Later this month, E3 2017 will take over Los Angeles, and give the world a sneak peek of the most exciting video games of the not-too-distant future. Nintendo has already promised a "big" E3, and now the company has confirmed plans for tournaments highlighting two major upcoming releases – Splatoon 2 and ARMS.

Nintendo's last big Switch release was Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but the company hopes to see players through the summer with two major multiplayer titles. Both Splatoon 2 and ARMS lend themselves to competitive play, so it will be interesting to see who comes out on top on the grand stage of E3.

Four different four-person teams are set to compete for Splatoon 2 bragging rights, having excelled in regional tournaments earlier this year. Deadbeat will represent the United States, Dynameu will represent Japan, Rising Moon will represent Europe, and Blue Ringed Octolings will represent Australia and New Zealand.

These four teams will first compete in a round-robin Turf War tournament that will decide seeding for the second round. At that point, they will square off in Ranked Battle mode, with a best-of-five game deciding each semi-final, and a best-of-seven game set to crown the eventual champion.

Meanwhile, the ARMS tournament will be comprised of four expert players from the fighting game community, and four E3 attendees who qualify during the event. That's a very interesting set-up, and seeing whether the underdogs can compete with the pros will perhaps say a lot about the game's accessibility.

The list of pro players is made up of Super Smash Bros. experts SuperGirlKels, Tafokints, and Kayane, along with Street Fighter specialist Alex Valle. A specially commissioned ARMS championship belt is on the line for whoever comes out on top in the game's unique take on the fighting game genre.

Between the unique control set-up of the Switch and its recently detailed online service, it's clear that Nintendo wants to position its new console as a multiplayer haven. ARMS and Splatoon 2 will both help contribute to that strategy, so it's great to see competitive play being given the spotlight at E3.

The Splatoon 2 tournament will take place at approximately 2.30PM PT on June 13, while the ARMS tournament is scheduled for approximately 3.30PM PT on June 14. Both events will be livestreamed on the Nintendo website, YouTube, and Twitch.

ARMS launches for the Nintendo Switch on June 18, 2017, while Splatoon 2 will be available on July 21, 2017.

Source: Nintendo