Super Smash Bros. Tournament The Big House Skips In-Person Event For 2021

The Big House, one of competitive Super Smash Bros.'s biggest fall events, will not be held in person for the second year in a row. According to a statement from the tournament's organizers on Twitter, the event was canceled out of concern for "the health and well-being of our community."

The statement goes on to say that organizers for The Big House 11 were "forced to either commit to or relinquish our venue" this past February "due to the lead time required by large-scale convention centers." However, organizers found that "it was too early to commit to a date with the uncertain trajectory of COVID-19 and vaccinations at that time."

For what it's worth, The Big House's organizers may have made the right call. While COVID-19 infections and deaths have fallen since the virus' peak last year thanks to highly-effective vaccines that prevent severe cases and hospitalizations, a new highly contagious variant sweeping across America is raising concerns and sparking renewed mask mandates.

That being said, the most recent major Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament, Smash Summit 11, was held entirely in person. While the event wasn't open to the public, it did feature competitors from around the globe.

This marks the second year that The Big House won't be held in person. The tournament, which has been a competitive Melee staple every year from 2011 to 2019, was canceled last year due to a cease-and-desist demand from Nintendo of America.

The Big House 10 was going to be hosted entirely online last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and would have used a Melee mod called Slippi, which makes online play feasible. At this time, it's not clear if The Big House 11 will shift to an online format at the risk of receiving another cease-and-desist from Nintendo.