With in-person tournaments and events postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s been a long drought for Super Smash Bros. fans yearning for competition.
After a series of high-profile events in the Spring and the release of Slippi rollback netcode, two classic tournament series have announced online editions to tide players over through to the holiday season.
The first will be Smash Summit 10, a multi-day event for Super Smash Bros. Melee that will take place from November 19th to November 22nd. Smash Summit 10 will feature 20 players, as well as $10,000 in prize money.
Smash Summit continues to be one of the most anticipated spectator events for Melee fans, as well as one of the most prestigious events a top player can win. The previous winner of Smash Summit 9, Hungrybox, may have a chance to defend his title, although it will depend on if he chooses to enter.
Beyond the Summit announced that the 16 players who remain in the two divisions of the Slippi’s Champions League will automatically qualify for Smash Summit 10, as well as four other players who will be invited at a later date.
On top of that, The Big House announced “The First Online Big House” tournament to take place from December 4th through December 6th. The tournament will feature Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brackets, although they will only be open to North American players.
The Big House tournament series is one of the longest running annual supermajors, and is the source of some of the most historic moments in Smash history. While the absence of international talent will surely be felt, it’s a necessity to make sure online connections are as smooth as can be, and the tournament will still have plenty of top level talent competing for the prize.
Additionally, The First Online Big House” will use the Swiss pools format, which is seldom used at major tournaments but is often a good change of pace in local scenes from the double-elimination format. Swiss format can result in more matches, a quicker way or whittling down the bracket size, and it also avoids the rematches that can potentially happen in double-elimination.
Be sure to stay tuned for more information on these highly-anticipated tournaments in the coming weeks!
