Last November in Los Angeles, Beyond the Summit hosted their first Melee event, Smash Summit. With only 16 players, 6 of whom were voted in, Summit’s intimate scale alone separated it from any other tournament with its budget. Smash Summit 2 will follow suit, holding its players in one big house with opportunities for unlimited friendlies. As a four day event, Smash Summit 2 will feature a singles bracket, doubles bracket, and multiple side events.
The 16 Players
Armada
: As the winner of Smash Summit and MIOM’s highest ranked player of 2015, Armada is one of the favorites going into the tournament. With winning lifetime records over every player in attendance, Armada will be a huge threat regardless of which character he chooses to use against his opponents. However, with recent losses to Hungrybox and Mango, he’s not looking as invincible as he did last November.Hungrybox
: Speculated by some fans to be the new best in the world, Hungrybox seems almost like a shoo-in for grand finals. Whether or not he gets the big win here will determine what the Melee storyline looks like going into future events like EGLX and EVO. He is currently 1-1 against Armada and 4-2 over Mango in 2016.Mango
: After a weak year by his high standards, 2016 is looking much better for the Kid. Despite his string of 2nd place finishes, Mango has taken multiple sets off both Armada and Hungrybox this year, preventing the repeatedly projected Armada vs. Hungrybox grand finals. Friendlies and challenges at Summit will also be a chance for Mango to receive high level practice as Marth, a character he’s set to improve with.Mew2King
: Having found a character he enjoys playing in Smash 4, Mew2King has been focusing less and less on Melee--and it shows. Due to upsets at both Genesis 3 and Battle of the Five Gods, Mew2King uncharacteristically placed outside of top 6. However, his 2016 regional performances have been a string of 1st place finishes over top East Coast and Florida players, showing he’s still extremely consistent overall. Mew2King and Armada may also have a solid shot of winning doubles, having placed 2nd at the first Summit.Plup
: The rising star of 2015, Plup, has now defeated 4 of the 5 gods. With the bracket projecting him to face off against Armada in winners semifinals, Summit 2 could be Plup’s chance to show he has what it takes to be a godslayer. However, Plup has also recently expressed fatigue with the game, stating that he will be attending tournaments less frequently in the future. Whether that fatigue hindershis play at Summit 2 is yet to be determined. Coming off a win over PewFAT at Pound, Plup also has a good shot of winning doubles with his partner Hungrybox.Westballz
: Since the last Summit, where Westballz got 9th place, he’s placed top 6 at almost every tournament he's entered. With recent set wins over Leffen and PPMD, Westballz has proven that his peak performance can be as high as that of the gods. Westballz is projected to play Mango in round 2 of Summit, a player he could upset the same way he did at Battle of the Five Gods and Dreamhack. However, recent losses to Duck, Wobbles, and multiple Sheik mains like Laudandus and Swedish Delight show that Westballz could easily find himself placing outside of top 6 at this tournament.Axe
: Despite his solid 2nd place showing at Full Bloom 2 last weekend, Axe’s Pikachu is looking a little shaky. After failing to make it to round 2 at Battle of the Five Gods and placing 25th at Pound 2016, Axe has recently been prone to upsets, including a 3-0 from Plup’s Fox at Frame One. With a round 1 match against Shroomed in a losing matchup, Axe could soon face another disappointing placing. However, this man has still taken sets off almost every player in attendance, so don’t be surprised if he places top 4 like at Genesis 3.Shroomed
: During 2015, Shroomed was a paragon of consistency, making top 8 at multiple majors last year including Smash Summit. While he hasn’t found that level of success yet in 2016, he hasn’t been to many large tournaments. Smash Summit 2 could be Shroomed’s chance to prove he’s still a top 10 player, and set a precedent for what his placings will look like during the summer.SFAT
: SFAT has been looking solid lately, with top 8 finishes at Genesis 3 and PAX Arena. While his 17th place at Pound 2016 may seem disappointing, SFAT could realistically make top 8 at Summit 2 if he upsets Mew2King the way he did at Genesis 3.Silent Wolf
: While Leffen was originally the tenth invited player, his visa issues led Beyond the Summit to choose Silent Wolf as his replacement. While Silent Wolf’s national attendance is infrequent, he’s made every appearance count. Coming off a recent sponsorship from Team Secret and a top 8 performance at Battle of the Five Gods, Silent Wolf is poised to make waves at Smash Summit 2.ESAM
: Despite being one of the first candidates to be voted in, ESAM has been no stranger to controversy. As a player primarily known for Smash 4 and Brawl, ESAM is viewed by many as undeserving of his spot as a Summit guest despite qualifying through his performance at The Big House 5. While he’s seeded to go 0-2 in bracket, his appearance at Summit 2 should give him well-deserved practice and bring in an audience that may not have otherwise spectated the tournament.PewPewU
: The 9th Place Master, PewPewU, rounds out the NorCal trio with Shroomed and SFAT. Given his recent losses to Plup and a recent win against Ice, PewPewU’s ability to finally break into top 8 may hinge on how well he can play the Ice Climbers matchup against Wobbles. However, regardless of singles performance, PewPewU and SFAT could still come out on top in doubles the way they did at the first Summit.
Ice
: The undisputed #1 in Germany, Ice was voted into Smash Summit 2 thanks to the unity of the European community. With his top 8 performance at Genesis 3, where he defeated Plup and Javi, Ice proved he’s capable of becoming one of the best players in the world even without living in a stacked region. However, he’s expressed dismay with his CPU training partners and is looking to use Summit 2 as an opportunity to learn.s2j
: The only Captain Falcon player in attendance, s2j, has been on the come up recently, with top 8 placings at both PAX Arena and Pound 2016. However, a similar placing may be difficult to come by at Summit 2 where he’s seeded to play Hungrybox round 1. Regardless, side events could show viewers more of what this top 20 player is capable of.Duck
: Having narrowly lost the popular vote, the Midwest’s best player was chosen to replace Hax, who had to drop out due to health issues. Given his consistently high placings at nationals including 5th place at Dreamhack, Duck is capable of taking out many of the featured players. Expect an intense money match between him and ESAM during one of the earlier days.Wobbles
: After an unexpectedly low placing at Genesis 3, many fans were uncertain about whether or not Wobbles would be able to live up to his pre-retirement performance. However, his 4th place finish at Battle of the Five Gods showed he still has what it takes to compete with top 15 players. With recent wins over almost half the Summit invitees, Wobbles is definitely capable of replicating his performance at Battle of the Five Gods.Schedule
(All times are PST)
Thursday:
12:00 Crew Draft
1:00 Shared Controller
3:30 Smash Challenge
5:00 Iron Man
7:30 VIP Doubles
8:00 Mafia
Friday:
12:00 Rivals of Aether
2:30 Draft Crew Battle
9:30 Mafia
Saturday:
12:00 Doubles
4:00 Singles
9:30 Mafia
Sunday:
12:00 Doubles Top 4
2:15 Singles Top 12
3:30 Singles Top 8
Stream
