Earlier this month Nintendo made the bombshell announcement that Super Smash Bros. is coming to Nintendo Switch. At the time, the company didn't reveal many details about the game – its its roster, maps, and gameplay features are still somewhat of a mystery at this point – but Nintendo did confirm that the fighting game would be released in 2018, which meant that promotion for the title would begin to ramp up soon.

What better place for Nintendo to promote a new Super Smash Bros. game than at E3 2018? The company has now announced plans to host a Super Smash Bros. Nintendo Switch tournament at E3 2018, meaning that fans of the fighting game series will get a chance to actually play the game for themselves. The Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018 will take place between June 11 and 12, during the week of E3 2018.

In an interview with IGN, Nintendo of America senior product marketing manager Bill Trinen revealed that Nintendo will be looking at the event from a "tournament perspective and a play perspective." Trinen also said that the company plans on "showcasing high level, world-class play with Super Smash Bros. for Switch" and it also plans on "showcasing the game in a way that highlights how fun it can be for players and different ways that players will enjoy playing the game."

"We’ll see some of that larger audience bleed back over into the competitive scene and the tournaments themselves," added Nintendo. Super Smash Bros. has a longstanding eSports scene with a core player base, but this may seem inaccessible to more casual fans or even series newcomers who may be finding out about the franchise for the first time with the Nintendo Switch. Events like the Invitational seem to be Nintendo's way of bringing those two communities together.

However, Nintendo's focus on high-level play probably means that the average, less-skilled Super Smash Bros. fan is unlikely to be invited to this tournament. Thankfully, Nintendo does plan to stream the Super Smash Bros. Invitational through YouTube and Twitch, which will hopefully mean that fans who aren't in attendance will get to have a good look at the game's character roster and more.

Fans will also be wondering what other Super Smash Bros. surprises Nintendo has up its sleeves for E3 2018. Will Nintendo announce the release date? Will the company announce pre-order bonuses? Will there be additional amiibo support? Perhaps the company will answer all of those questions during the event.

Super Smash Bros. will be released on Nintendo Switch in 2018.

Source: IGN