Only a few days after Smash World Tour (SWT) confirmed that it would be shutting down, canceling the upcoming 2022 championship alongside the 2023 tour, Nintendo has come forward with a statement explaining their decision to not offer SWT a license to host Smash Bros. tournaments.
According to a recent report from IGN, Nintendo claimed that their decision was based on an “assessment of the proposals submitted by the SWT and our evaluation of their unlicensed activities.” The company further stated that in order to be eligible for the license, the partner has to “meet the high standards we require when it comes to the health and safety of our fans.”
“This decision was not influenced by any external parties such as Panda Global,” the statement reads.
Panda Global will remain a partner with Nintendo, but the company said that they were looking forward to receiving proposals from other groups for tournament licenses.
In their statement, Nintendo mentioned that they verbally let SWT know that they didn’t need to cancel the 2022 finals due to the drastic impact it may have on players. “Thus, the decision to cancel the SWT 2022 was, and still is, their own choice,” they added.
The SWT organizers have confirmed that they’ll be offering full refunds to the people who have purchased tickets for the event, which has since been canceled.
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