Nintendo made major moves in their Direct presentation two weeks ago, when they concluded day filled with announcements by revealing a Super Smash Bros. title for Switch, coming sometime in 2018. With their base as energized as ever, Nintendo is looking to keep the hype train rolling at E3 2018. From June 12-14, they will be hosting a new iteration of the Super Smash Bros. Invitational, as well as the Splatoon 2 World Championship.
This year will mark the second time that Nintendo has hosted a Smash Bros. Invitational. Back in June of 2014, the event was held to promote the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for WiiU, and was the first time that the title was shown to the general public. Featuring iconic players and community figures as Hungrybox, ZeRo, PPMD, D1, Prog, Scar, and Toph, it was a who’s who of Smash Bros. royalty, but fans are likely more concerned with exactly which game they will be seeing. The community is currently divided on whether this new Switch iteration is a new game or a remixed port of Smash for WiiU, and it appears we have a definitive date for when that burning question will be answered (potentially adding fuel to the fire: the fact that the E3 2018 website lists this mysterious Smash title as RP, or Rating Pending, instead of having the same rating as its predecessor).
Also coming to E3 2018 is the Splatoon 2 World Championship. The tournament will feature teams that have won or will eventually win one of the four qualifying tournaments in Japan, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, or the US/Canada, whose Splatoon 2 Inkling Open 2018 takes place on the eve of E3, June 11-12. This will be the first time Nintendo hosts a Splatoon World Championship, though the original did make it into the 2017 Nintendo World Championships—alluded to by similarities in the logos for the two events.
The Switch is the most popular console on the planet, and with esports on the rise, this could be the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to establish themselves in the blossoming industry. People will play Smash competitively whether Nintendo is involved—just look at the lifespan that Melee has had—but with their help, it could become one of the top esports in the world.