Super Smash Bros has stuck around as one of the best fighting games for competitive play. That’s even without too much active support from Nintendo. From time to time though, the developer does get involved in esports and inevitably it turns into bad news for players and viewers all the same. This time, they’ve revised their official Smash Bros tournament guidelines. They’re considerably harsher.

These new Smash Bros tournament guidelines definitely put a damper on competitive events. However, some TOs are already adding reassuring words about their Majors going ahead anyway. What are the changes with the new guidelines and how’s it going to affect things?

Source: Nintendo

Super Smash Bros Tournament Guidelines

Nintendo has rarely been a supportive part of fighting game esports for Smash. However, despite their efforts, a grassroots community has built a competitive scene that puts most fighting games to shame. Nintendo has occasionally gotten involved, and for third-party community tournaments, they have some new restrictions. These are some of the new Smash Bros tournament guidelines that Nintendo’s added:

Limit on 200 sign ups
Entry fee limit of £18
Cash prize must be below £4,500
Need permission to monetise videos
No sponsorships
No Melee

As is probably obvious, this isn’t a great change for smaller tournament organizers.

Can Smash Tournaments Still Run?

Despite the new Smash Bros tournament guidelines, some tournament organizers have been clear that it won’t affect them. Some of the larger tournaments like Genesis already operate with a license for Nintendo, so don’t fall under community tournaments. What does this mean for locals and more grassroots-level events? It’s going to cause major problems, especially for Melee. It might make it close to impossible to run a profitable tournament, which is already difficult.

TOs will find a way though. Melee events have had similar treatment from Nintendo in the past including the Panda-debacle. Ultimately Smash as an esports has grown to such a big place not from Nintendo fostering events sticking up prize pools like you’ll see in the Capcom Cup. It’s done that through passionate players competing and playing despite restrictions

Long-time players like Mang0 have already popped up in viral clips, describing the Melee community as the “cockroaches of esports”. It’s an apt description in a lot of ways, Nintendo’s efforts to shut down certain parts of competitive Smash haven’t been successful in the past. They probably won’t be this time either.

Another danger is how much threats from a major developer like Nintendo will scare away sponsors and other sources of income for players. This is definitely going to take its toll. The situation for anyone hoping to be a full-time Smash player is already pretty perilous, with changes like these Nintendo makes things harder and harder.