an agreement with SWT for a circuit in 2023”. They reportedly did not request the cancellation of the 2022 finals, however, the organizers of SWT state Nintendo told them those “times were over” referring to the times they operated without an official Nintendo license.
Now the SWT is looking to mitigate damages and reduce financial losses as the tournament has been canceled and the future of the championship is practically over.
According to Nintendo, they will continue to offer licenses for other tournaments while keeping Panda as their main partner. This opens up a little chance for the SWT to return in the future. However, there is little to expect from the championship this year.
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Source(s): Kotaku
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