Highlights
- Nintendo Live Tokyo 2024 has been canceled due to threats towards employees and guests, putting their safety as the top priority.
- The Splatoon 3 World Championship 2024 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe showcases have also been postponed because of persistent threats.
- Nintendo’s decision to prioritize safety over potential profits sets an example for other companies in the industry.
The upcoming Nintendo Live Tokyo 2024 has been canceled after Nintendo received a number of threats towards its employees and event guests. Nintendo Live Tokyo 2024 was an in-person event that was planned to showcase tournaments for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 3, and more, though it has now been indefinitely postponed.
Scheduled to run in January 2024, Nintendo Live Tokyo 2024 had a number of upcoming qualifier tournaments prepared in the lead up to the big event in Tokyo. However, the company received a series of viable threats targeting its employees and spectators at the scheduled tournaments, forcing Nintendo to cancel the showcases.
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The official Nintendo live event page shared a postponement notice today regarding the Splatoon Koshien 2023 National Finals and Nintendo Live Tokyo 2024, noting threats to Nintendo employees and event attendees. The Splatoon Koshien 2023 National Finals was a tournament planned to determine the finalists who would compete at the Nintendo Live Tokyo 2024 Splatoon showcase in January. According to Nintendo, the Koshien Finals and Live Tokyo events had to be postponed due to persistent threats towards Nintendo employees. These threats allegedly spread to include event staff and spectators as potential targets, forcing Nintendo to cancel the tournaments. The Splatoon 3 World Championship 2024 has also been delayed, along with multiple Mario Kart 8 Deluxe showcases.
Canceled Nintendo Tournaments and Live Events
- Splatoon Koshien 2023 National Finals
- Splatoon 3 World Championship 2024
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Online Challenge Final Stage
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at Nintendo Live Tokyo 2024
- Nintendo Live Tokyo 2024
While no specifics were given, Nintendo has made it clear that the safety of its staff and guests is of the utmost importance, hence why the company is taking these threats so seriously. Nintendo has assured employees and attendees that updates on the rescheduled tournaments will be shared in due time, apologizing for any inconvenience. Safety has been a concern of many event attendees and hosts in recent years. Geoff Keighley announced that security at The Game Awards would be improved from previous years, though the change was not made in relation to the Nintendo safety notice. In spite of disappointment, fans have been understanding of Nintendo’s postponements and cancelations.
Live events remain popular among audiences, with more companies hosting their own in-person showcases, tournaments, and conventions. However, the rise of threats towards esports athletes and video game developers has prompted an increase in security investments by event hosts and has sparked conversations about the safety of staff and guests at live shows. Though some fans remain wary about upcoming events, many are happy to see a big name like Nintendo setting an example of prioritizing safety over potential profits.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a racing game in the world-renowned racing game series. The game was released in 2017 for Nintendo Switch and was at the time the first Mario game on the platform. It is an improved version of the Wii U game Mario Kart 8. It comes with added characters and changes in Battle Mode.
- Released
- April 28, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD , Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Racing
