High School is going to get a lot more interesting for aspiring gaming athletes thanks to a new partnership between Nintendo and PlayVS. Three of Nintendo's most popular online competitive titles will now be officially recognized esports at the high school level in Canada and the US. Students at selected schools will be able to compete in Mario Kart, Splatoon 2, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

This new initiative will start on September 20, beginning with Smash Bros. Ultimate and Splatoon 2. Mario Kart competitions will be added to the roster in early Spring 2022. To help the competitors, both Nintendo and PlayVS will be providing 100s of participating schools with a Switch that compete in a PlayVS Nintendo league during the current school year.

Furthermore, 3,000 schools that qualify to compete will receive a copy of Smash Bros. Ultimate or Splatoon 2 and a free one-year individual subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. It's a great new concept by PlayVS that we previously reported on back in March to encourage and nurture talent at the high school level. 

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King of Fighters' Terry Bogard burning knuckle Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
King of Fighters' Terry Bogard burning knuckle Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Bill Trien, Nintendo of America's  Senior Director of Product Marketing praised the new partnership in a recent press release:

We know there are many Nintendo fans with incredible gaming talent who are looking for more ways to explore competitive play and participate in tournaments. Working with a community-focused organization like PlayVS is an important next step as Nintendo expands our support for competitive play and helps more players explore gaming in a competitive space. High school students from all around the country will be able to put their skills to the test in Nintendo Switch games in a competitive setting – and hopefully, make some awesome memories along the way.

11- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Via: Boy Genius Report

Many younger aspiring athletes are interested in getting into the world of competitive esports and this is the perfect way to do that while still in school. PlayVS's founder and CEO Delane Parnell stated he always wanted to partner with Nintendo. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe also being added is a positive sign for the series which recently received its first update in over two years.

It's also a great initiative on Nintendo's part by providing the system and game titles especially to schools that may be in low-income areas. That way, those interested can still compete but aren't blocked by financial hardships preventing them from purchasing a Nintendo Switch. Hopefully, this new partnership proves to be a successful one that can continue for a long time.

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