Nintendo announces upcoming tournaments for Smash Bros. Ultimate, Splatoon 2
Nintendo has announced a pair of new tournaments: the Splatoon 2 North America Inkling Open 2019 and the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate North America Open 2019. Open qualifiers will be held online, leading to a final event at PAX East at the end of March. Nintendo will be live streaming the finals for each online event.
We’ve included the full schedule below. That also includes the official announcement from Nintendo and a promotional video.
REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 22, 2019 – Have you always wanted to participate in a video game tournament? Nintendo has two upcoming tournaments for you! Starting in February, Nintendo is hosting a series of online qualifying events for the Splatoon 2 North America Inkling Open 2019 and the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate North America Open 2019 – two tournaments for two competitive Nintendo Switch games. These open qualifiers lead up to a final event at the PAX East video game conference in Boston on March 30. There are multiple ways to play and participate… and players of all experience levels are welcome. You can check out the announcement video here for more details about these exciting events.
“This inclusive pair of tournaments is a great way for anyone to show off their skills while playing two of their favorite Nintendo Switch games,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Nintendo games are for everyone, and offer a unique combination of social competitive fun. That’s why we’re opening the qualifying rounds to fans of all skill levels.”
The schedule for the online qualifying events for both the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate North America Open 2019 and Splatoon 2 North America Inkling Open 2019 tournaments are below. For the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate North America Open 2019, players will have the chance to qualify in one of four regions across North America. Three individual rounds of qualifying online events will give players three separate chances to represent their region at PAX East.
Nintendo Switch Game Region* Online Event DateAll times are approximate Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Northeast Region Online Event 1 Qualifiers Feb. 2, 9 a.m. PT Finals Feb. 9, 9 a.m. PT Online Event 2 Qualifiers Feb. 16, 9 a.m. PT Finals March 2, 11 a.m. PT Online Event 3 Qualifiers March 9, 9 a.m. PT Finals March 16, 9 a.m. PT Southeast Region Online Event 1 Qualifiers Feb. 2, 10 a.m. PT Finals Feb. 9, 9 a.m. PT Online Event 2 Qualifiers Feb. 16, 10 a.m. PT Finals March 2, 11 a.m. PT Online Event 3 Qualifiers March 9, 10 a.m. PT Finals March 16, 9 a.m. PT Southwest Region Online Event 1 Qualifiers Feb. 2, 11 a.m. PT Finals Feb. 9, 9 a.m. PT Online Event 2 Qualifiers Feb. 16, 11 a.m. PT Finals March 2, 11 a.m. PT Online Event 3 Qualifiers March 9, 11 a.m. PT Finals March 16, 9 a.m. PT NorthwestRegion Online Event 1 Qualifiers Feb. 2, 12 p.m. PT Finals Feb. 9, 9 a.m. PT Online Event 2 Qualifiers Feb. 16, 12 p.m. PT Finals March 2, 11 a.m. PT Online Event 3 Qualifiers March 9, 12 p.m. PT Finals March 16, 9 a.m. PT
Nintendo Switch Game Online Event DateAll times are approximate Splatoon 2 Ink Pools Feb. 10, 9 a.m. PT Online Qualifier Finals March 2, 9 a.m. PT*Each region has a cap of 2,048 check-in players for each qualifier, for a total of 8,192 players per qualifier series across the four regions of play.
More details about how to enter the online qualifier events can be found at https://www.nintendo.com/switch/events/.
If you just want to watch, the finals for each online event will be livestreamed, so you can follow your favorites as they compete for a chance to attend the final event, or cheer on newcomers when they shock more experienced players with stunning upsets.
Smash—or splat—your way to victory in two new tournaments! Join online battles in #SmashBrosUltimate or #Splatoon2 for a shot at the Final Event! Jump into the action for yourself beginning 2/2! #NintendoNAO19https://t.co/itRSVsz5f9 pic.twitter.com/oA9YhsWPva
— Nintendo Versus (@NintendoVS) January 22, 2019
Source: Nintendo PR