Olivia Richman is a seasoned esports journalist who has worked with Inven Global, Esports Illustrated, Esports.gg, and more. As an editor and writer at Esports Insider, she loves telling unique esports stories, especially within the FGC. When not working and gaming, Olivia loves collecting Kirby plush, eating sushi, and driving her cars at the track.
One of the most devastating things to ever happen to the Super Smash Bros. community was the time Nintendo pulled Smash games from Evo .
Evo used to be one of the largest showcases of Smash's talented, gritty, and passionate esports scene. Pros crying on stage after they won, Smash players boo'ing during the Wii U Grand Finals due to a boring Bayonetta mirror match, leading to those players purposefully not playing and just stalling and taunting… Those are some of the most memorable moments in Evo history.
The Smash scene often struggles to secure a prize pool worth more than the cost of the flight to the tourney, so it can seem like a huge loss that it no longer has a spot at Evo. But I believe it's for the best, and may even strengthen the Smash scene.
Keep Reading Perfect, expensive broadcasts are ruining the magic of esports (I miss the Overwatch League) “EWC isn’t about prestige, it’s about value”: Arslan Ash on too many Evo's, getting more W's ahead of retirement, and being alone at the top Smash removed from Evo: a curse and a blessing The Smash esports community collectively lost its mind when it was announced that it would no longer be in the Evo lineup as of 2022.
The news was dropped on X (formerly Twitter) by tournament officials, who explained that this was due to the formerly independent series being acquired by Sony. Nintendo found this to be some conflict somehow, and demanded its games be removed.
Previously, Evo had one of the largest Smash tourneys in the country. The prize pool was more than $100,000. It was definitely the culmination of all the pros’ hard work after grinding up the rankings at majors across the country. Nintendo’s decision to pull Smash from Evo was a massive blow.
At the time, Nintendo was also partnering with Panda Global to make its own official Smash circuit. That would have been the first time Nintendo was involved in the Smash esports scene, meaning it’d be the first time there was any support. This obviously fell through.
While it’s possible Nintendo pulled out due to Sony, or because it was planning its own circuit (which had no information at the time), the reality is that Nintendo was probably seething about Smash being at Evo anyway. The company has been against Smash esports for decades, actively attempting to shut down tournaments, sending cease-and-desist letters to online tourneys and LAN events, banning the sale of Nintendo IP-inspired merch, and barring tournaments from hosting side events for Project M.
Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma has publicly declared “f*** Nintendo” at award shows, voicing the community’s outrage over the lack of support. There’s also a Nintendo diss track from Kashan “Chillindude” Khan. But no matter how many times Nintendo has attempted to disrupt the esports scene, the pros have persisted.
But here’s the thing: persistence, perseverance, saltiness, and determination are what make the Smash scene unique. I don’t think there’s really a place for it at Evo any…