Nintendo is set to sponsor an exciting tournament for the Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, featuring popular virtual YouTubers from the Japanese VTuber agency Hololive. The tournament will showcase talents such as Usada Pekora, Nekomata Okayu, Inugami Korone, and Himemori Luna as contestants, with Shirakami Fubuki acting as the host. Viewers can catch the action on July 29th at 8pm JST on Hololive’s official YouTube channel.

The competition will see the four contestants engaging in 10 events selected from a pool of over 150 offered in the game’s single-player ‘Time Attack’ mode. Each participant will have two attempts at each event, with the faster time of the two being considered for the rankings.

Scoring will be based on performance, with first place earning 4 points, second place receiving 3 points, third place getting 2 points, and last place securing 1 point. The ultimate victor will be determined by the individual with the highest total score across all 10 events.

The events will include challenges from classic games like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Balloon Fight, Kirby’s Dream Land, Donkey Kong, and more. The tournament may also feature the use of special Nintendo Famicom (NES) Controllers, as hinted on Nintendo’s Japanese website.

Virtual YouTubers, or VTubers, are content creators who utilize virtual avatars on their channels, often employing motion capture technology to bring their avatars to life. Hololive, a prominent VTuber agency, boasts a roster of virtual talents with millions of followers globally, including an English-speaking division. Many Hololive VTubers have previously streamed Nintendo games, further solidifying the connection between the agency and the gaming giant.

The Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition has recently hit the market, offering both digital and physical editions for fans to enjoy. This sponsorship marks Nintendo’s first collaboration with Hololive for a gaming event, showcasing the company’s support for the growing VTuber community.