Nintendohas had something of a checkered history with esports. Towards the end of last year, it issued acease-and-desist order to the organizers of aSuper Smash Bros.tournamentfor using a third-party matchmaking mod, and its notoriously trigger-happy approach to litigation has been the bane of many a tournament and livestream. However, the company appears to be trying to make amends to some degree by joining forces with PlayVS, a platform that helps create amateur esports teams around the country.
Starting as a high school esports platform in 2018, PlayVS has since expanded both its roster of games and the scope of its work, branching into colleges and youth groups. The company offers state and national leagues for a variety of games, includingFortnite,Rocket League,andFIFA 21, and will soon offer bothSplatoon 2andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateat a high-school varsity level, withMario Kart 8 Deluxejoining the platform next year.
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The partnership between Nintendo and PlayVS was announced via Twitter earlier today.Super Smash Bros. UltimateandSplatoon 2are set to join high school leagues this fall, starting on September 20th, whileMario Kart 8 Deluxewill be included from Spring 2022. The partnership is more than just marketing, too: as part of it, PlayVS will be able to provide Nintendo Switch systems to hundreds of qualifying schools, and copies of the games and Switch Online memberships to thousands more.
This is undoubtedly a huge get for PlayVS, which also joined forceswith Blizzard last year to bringOverwatchto its roster of games.Smash Bros.andSplatoonare two highly-valued competitive games, and being able to broaden the games' esports credentials with varsity leagues with Nintendo’s official blessing and support is not to be sniffed at. It’s especially important considering the company’s previous iron-fisted treatment not just ofSmash Bros., butSplatoon 2as well.
It could be that Nintendo is endeavoring to make a more official transition into the world of esports by getting in on the proverbial ground floor.With Sony’s recent purchase of EVO, it’s possible that Nintendo is looking to similarly position itself as a contender in the esports sphere, using its work with PlayVS as a jumping-off point. In a press release, Nintendo’s senior marketing manager Bill Trinen was keen to emphasize the initiative as a “first next step” in the company’s approach to its competitive player base, which certainly suggests that there’s more to come.
Whatever the reasons, the bottom line is that high school students can now officially apply to playSmash Bros.andSplatoonat a varsity level, with more titles possibly to come in the following years. That alone should bring a smile to the face of those who have spent plenty of time and energytrying to get esports recognized as sports.
