Nintendo’s new Community Tournament Guidelines have come into effect, resulting in the demise of Super Smash Bros. Melee’s largest online event series. The guidelines, which apply to all new tournaments not previously announced for the remainder of 2023, have forced the cancellation of the popular Coinbox series.
Hungrybox, a top Melee player, had initially planned to continue running the Coinbox series until January, but Nintendo’s new rules made that impossible. Team Liquid, the owner of the Coinbox brand, decided to end the Melee portion of the series early to avoid any potential legal issues with Nintendo.
Hungrybox confirmed that Team Liquid will be applying for a Nintendo license to host future events through the proper channels. However, it is highly unlikely that Melee Coinbox will be approved due to its use of Slippi, a community-created mod that enables online play for the 2001 GameCube title.
The final Melee Coinbox event of the online era took place on November 14th, with over 800 players competing for one last time. Jmook emerged as the dominant player, winning the tournament with his Sheik character and only dropping a single game throughout the entire event. Hungrybox, on the other hand, finished in 33rd place, experiencing a rare loss to Mekk’s Ganondorf character.
Despite the end of Melee Coinbox, Hungrybox and his partners announced a new venture—the launch of the first Coinbox IRL event in December. This invitational event will bring together previous Ultimate Coinbox champions in Washington DC on December 17th. While the details are still being finalized, there is a possibility that the event could evolve into something even more exciting if Team Liquid obtains an official tournament license.
Looking ahead, the future of in-person Melee tournaments seems promising, with the potential for a return of Melee Coinbox in an IRL format. Hungrybox hinted at the possibility of hosting larger-scale in-person events, including the potential for the first Melee Coinbox Major.
As we await further information on Nintendo’s new licensing process and any potential limitations, it remains to be seen how it will impact future tournaments for Melee and Ultimate, as well as other games like Splatoon and Mario Kart.
| Event | Date | Winner | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Melee Coinbox | November 14, 2023 | Jmook | $6,000 |
Source: DOTESPORTS
