PlayVS and Nintendo expand esports partnership to middle schools across North America

PlayVS, a competitive gameplay platform in North America, has renewed and expanded its partnership with Nintendo of America. This collaboration, now in its fourth year, will extend competitive gaming opportunities to middle schools in addition to high schools across the United States and Canada.

PlayVS is known for providing a structured platform for competitive esports, allowing students to participate in organised gameplay at the high school and now middle school levels. The platform supports students, coaches, educators, and parents in creating a community where esports can thrive.

Nintendo of America, a subsidiary of the global video game giant Nintendo Co., Ltd., is responsible for the distribution and marketing of Nintendo products in the Americas. Nintendo is renowned for creating iconic gaming franchises such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon.

Through the renewed agreement, PlayVS will continue to offer students in grades 6-12 the chance to compete in popular Nintendo titles, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Splatoon 3, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. These games have been key components of PlayVS leagues, where students can compete for official state-sanctioned high school championships. The inclusion of middle schools in this programme marks a significant expansion of accessibility to competitive gaming.

To support broader participation, PlayVS and Nintendo of America will continue providing Nintendo hardware and software at no cost to schools in need. Since the beginning of their partnership, over $2.1 million in Nintendo equipment and games have been donated, significantly lowering the barriers to entry for students interested in esports.

In November 2023, PlayVS made its platform completely free for students to compete, further increasing accessibility. This, combined with the expanded partnership, ensures that more students can participate in competitive gaming with popular Nintendo Switch games, fostering a more inclusive gaming community.

Since the start of the partnership, PlayVS-powered Nintendo leagues have facilitated over 73,000 matches involving 10,500 teams from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada. More than 70,000 students have competed in these leagues, which have resulted in 253 championships. 

Jon Chapman, CEO of PlayVS, said: 

“The renewal of our partnership with Nintendo of America extends our mission of increasing accessibility to competitive play to even more students in North America. The featured Nintendo Switch games are immensely popular, and we’re excited to expand them into middle schools starting this Fall.

“We are incredibly honored by our partnership with Nintendo of America as they continue providing exceptional gaming experiences and resources to our growing community.”

Bill Trinen, Vice President of Player & Product Experience at Nintendo of America, shared a similar sentiment:

“Working with PlayVS has helped us bring smiles to even more faces through organised team experiences – giving young people new ways to enjoy the fun and camaraderie of team competition with Nintendo Switch games while celebrating school spirit.

“We’re excited about keeping this partnership going as we open doors to competitive play for future generations of players.”