PlayVS and Splatoon 2 to high schools as varsity athletics. The games are set to begin their inaugural season on September 20, 2021. This will be Nintendo's first foray into high school esports.
Both Splatoon and #FreeMelee and #FreeSplatoon trends made both games' futures as potential esports uncertain at best.
A new partnership Rocket League. At this time, Smash Bros. Ultimate and Splatoon 2 will only be available to high schools, but it is possible that college leagues will be added in the future.
On the official website for the partnership, Nintendo Switch Online, and more information will apparently be revealed in the future.
The website also implies that league matches will be held both in-person and online. While this makes sense, particularly considering the risks imposed by COVID-19, it may lead to issues in the future. Nintendo Switch Online is infamously unreliable and laggy, with local play being the preferred way to play by professionals. It is possible that Nintendo will improve its online functionality in the future to accommodate the influx of esports players, but that's not guaranteed. Additionally, limiting the program to only high schools is also odd, as a great deal of hardcore Super Smash Bros. and Splatoon players are college-aged or older.
Nintendo has long had a rocky relationship with esports. Recent years have seen more attempts to bridge the gap between Mario Kart or ARMS might sound outlandish, but they could be the next step in this partnership if Nintendo allows it to flourish.
Source: Nintendo of America/Twitter, PlayVS
