The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament at Evo Japan was doomed from the start. If being excluded from an actual cash prize wasn’t enough, watching tournament winner Shuto “Shuton” Moriya drop the paltry prize of a golden Switch controller certainly ended things on a sour note.
As previously reported on TheGamer, Smash Ultimate would not have a cash prize at stake due to Nintendo not registering the title with the Japan Esports Union as the company has distanced itself from considering Smash an esports title. A limited-edition controller would be the prize, and they followed through to the bitter end as Sakurai watched in bemusement at Shuton fumbling and dropping the “prize” out of its box.
Though the cringeworthy moment will serve as a new esports meme, it is a shame that politics and ignorance clouded what was a sensational run for Shuton. Shuton was unstoppable with Olimar and dominated Seisuke “Kome” Komeda in the tournament’s grand finals to take home the honor of being an Evo champion.
Controller controversy aside, it is shocking and disheartening that a tournament with so many competitors receives such an underwhelming payoff. The fighting game fanbase and competitors are among the most dedicated in all gaming. We’ve already seen Team Reciprocity dump Victor “Punk” Woodley after one of the most dominant runs in Street Fighter history and Red Bull parting ways with the iconic Darryl “Snake Eyez” Lewis, and the payoff for most of the major tournaments in fighting games pales in comparison to other mainstream titles.
All the while, Genesis 7 took place in Oakland and featured an amazing series of matches, including a grand finals showdown featuring Marss and MKLeo that has to be seen. Marss came out on top and was probably thrilled he was picking up a paycheck, something he’s less likely to drop or presumably toss in the trunk of his car upon receipt. Not everything is big in Japan, and instances like this serve to constrict the ecosystem, not help it grow.
Source: Nintendo Life
