Nintendo partners with PlayVS to make Smash Bros. Ultimate, Splatoon 2, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe officially recognized varsity athletics at participating high schools

Nintendo today announced a new partnership with PlayVS that will make Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Splatoon 2 officially recognized varsity athletics at participating high schools. Both titles will be added to the official PlayVS lineup for the Fall 2021 High School season, allowing teams around the country to compete against each other in online matches. The season begins on September 20.

Also worth noting is that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will be joining the action as well. That game will join the PlayVS roster for the Spring 2022 High School season early next year.

Here’s some additional information about the partnership:

Through this partnership with Nintendo and PlayVS’s exclusive partnership with state and national high school athletic associations, high school players can now compete in officially sanctioned high school Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe matches. Additionally, PlayVS and Nintendo will provide a Nintendo Switch system to hundreds of select qualifying schools that compete in a PlayVS Nintendo title league this 2021-2022 school year. Three thousand select qualifying schools will each receive either the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or Splatoon 2 game and a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online individual membership. Qualification details will be shared at a later date.

Schools can check with their respective state athletic associations to see which games will be available for their state leagues this fall. High school coaches interested in having their teams join the next season of varsity gaming competitions can join the waitlist and find more information at https://www.playvs.com/news/nintendo-games-are-here.

“We know there are many Nintendo fans with incredible gaming talent who are looking for more ways to explore competitive play and participate in tournaments,” said Bill Trinen, Nintendo of America’s Senior Director of Product Marketing. “Working with a community-focused organization like PlayVS is an important next step as Nintendo expands our support for competitive play and helps more players explore gaming in a competitive space. High school students from all around the country will be able to put their skills to the test in Nintendo Switch games in a competitive setting – and hopefully make some awesome memories along the way.”

“Partnering with Nintendo and offering our players a selection of titles from its legendary roster of games is something I’ve wanted to do since I started PlayVS,” said Delane Parnell, Founder and CEO of PlayVS. “It’s a privilege to work alongside such an iconic company like Nintendo. We take great pride in being able to offer competitive Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to our community. This partnership ensures that high school students now have an official path to competitive play for these immensely popular games.”

Source: Nintendo PR