Nintendo has confirmed that it will be hosting both the Splatoon 2 World Championship 2018, and Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018, in an E3-related event in Los Angeles, CA on 11th - 12th June.
This will be the first exhibition tournament featuring the recently announced Super Smash Bros. game coming to Switch in 2018, and suggests that the game may well be making its first grand appearance during the event. This is an invitational competition, with an undisclosed number of the game's best players set to be invited by Nintendo.
The Splatoon 2 World Championship will feature four top teams, each of which will qualify for the event from Japan, Europe, U.S./Canada, and Australia/New Zealand. Prior to this Championship, Nintendo will host U.S./Canada online qualifiers which will allow teams of four, ages 13 and up, to try and earn their place in the grand finals. These qualifiers will take place on 21st April starting at 11am PT, and finals will take place on 28th April at 8am PT. If you're interested, you can find out more here.
Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, has said the following:
“Nintendo always takes an original approach to video game competitions, and the portability of Nintendo Switch enables unique gameplay possibilities. We’re looking forward to watching some of the best players in the world test their skills against each other in these two uniquely competitive games.”
The competitions will be live-streamed, allowing viewers at home to soak up all of the action, and there is no doubt that some ridiculously high levels of play will be on show.
Are you ready to see Super Smash Bros. at E3? The countdown begins.
Comments 60
As much new info as I can cram into my face as soon as possible please and thank you.
I hope we get some sort of trailer or something too.
EDIT: Wait, so how is this supposed to work? Players bring their own Switches to play Splatoon 2 but are Nintendo providing switches with Smash already up and running?
Nooooooo!!!! I've been waiting for this moment since I got hooked on Splatoon. OF COURSE it takes place during the only week of the year I'm flying out of the US. Guh!!
Smash for Switch is a new game confirmed, it seems.
@ThatNyteDaez Maybe Nintendo will provide some cartridges with a demo on them for Smash
This is the most hyped I've been for a game since Zelda BOTW.
Roll on June.
Interestingly the Smash tournament is before the main Nintendo E3 event so I wonder if this tournament will be the gameplay debut.
This pretty much guarantees Smash getting more information at E3.
I actually found Nintendo's tournaments they held at E3 last year to be pretty interesting so I'm looking forward to that too!
Splatoon is so fun, I usually use long range. However, recently I have been using ink brush with mines combined with ninja/speed gear. And I love it, can ink a whole area set some mines and go ink some more, but if I see in Co ING go back and BOOM INK SPLAT
This hopefully means we will be getting at least a tiny bit more info on Smash in the next month or so. It could be any day now!
All I saw was new stages but same characters , new smash ?
Showed nothing of the new smash, if you read the bottom of the video it says shots from Wii U version.
If they're already showing it off at E3 does that hint at it being a port rather than a new version?
I think this means we'll at least get some viable information about Smash Bros before E3. Unless they really just want to show it off properly very shortly before the actual tournament, which I think would be weird.
@Dev The events are on monday and tuesday, I can guarantee you that Splatoon will be monday en Smash Bros tuesday after the E3 direct in the morning (which is the same as it was in 2014).
Port confirmed? Or at least a confirmation that Smash is using the Wii U game as a base and just adding to it. Seems like quite a fast turnaround time for a Smash game.
@KlevaDaGreat It says at the bottom of the screen :
"Game footage from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U."
I guess you played the 3DS version, if you think those are new stages.
@AlphaElite Keep in mind Sakurai did kid Icarus between brawl and 4. Melee also only came out 2 years after the first one
Pretty sure it's going to be a Wii U port, like 50% of Switch's catalogue right now.
The hype is real!!
E3 2018 will be Win by Nintendo.
Done!
Is this the earliest anyone has ever won E3?
Well who didn't see this coming, honestly?
@AlphaElite
The previous Smash Bros is from 2014, that is already 4 years ago. Plus how crazy it may sound to some people, in game development you don't make an unique engine per game. If this Smash Bros uses the same engine (which it most problaby will), it speeds up the development. However, it doesn't make it automatically a port. They could tweak the gameplay, make new stages, new fighters, new items etc.
Seems odd to me that Nintendo would have a smash switch tournament when the game isn’t out. Is it possible it’ll release during or just followings E3? I was prepared for a September release during their paid service, but maybe they have a different trick up their sleeve with that online service...
To me, this info just continues my belief that Nintendo's PR department has had a MAJOR shakeup and turn around since the WiiU days. From commercials to tournaments to Directs...everything seems to be placed much better and with WAY more thought than was put into the WiiU era advertising. Nintendo is REALLY swinging for the fences with the Switch... This year's E3 is something I am VERY much looking forward to (and continuing last years trend taking vacation time for to plop down in front of my laptop/TV for 3 or 4 days to take it all in).
: -) The guy's name is Bowser and he works for Nintendo... how cool is that ?
Only about 2 months left until we find out whether or not smash for switch is a new game or a port
Hmmm....a lot of effort to go to for a mere port
@AlphaElite By E3 it will be 3 year and 9 months since Smash Wii U launched and 2 years and 4 months since the last DLC released. I doubt they had the whole team working on the DLC so work on the next entry will have started not long after Smash for Wii U/3DS was finished. That's an awfully long time to be only working on a port.
@rr_sqrl I feel sorry for those who went to the same interview as Doug Bowser. They never stood a chance.
To anyone suggesting that this is a port based on this. All they showed for the invitational is stock footage.
@AlphaElite Additionally, evidence of the sequel being under development was datamined from the last few patches of Smash 4, even before the last DLC came out. Considering Smash 4 was developed by Bandai Namco first porting Brawl and them building on that, I wouldn't be surprised that it went the same way again.
Wonder if this means we'll see Smash before E3 then
A playable demo by then would be awesome. Fingers crossed.
And suddenly Smash on Switch releasing before the year is out is a very real possibility. O_o This guarantees that more information will be divulged during (or even before) E3.
@RazumikhinPG If you're pretty sure it's going to be a Wii U port, do you mind giving me tomorrow's lottery numbers, please?
Surely we'll see Smash Bros Switch before E3...
I don't care if it's a port or a successor, I hope some of my mains from Smash 4 are in it.
@RazumikhinPG 50% of the Switch library is a little exaggerated.
Also, when the hell were ports EVER a problem?
@HatosBlack I intentionally exaggerated because there's quite a lot of Wii U ports. I wasn't trying to be accurate. Also I didn't say ports were a problem.
@Cosats What's your problem?
News I like to call is "SMASHING"
@OorWullie Jokes about his name aside, Doug Bowser was going to help me with a marketing project (via a phone interview) when I was getting my MBA. We ended up not being able to, but his willingness to help was cool. He seems like a pretty good guy!
Yep...Smash must be very far along and Nintendo's wanting to own this E3 with it, probably online service announcements piggybacking off of this. Any trailers for Pokemon or Metroid and it's lights out for the competition.
@Whalehome
Nintendo did a Smash Invitational at E3 2014, a few months ahead of the October/November releases.
Nifty, and cool! Smashing! The thing is, does Nintendo have enough new, & current material, from its respective franchises, for a new Smash? I've mentioned this before. Off the top of my head, the Super Mario Bros., Zelda, Metroid, & Pikmin series are covered by new games, since the last Smash's release. I think Fire Emblem, & Pokemon, too.
Edit: 80 days not counting today, or target date(Break The Targets! ; sorry, I couldn't resist that!)
@RazumikhinPG there are 8. A little less than half.
@HatosBlack Slightly more if you add other console ports.
In any case, 8 wii u ports in the first year of the console... I'd say that's quite a lot. I'm not complaining, I'm ok with port. Was just trying to explain my reasoning behind this Smash being a port rather than a new game.
@ThatNyteDaez I would imagine they would send invites to the top well known players of Smash 4. It should promote the tournament scene when you upload interviews with them to ask them their thoughts on Smash on Switch and characters like the Squid Kids.
Hell, maybe Sakurai will be there so he can ask them feedback like character movesets, how the game should feel, what characters they'd love to see, etc.
Looking forward to it! It'll be some great entertainment while waiting in those ridiculously long lines, just like last year.
First i want Nintendo to build up the hype train before E3.
Characters introduction (maybe new designs) story mode trailer (not to much, just a reveal that story modebis back) and gameplay.
Well, guess who just won this years E3! Congrats to Nintendo for how they’ve been handling the Switch since it’s release. Surprise announcements are starting to become common.
@Oat yeah. I'm not sure what to think. Maybe a port with new content.
@DarthMarth It will most likely be an Ultimate Edition, with upgraded graphics (increased resolution), extended character roster and some new extra maps.
@Jeronan well i could live with that. If they could improve the single player experience that would be nice too! That weird board game wasn't fun at all.
@IronMan28 Nice one. Was that while he was at EA or after he'd moved to Nintendo?
@jswhitfield8 that wasn't the new smash, that was just them showing off the old smash and how it will be crazy...... the way they did a few years ago for SSB4.
@OorWullie Nintendo. He couldn't do it because of the Switch launch, it was around that time.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...