Super Smash Bros. Weekend Preview: April 20-22, 2018
As the hype slowly builds for competitive Super Smash Bros.’s next major, Smash Summit 6, a number of organizations are holding smaller tournaments during the preceding weeks. This weekend features two exciting tournaments in two very different parts of the United States.
Flatiron 3
Although this event, held in the picturesque city of Boulder, Colorado, is not quite a major, it’s a super-regional that represents some of the highest-level Melee that The Centennial State has ever seen. With 361 attendees and counting, the tournament’s stacked Melee field is headlined by William “Leffen” Hjelte, but also features nearly a dozen top-twenty level competitors, including Jeffrey “Axe” Williamson and Zachary “SFAT” Cordoni. Additionally, there are rumors swirling that Joseph “Mang0” Marquez might make a showing at the Rocky Mountains event.
On the Smash 4 side, the tournament is a bit smaller, but still features some top talent; Eric “ESAM” Lew and Jason “ANTi” Bates are among the favorites to win.
Aegis
Across the country from Flatiron 3, Case Western Reserve University and Kent State University are joining forces to host Aegis, a Midwest regional event boasting almost 300 total attendees. As with Flatiron, Aegis’ Melee bracket is more stacked than its Smash 4 counterpart, featuring elite player Justin “Plup” McGrath alongside high-level contenders such as Colin “Colbol” Green and Avery “Ginger” Wilson. Although Plup is exceedingly the favorite to take the event’s Melee Singles bracket, Aegis is a perfect opportunity for an up-and-comer to strut his or her stuff against the recently-minted god.
Aegis also features a Smash 4 with Panda Global-ranked talent such as Tyrell “NAKAT” Coleman and Aaron “dyr” Wilhite.
While neither of these tournaments (with the possible exception of Flatiron 3) will feature multiple gods, both provide great opportunities for viewers to check out up-and-coming players or spectate matchups that they normally wouldn’t get to see in Top 8. If you’re interested in taking a look, tune in to EndGameTV for Flatiron 3 or MeleeEveryday for Aegis!