Q1. What does a "Community Tournament" permitted by these guidelines refer to?

A1. A Community Tournament permitted by these guidelines must meet the following requirements:

• Nintendo's copyrighted games will be used in the tournament.
• It is a tournament organized by individuals.
• It is a tournament in which players, as individuals, or non-profit teams, are Participants.
• It is a not-for-profit tournament. (For-profit tournaments include not only those where Organizers or persons running the tournament seek to receive direct benefits, such as money, or indirect benefits through advertising and promotion but also those that benefit third parties.)
• It is a small-scale gaming tournament with 300 or fewer Participants for online tournaments or 200 or fewer Participants for in-person tournaments.

Q2. Is using Nintendo game logos and character images acceptable to promote Community Tournaments? Is it also permitted to use images from Nintendo Games to decorate the venue or to use music, sound effects, etc., from Nintendo Games as background music at the venue?

A2. No, it is not permitted to use Nintendo game logos, character images, game images, music, or sound effects for community tournament promotions, venue decorations, or venue background music. However, you are permitted to use footage and screenshots captured from Nintendo Games for promotional materials for your tournament.

Q3. What are some of the tournaments that are not permitted by these guidelines?

Tournaments that are not permitted by these guidelines include but are not limited to below.

• For-profit tournaments (these are not permitted under these guidelines, even if they only charge entry fees and admission fees below the amounts specified in these guidelines)
• Online tournaments that collect admission fees from Spectators.
• Tournaments that make it a condition of entry in tournaments or viewing tournaments to subscribe to or follow a YouTube channel, an X account, or any other streaming channel or social media account, or subscribe to a paid membership
• Tournaments in which Participants are paid a performance fee or other expenses.
• Tournaments that receive goods or money from third parties, such as sponsors.
• Tournaments involving the sale of food, beverages, or merchandise.

Please note that Nintendo does not currently grant permission for individuals to organize commercial tournaments. We ask for your understanding.

Q4. How can we ensure that the total admission fees collected at in-person Community Tournaments do not exceed the total tournament setup costs?

A4. When organizing in-person Community Tournaments that collect admission fees, please set the maximum number of Spectators in advance, and ensure that the actual number of Spectators does not exceed the maximum. Please ensure that the amount obtained by multiplying the maximum number of Spectators by the per capita admission fee will not exceed the cost of setting up the tournament. In the unlikely event that the total amount of admission fees collected exceeds the cost of the tournament setup, the excess amount must be returned to the Spectators who paid the fee.

Q5. Is it possible to name Community Tournaments after a specific product, name of a service, or third party?

A5. Community Tournaments and Nintendo Games may not be used to advertise or promote any entity, products, or services, or to promote any campaigns or initiatives based on personal or organized opinions, ideologies, or beliefs. Therefore, you may not use the name of a third-party corporation, organization, product, service, or trade name as the name of a Community Tournament.
However, if all the individual Organizers, Participants, and the majority of Spectators of a Community Tournament belong to a single legal entity or organization, the name of that entity or organization may be used in the name of the Community Tournament.
Example: If all Organizers, Participants, and the majority of Spectators are students of XXX University, a tournament name, such as the "XXX University Tournament," will be allowed.

Q6. Is it permitted to use Nintendo game titles or character names in the names of a Community Tournament?

A6. It is not permitted to use Nintendo's trademarks or IP in the name of a tournament. For instance, "Super Smash Bros. Super Challenge" and "Splatoon Throwdown" are not permitted as names of Community Tournaments. However, you are allowed to include game names in the description of a Community Tournament to show which games will be used in the Community Tournament. Similarly, Nintendo’s characters must not be used in tournament names, but you are allowed to include them in the tournament description to show which characters could be used in the tournament.

Q7. We want to live stream the Community Tournament on network services such as YouTube - is this possible?

A7. For posting or live streaming Community Tournament-related content, such as videos and still images that use footage and screenshots captured from Nintendo Games, to personal accounts on appropriate video- and image-sharing sites or monetizing your posts, please obtain permission from the Participants beforehand and refer to the Nintendo Game Content Guidelines for Online Video & Image Sharing Platforms in addition to these guidelines. If you decide to monetize your Community Tournament-related posts, such as videos and still images, based on the Nintendo Game Content Guidelines for Online Video & Image Sharing Platforms, please be aware of the limits on the total amount of revenue that you can earn from your posts, as stated in these guidelines.
Please note that Community Tournaments and Nintendo Games cannot be used to advertise or promote any entity, products or services, or that promote any campaigns or initiatives based on personal or organized opinions, ideologies, or beliefs. Therefore, with the exception of advertisements added by content distribution platforms such as YouTube, please ensure that ads (in particular, third-party advertisements and logos) do not appear in the videos, still images, etc., that you share.

Q8. Would a Community Tournament be permitted by these guidelines if persons affiliated with a legal entity or organization are Organizers or Participants?

A8. If persons affiliated with a legal entity or organization would like to organize a Community Tournament or participate in a Community Tournament as an individual outside the legal entity or organization and not in an official capacity on behalf of the legal entity or organization, then yes, the Community Tournament will be permitted under the Guidelines. If you would like to organize a tournament or participate in a tournament in an official capacity on behalf of the legal entity or organization, you must apply for and obtain permission as specified in Q14.

Q9. Would a tournament organized by individuals but outsourced to a legal entity or organization for operation be permitted under these guidelines?

A9. If the operation of a tournament or the operation of a livestream is outsourced to a legal entity or organization, the tournament will be deemed to be hosted by the legal entity or organization. Therefore, this tournament will not be permitted under the guidelines and will require a formal license you can apply for and obtain from the link in Q14

Q10. Is it acceptable to use Nintendo products as prizes for Community Tournaments?

A10. Nintendo products may be used as prizes so long as the product has launched in the region where the Community Tournament is taking place. Please refrain from using unreleased products for promoting Community Tournaments or as prizes.

Q11. I want to organize a large tournament, with more than 300 Participants in an online tournament or more than 200 Participants in an in-person tournament. What should I do?

A11. Currently, we do not grant permission for individuals to organize tournaments with more than 300 Participants in an online tournament or more than 200 Participants in an in-person tournament. We appreciate your understanding. If you would like to organize a tournament that exceeds the cap, please consider dividing it into blocks, as described in Q12. If you want to host a tournament using Nintendo Games as an organization, such as a club, please apply through the link in Q14.

Q12. The total number of Participants across all blocks is expected to be over 300 in my online tournament (or over 200 in my in-person tournament). If a tournament is divided into blocks, such as Block A, Block B, and so on, and the total number of Participants in the blocks held on the same day does not exceed 300 people for online tournaments or 200 people for in-person tournaments, can I still host a Community Tournament based on these guidelines?

A12. These guidelines permit a community tournament divided into blocks, hosted by a single Organizer, as long as the total number of Participants per day does not exceed 300 for online tournaments and 200 for in-person tournaments. For example, in a tournament organized by a single Organizer, if there are 100 Participants in Block A, 150 Participants in Block B, and 80 Participants in Block C, hosting Block A and Block B tournaments on the same day is not allowed under these guidelines since the total number of Participants in a day will exceed 200. However, these guidelines permit hosting Block A and B tournaments on different days since the total number of Participants in a day will not exceed 200 on either day. Hosting Block A and Block C tournaments on the same day is permitted under these guidelines because the total number of Participants in a day would not exceed 200.

Q13. Can school clubs or neighborhood associations host Community Tournaments under these guidelines?

A13. School clubs are organizations; however, they may conduct competitions without requiring a license, as long as the following conditions are met and they adhere to the stipulations within these guidelines.

• Participation in the tournament will not be open to the public, and the Participants will be limited to the members of the school club.
• The game tournament can be a standalone head-to-head competition between up to two schools, but will not involve 3 or more schools, and the tournament will not serve for ranking or qualification for a later tournament or championship.

Any tournaments that meet the above conditions could use the names of the two participating schools or school clubs in their name as long as the schools agree. If the above does not apply to your tournament, or if you are an organization other than a school, such as a neighborhood association, please apply as specified in Q14. If an individual wishes to use the name of a school or company in the name of a Community Tournament organized by the individual, please see Q5. Schools can also register with and participate in tournaments hosted by licensed partners of Nintendo.

Q14. How can legal entities or organizations host game tournaments using Nintendo games?

A14. For a corporation or organization to conduct a game tournament using Nintendo Games, the corporation or organization must make a separate application to Nintendo and obtain permission to conduct the game tournament prior to announcing a tournament. A Nintendo license number will be assigned to the game tournament that Nintendo has separately licensed. It is up to Nintendo’s sole discretion whether or not a license will be granted to a corporation or organization.
If you are a legal entity or organization wishing to host a game tournament using Nintendo Games, please submit an application for a license to use Nintendo Games in your tournament using the following link: Licensed Tournament Application

Q15. How can I host a game tournament using Nintendo games as part of a charity activity at my high school?

A15. For students to host a game tournament using Nintendo Games as part of their school's charity activities, the school to which the student belongs must make a separate application to Nintendo to obtain permission to conduct the game tournament. Any game tournament that Nintendo has separately licensed will be given a license number by Nintendo.

Q16. What do "tournaments that are illegal or inappropriately conducted or that could be viewed as offensive or otherwise inappropriate" refer to?

A16. Tournaments that are illegal or could be viewed as offensive or otherwise inappropriate include, but are not limited to, tournaments that:

• Violate laws or regulations
• Infringe on Nintendo's intellectual property rights
• Uses a false license number.
• Interfere with the proper operation or impair the safety of Nintendo's products or services.
• Involve illegally copied or modified game software, game software produced using Nintendo's copyrighted material without Nintendo's authorization, or game software obtained illegally.
• Involve cheating, cracking, unauthorized access, circumvention of technical restrictions, unauthorized modification, or use of objects, tools, or services that enable such cheating, cracking, unauthorized access, circumvention of technical restrictions, or unauthorized modification.
• Use of game consoles, accessories, and software not licensed by Nintendo.
• Use of video, images, sound sources, etc., that cannot be used in regular gameplay, extracted through game software via data mining or other methods.
• Tournaments that otherwise violate Nintendo’s Community Guidelines

Q17. What exactly are "prohibited items" that cannot be used as prizes?

A17. No goods or services listed below may be offered as prizes at Community Tournaments.

• Items that are illegal, offensive, or inappropriate
• Illegal products or services, or those that infringe on the rights of third parties
• Items that are discriminatory or misleading
• Gambling-like services
• Information products such as virtual currency and data
• Political activities, or advertising of specific belief systems or ideologies
• Any items or services that may prevent the normal operation of our products or services or impair their safety.
• Any activity that is damaging to Nintendo’s business or brand
• Goods or services provided by persons selling or advertising the above items or services.
• Medicines or items that may affect your health or body
• Alcohol, cigarettes, and other age-restricted items
• Nintendo products that have not launched in the region where the Community Tournament is taking place
• Products and services targeted for ages older than the age rating of the software used in the Community Tournament
• Weapons and imitation weapon

Note that even within the scope permitted by these guidelines, if there are other restrictions imposed by applicable laws on the provision of goods or the price limits for prizing, you must comply with the conditions of those restrictions.

Q18. Under what circumstances would Nintendo request the cancellation of a Community Tournament?

A18. Nintendo may request the cancellation of any Community Tournaments in its sole discretion, including any tournaments that violate or may violate these guidelines or that Nintendo deems inappropriate. In addition, Nintendo may request the cancellation of a Community on behalf of a right holder of intellectual property rights other than Nintendo upon receiving a request from such a right holder.

Q19. I’m planning to organize a game tournament, and I made an announcement about it before these guidelines were released. However, Q14 of the guidelines states that I would need to make a separate application and obtain permission to conduct my tournament. The tournament is scheduled to take place after the effective date of these guidelines. Do I need to make a separate application to obtain permission?

A19. For information on whether or not a separate application is required, please see below:

• Tournaments announced before the date of release of these guidelines that will be conducted before the end of 2023: You are not required to make a separate application to obtain permission.
• Tournaments announced before the date of release of these guidelines that will be conducted in 2024 or later: You are required to make a separate application to obtain permission.
• Tournaments announced after the date of release of these guidelines that will be conducted after the effective date: You are required to make a separate application to obtain permission.