Nintendo has recently introduced a set of strict guidelines for smaller-scale competitive tournaments. These guidelines specify what is allowed, including limitations on participant numbers and ticket prices. Organizers are required to obtain an official license from Nintendo once they exceed these thresholds.
The newly released Community Tournament Guidelines were initially published by Nintendo of Japan and have now been adapted for Nintendo of Europe’s website. According to these guidelines, tournaments can continue without a license until November 15th this year if they are “small-scale and not for commercial profit”.
Specifically, these limited community tournaments cannot have more than 200 in-person participants per day, and up to 300 participants per day for online tournaments. Money raised through spectator tickets and entry fees must not exceed the costs of organizing the tournament and providing prize money. The maximum limits for spectator tickets and entry fees are £18/€20 and £14/€15 per person, respectively. However, prize money, which is capped at £4,500/€5,000, cannot be generated from ticket sales.
These are just a few examples of the many restrictions imposed by Nintendo. Food and drink sales are explicitly prohibited at venues with spectators. Tournaments are not allowed to use the name of a Nintendo game in their title, although it is permitted in accompanying event descriptions. Additionally, schools can only host a license-free community tournament if it is not open to the public and involves no more than two schools.
The accompanying FAQ provides further details and restrictions, which may not inspire confidence in tournament organizers. Nintendo has had a strained relationship with the competitive tournament scene, as demonstrated by the fallout with the organizers of the popular but unlicensed Smash World Tour last year.
The Smash World Tour’s 2022 Championships were canceled after Nintendo allegedly communicated with the organizers the night before Thanksgiving. However, Nintendo denied these claims, stating that it had only expressed concerns about the impact on players but had not required the cancellation. Nevertheless, Nintendo confirmed that it would not grant a license for the Smash World Tour’s 2022 or 2023 activities, resulting in the cancellation of the Championships.
