It isn't entirely uncommon for players and game developers/publishers to butt heads from time to time, especially when fans of a prominent series are disappointed by huge releases. However, when a giant developer like Nintendo treats the esports scenes of some of its most popular and competitive titles like Splatoon 2 and Super Smash Bros. Melee poorly, fans take notice.
This is exactly what happened during the Splatoon 2 North American Open December 2020, when Nintendo canceled the stream of the Finals for the tournament due to player protests. As a result, fans of the developer have begun throwing a massive wave of backlash back at Nintendo, calling out the company for not only failing to support a popular competitive scene, but also actively attempting to shut it down.
The recent cancellation starts with a Cease and Desist order issued to Super Smash Bros. event organizer Big House on November 19th, shutting down a planned tournament due to the use of a program called Slippi. This order was issued because Slippi runs via a ROM as opposed to an official copy of the game, which puts the program's use to play Super Smash Bros. Melee online for the tournament in a grey area. Fans of the Super Smash series initially began voicing their displeasure for the decision, using "#FreeMelee" as a rallying cry against Nintendo's treatment of the IP.
These divisive decisions by Nintendo have now led a number of fans to continue the #FreeMelee backlash on the company's announcements regarding the upcoming Splatoon 2 event. This has turned into multiple teams and players registering with names that are in support of both the Slippi program and the Super Smash Bros. competitive scene. Now Nintendo has announced that the livestream of the Finals will be canceled, bringing fans of both Splatoon and Super Smash together to heighten the backlash against the developer for the lack of support of third-party organizers and developers.
It's a fine line that Nintendo has been forced to walk here, as the company wants to protect its IP from pirates and cheaters, choosing to take a no-tolerance stance on any third party involvement. As a result, players lash out about how far this no-tolerance policy goes from canceling this Splatoon 2 event, to shut down third party Super Smash Bros. tournaments. This is a drastic opposition to many other major developers, like Bethesda and Mojang that have managed to stay in the good graces of many fans by supporting their modding communities.
Splatoon 2 is available now for Switch.