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After Nintendo's recent reveal of competitive-centric features coming to Splatoon 2,Eng Sub the video game giant has made it clear that it's ready to jump headlong into the world of esports.

For years, Nintendo has been reticent to get into the professional side of competitive gaming, despite the popularity of its Super Smash Bros. series in the fighting game community. But it appears the company is changing its tune by integrating esports features directly into Splatoon 2, including private spectating and the ability to have up to eight players competing over LAN.

These two features are essential for top-level competition, especially for broadcast purposes, and confirm Nintendo's new esports intentions that were first teased in the Nintendo Switch reveal trailer.

SEE ALSO: What does the Nintendo Switch mean for esports?

Consider the squid

Over the weekend, Nintendo dropped two hints that Splatoon 2, coming out this summer for the Nintendo Switch, will be esports-ready upon arrival. The first hint is that players can connect up to eight Switch consoles to play against each other over wired LAN.

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On the official SplatoonTumblr page, Nintendo mentions that playing over a wired LAN connection is a feature specifically intended for more competitive situations.

"Local wireless play is perfect for your regular gaming get-togethers, but LAN Play is where it’s at when you want to organize a serious tournament event with your fellow players," Nintendo said.

LAN connections are much more reliable than internet connections or even local wireless connections, where minor signal disruptions and slight delays can cause lag and ruin the competitive integrity of the game. All top-level esports tournaments -- whether for Counter-Strike, League of Legendsor Dota 2 --use LAN setups to cut down on lag and disruptions, and Nintendo is following in their footsteps.

Along with a LAN option, Splatoon 2will include a private spectator mode.

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With Private Battle Spectator View, two people can spectate private battles on their Nintendo Switch consoles as eight players paint their way to victory.

"These two people act as camera operators in order capture all the action," Nintendo said on Tumblr.

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A screenshot on the Tumblr page shows that the "camera operators" can easily switch between all eight players in the match as well as see where they are at any time, similar to how Counter-Strike: Global Offensivespectators can easily switch back and forth between players in a match.

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The camera operators aren't just confined to watching the action from behind the shoulders of players -- the spectator mode gives them the ability to view the battlefield from unique angles and get more information about the state of the match.

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This feature is clearly intended to improve the broadcasting and viewing experience for competitive Splatoon 2, mimicking the pro-level spectator experiences of other esports titles. By implementing this feature, Nintendo is showing they care about outside viewers, who are essential to making a successful esports title.

This consideration for viewers is new for Nintendo, who hasn't always been known as the most friendly ally in the world of esports.

Nintendo's changing stance on esports

Nintendo didn't just used to be apathetic to esports, Nintendo has traditionally actively suppressed the esports scene around its most popular competitive series, Super Smash Bros.

When Super Smash Bros. Brawlwas included in Major League Gaming's Pro Circuit in 2010, Nintendo denied MLG the rights to stream its game or even release video of matches after the fact, effectively squashing Smash's opening to becoming a successful esport at its first chance of reaching a wider audience.

As the years went on, Nintendo loosened its grip on streaming rights and the Smashscene began to thrive, particularly with the entry of Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Fast forward to 2015 when Nintendo sponsored its first community-run tournament that included Smash, Apex 2015. The narrative changed from apprehension to approval, and then in 2016 Nintendo started pitching in for prize pools.

ESL, one of the biggest esports tournament organizers in the world, kicked off its first-ever Splatoontournament in September 2016. Nintendo promoted the event on its Nintendo of Europe Twitter account and even partnered with ESL to offer a unique prize for the winners: Nintendo Switch consoles.

When the Switch was revealed in October, Nintendo included a vision of an esports event centered around Splatoonin the trailer.

Via Giphy

Although Nintendo may be a ways away from selling out arenas for professional Splatoonevents, the company is clearly interested in that image as its future. The features Nintendo revealed for Splatoon 2show that the company is watching the esports space and is aware of what's needed to make a successful esports title.

With the way things are going, Nintendo may even start running its own tournaments like Valve does with Counter-Strike: Global Offensiveand Dota 2, or perhaps start running its own leagues like Riot Games does with League of Legends.

At the very least, Nintendo is making it clear that it's going to start supporting esports more than ever, giving players the means to compete in lag-free environments and giving broadcasters the means to create a professional viewing experience.

Nintendo isn't ignoring esports anymore -- it's fostering them.

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