People began criticizing Nintendo and Panda for this shortly after the news broke, and now, nearly three days later, we have an official response from both companies. Nintendo told IGN that the company’s decision was based purely on its examination of the SWT’s unlicensed activity and the suggestions it received from within the company (implying that Panda had nothing to do with it). They said that “Any partner that we grant a license to has to meet the high standards we require when it comes to the health and safety of our fans.” Moreover, Nintendo claims that it gave advance notice to the event organizers that the license would be revoked, so the decision was not made at the last minute. When asked about the 2023 circuit, Nintendo said it was unable to reach an agreement with SWT but also didn’t insist that the Finals be canceled “considering the negative impact on the players who were already planning to participate.” Following Nintendo’s statement, Panda Global also addressed the situation, saying that the company was as shocked by the news as everyone else and was surprised by the way in which Video Game Boot Camp had insulted the ethics and hard work of the people behind the Panda Cup. It restated Nintendo’s previous statements that Video Game Boot Camp was not obligated to cancel this year’s competition and made it clear that any allegation that the Panda Cup team had any involvement (in the alleged cancellation of the event) is baseless. Video Game Boot Camp made the independent decision to cancel the Smash World Tour, according to Nintendo and Panda Global. The latest turn of events was intriguing, especially in light of the event organisers’ portrayal of both companies; however, only time will tell how things actually play out and how people react. Until then, feel free to share your thoughts on this new turn of events below.
