Smash Ultimate Summit will feature some of the best Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players in the world, fan favorites, and a number of Melee’s best. Here, we’ll look at what fans can expect out of the event.
Melee Players Will Struggle
Voted most likely to drown in pools by a panel of experts, Joseph “Mango” Marquez will need a miracle to not finish in last place. His enormous fan base voted him into a spot despite his lower skill in the game. He earned a 193 – 256th placing at Genesis 6 before an improved 33 – 48th at Ultimate Nimbus. Luckily, all of this losing will free up the Cloud9 Kid to get on the couch and show off his personality.
Jason “Mew2King” Zimmerman and Adam “Armada” Lindgren have also had a hard time adjusting to the new entry in the Smash series. Both of the Melee gods went out at 97 – 128th at Genesis 6. Without major improvements, expect more Melee players to round out the first four eliminated.
The Long Shots
A number of players should be able to handle business against the Melee gods at least. The first has done so in Melee recently: Justin “Plup” McGrath. Plup was the only Melee player to make bracket at Genesis 6 aside from Leffen.
Along with Plup in this tier are the two final players to be voted in: William “Glutonny” Belaid and Zack “ZD” Darby. Glutonny, a French native, has attended fewer events than most at Summit but does have an impressive 1st place finish at Valhalla II.
ZD’s peaks have been incredibly high. He owns wins in Ultimate over Tweek, Zackray, and Leffen. However, he’s won just 30% of the locals he’s attended. His ceiling is likely the highest in this tier.
High Variance Players
William “Leffen” Hjelte has been, by far, the most impressive export to Ultimate from the Melee community. He finished at 17th at Genesis, where he took a game off MkLeo with Pokemon Trainer. Now seemingly opting for Roy, Leffen may be prepared to make a run.
His biggest differentiator from other players at Summit is his experience. Unlike players in the previous tier, Leffen’s experience doesn’t come from Smash 4. His comes from being the best player in the world at another game for brief periods of time. Don’t expect pressure to crack Leffen like it may other players.
Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios was unquestionably the greatest player to play Smash 4. However, since his “return” to competitive play, he’s entered a single event. At Smash Conference United, he got 7th. He’s entered one Smash tournament in the past 14 months. Despite his legacy, ZeRo has spent his time streaming Ultimate. Smash Ultimate Summit may show just how necessary tournaments and grinding are for even the G.O.A.T.
Nairoby “Nairo” Quezada is a similar story. His uncertainty, however, comes from tournaments he has attended. He has yet to win an Ultimate tournament. Nairo finished 17th at Genesis and 7th at Frostbite 2019. A storied history in Smash 4 has earned Nairo a lot of optimism, but if Ultimate doesn’t go his way, fans may start to get worried.
2nd Through 7th at Genesis
Genesis 6 awarded four players bids to Summit based on the highest finishes at the event. Those players were James “VoiD” Makekau-Tyson, Jamaal “Samsora” Morris Jr., Samuel “Dabuz” Buzby, and Zackray. The two players who nearly missed the cut were Paris “Light” Ramirez and Brian “Cosmos” Kalu. The former earned the final bid by winning Ultimate Nimbus while the latter was voted in.
At Genesis 6, these players all showed off why they deserve to be at Summit. Notably, the only players in this cohort who have bested MkLeo are Light and Samsora. Light took a set off the swordsmen at Glitch 6 while Samsora did so at Genesis.
VoiD will look to avenge his double-elimination at Genesis 6 by the hands of MkLeo. Practice may be the most crucial for VoiD as he plays Pichu, potentially the most technically demanding character. Don’t be surprised to see VoiD heat up as the weekend goes on.
The Favorite
All eyes will be on Leonardo “MkLeo” Lopez as he defends the throne of Genesis and his Smash 4 No. 1 ranking. The best news for Leo is that the player best equipped to defeat him, Gavin “Tweek” Dempsey, will not be in attendance. Tweek won Frostbite, Glitch, Let’s Make Moves, and Sky Ultimate Invitational. None of these events were for a Summit bid.
MkLeo and Tweek are vying for best in the world and Leo probably has the edge. His competition is now only players who will have to make a major upset to knock him off. With Leo’s dominance, choosing the Smash Ultimate Summit winner should be between MkLeo and the field.
Featured image courtesy of Beyond the Summit.
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