Nintendo has begun promoting Battlefy’s Splatoon esports tournaments

Nintendo is partnering with one of the largest community-driven tournament platforms to turn Splatoon into an esport.

Battlefy kicked off the Splatoon Showdown Series last month in partnership with the community-tournament organizer Leagues Under the Ink, and now Nintendo is stepping in to promote the event (h/t to Bryan Cashman). This is a series of open tournaments for the beloved Wii U ink shooter. Splatoon debuted in 2015, and it was widely regarded as a fun remix of the competitive, team-based shooter genre. The 4-on-4 battles require players to cover opponents and objectives in ink, and players praised the interesting mechanics as well as Splatoon’s bright and hip sense of style. Battlefy and Leagues Under the Ink award prizes to the top teams, but that could potentially expand with Nintendo stepping in to promote the league.