Nintendo Angers Fans, Players After Canceling Tournament

Video game company Nintendo has angered fans, players and organizers alike for canceling the Smash World Tour on Tuesday without an explanation.

The Smash World Tour is one of the biggest tournaments in the e-sports community and was started in 2020 by Video Game Boot Camp. The tournament gained traction after operating mainly online during the COVID lockdown, which led to a global following.

It boasts more than $250,000 in prizes for winners and has $350,000 in prizes for the 2023 competition. The tournament runs from March to December, with the championships and last-chance qualifiers running in the first week of December.

The cancellation was announced by Smash World Tour organizers through an open letter on Medium detailing all the interactions with Nintendo leading up to the cancellation. The organizers wrote that the cancellation came "without warning" and asked that "Nintendo reconsiders how it is currently proceeding with their relationship with the Smash community, as well as its partners."

The in-person championships had been scheduled to start on Dec. 9 in San Antonio. Full refunds are being offered to players by the tournament organizers as Twitter users turn out in support of the Smash World Tour.

A list has grown on Twitter of pro players, commentators and tournament organizers who are not only publicly denouncing the decision but boycotting all Nintendo and Panda Global events. The move comes after allegations that Nintendo's 2021 partnership with Panda events led to the cancellation of the Smash World Tour.

Panda Global and Nintendo have not released an official comment.