On social media, Ohio gaming tournament and convention Riptide announced there will be no Project+ tournaments at Riptide moving forward. The reason for this centers around Nintendo of America, who reportedly contacted Riptide about the matter.
In the past, Riptide has hosted tournaments for Nintendo titles like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Splatoon 2 and planned to host Smash and Melee tournaments at Riptide 2021.
Riptide didn’t share exactly what Nintendo told them, but we imagine it’s something along the lines of a cease and desist. In addition to this, Riptide stated they’ll be contacting attendees that registered for Project+ events to provide them with additional information and refund requests.
Nintendo Puts an End to Riptide’s Project+ Tournaments
— Riptide (@RiptideSSB) August 27, 2021
The competitive Smash community has lost yet another Smash tournament, this time at Ohio gaming convention Riptide. This isn’t the first time Nintendo has shut down a Smash tournament, and likely won’t be the last either unfortunately.
Back in 2020, The Verge reported on Nintendo shutting down a tournament for using software that makes Melee playable online. The reason why this software was used was because, since March 2020, the world has been struggling with the COVID-19 global pandemic.
And you can look back even further to instances when Nintendo tried to prevent Evo 2013 from streaming Melee, as reported by Destructoid. Essentially, Nintendo has a history of shutting down and in general, making things as difficult as possible for Smash tournaments.
Of course, Smash isn’t the only tournament Riptide had planned as they’ve tweeted about the inclusion of games like Rivals of Aether along with Splatoon 2. It’s unfortunate to hear that the tournaments people were looking forward to participating in or watching will no longer take place.
The silver lining to all of this is, if you were planning to attend Riptide this year, the event is still happening… just without the tournament element. Riptide is set to be held at an indoor waterpark on September 10 through September 12. For more on Riptide, be sure to check out the event’s website.
After hearing that Nintendo reached out to Riptide, causing Riptide to cancel their Project+ tournaments, we’re curious to hear your thoughts? What do you think of the situation with Nintendo and Smash tournaments? What do you think the solution is for people who enjoy the competitive element of Smash?
Let us know on our social media channels including Facebook and Twitter!
Related: PAX West Updates Attendance Policies to Include Proof of Vaccination or Negative COVID Test
