Another classic Smash Bros tournament is going under due to financial problems

Shine has been a longstanding pillar of the Smash community, hosting tournaments since 2016 for 64, Melee, Wii U, and Ultimate. However, the date announcement for its next event brought bittersweet news: Shine 2023 will be the last iteration of the tournament, after supporting the Smash scene for seven years.

The news came from the official Shine Series Twitter account, which provided additional details on the decision.

In the past years, Shine was financially supported by the TOs running the event, with massive debts owed to staff. Faced with the increasing upkeep for each tournament, Shine made the decision to discontinue the series after 2023.

To support the 2023 event, Shine plans to open up a merch drive later in April, with all proceeds going to venue costs. A fiscal roadmap of Shine’s costs will also be included for anyone to view, giving full transparency to all of the setup and operations. 

Shine’s announcement follows other popular Smash tournaments announcing their final event or complete cancellation in the past few months. 

Smash World Tour’s cancellation included all 2023 events, such as Glitch: Duel of the Fates and  Double Down 2023. VGBootCamp, the organization running both of the events, stated their uncertainty about running any future events due to monetary problems. Attending players, spectators, vendors, and sponsors funded VGBC’s operations and put the entire organization at risk of shutting down.

Following SWT’s cancellation, Ludwig and Mogul Moves created the Scuffed World Tour, raising over $26,500 in donations for VGBC. The donations helped keep the org in the Smash scene, but VGBC will only run their usual weekly series, with no intentions to revive Glitch or Double Down. 

Beyond the Summit ran events for multiple Smash games, but closed all of its operations after 11 years due to a worsening financial situation. Smash Summit 6, a four-day Ultimate event held from March 23 to 26, 2023, was the last tournament hosted by the org. Statements from BTS co-founder David “LD” Gorman highlighted the grim economic outlook, the unsustainability of the organization, and the decision to release all of its staff to allow them to find new opportunities.

The financial problems have not stopped at Smash tournaments either, with many organizations starting to drop players or entire teams as cost-cutting measures. 

T1 recently parted ways with MKLeo, the number one Ultimate player, ending their involvement in Smash after three years in the scene. Counter Logic Gaming, despite expanding their FGC division, also closed its doors due to financial pressures, selling or laying off all esports teams, and leaving Smash after eight years.

Despite the departure of the beloved series, Gtown_Tom, one of the lead organizers for Shine, stated in a Twitlonger that Smash events would not stop in the New England scene. Tom and the rest of Shine’s staff reiterated their passion and continued support for future grassroots tournaments in the area.

Shine 2023 will take place from August 25 to 27, 2023, with early registration for the event set to open up at the end of April. 

Past iterations of the tournament have featured over 900 players competing in singles, doubles, and crew battle tournaments for Melee and Ultimate. Previous years also featured streams on the btssmash Twitch and Youtube channels, but fans will have to wait for an official channel announcement following BTS’ shutdown.