Earlier today, the official Twitter account of the Genesis series announced that the 2020 edition of its tournament will have Nintendo of America as an official sponsor. This is a major step for the Super Smash Bros. community and the broader fighting game community, as Nintendo has previously been largely consistent in its refusal to participate in anything that smacked of esports. One major exception is that Nintendo Versus, a different arm of the company, had already partnered with Genesis, as we previously reported. The involvement of Nintendo of America represents a confirmation of that original commitment and a strengthening of the ties between Nintendo and the Smash community.
That said, it’s unclear whether or not this news signals a shift in attitudes at the Nintendo home office in Japan. After all, it was just a few days ago when we learned that the grand prize for Smash Ultimate at Evolution Japan would be a controller. Still, this is a step in the right direction, and it comes just in time, as Genesis 7 begins this Friday.
You can see the original tweet below. We’ll continue reporting on this story as more information is made available.
We’re proud to announce that GENESIS 7 is officially partnered with @NintendoAmerica!
We look forward to another 5 years of success and growth https://t.co/q4gOpmXPjzhttps://t.co/DbP51MuOZq pic.twitter.com/IUmlhKAH5l
— Genesis 7 @ #G7 (@Genesis_Smash) January 22, 2020
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