The Super Smash Bros. Melee community is reeling after organisers for the world’s biggest fighting game tournament, EVO, announced the game would not feature at EVO 2019.
The 18-year-old game has been a mainstay at fighting game tournaments for over a decade, pulling in hundreds of thousands of live viewers in its prime. Bolstered by well-loved competitive personalities like Joseph “Mango” Marquez, Juan “Hungrybox” Diebmada, and William “Leffen” Hjelte, Melee has remained well-watched even through this year, as exemplified by the game’s 125,000-strong viewership earlier this month at Genesis 6 — during the Super Bowl.
While Melee competitors can look forward to upcoming tournaments like CEO 2019, the game’s exclusion from the world’s premiere fighting game tournament sends a strong message to Melee lovers worldwide: It’s time for some new blood. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the series’ latest iteration released in December, is already generating an enormously hype and animated esports scene. And the last game announced by EVO organisers tonight was, in fact, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st], a lesser-known but well-received 2D fighting game.
In its announcement livestream today, EVO organisers played what could be described as a funeral video for Melee’s four-year-old EVO showing. Its conclusion reads, “Thanks Melee for these moments and so many others.”
EVO’s thank you video for Super Smash Bros. Melee pic.twitter.com/OG8DzW7R8c
— Wario64 (@Wario64) February 27, 2019
“This is a weird feeling,” said top Melee pro Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma on his Twitch stream tonight after minutes of silence. “I can’t even think of a good tweet.”
The organisers did, however, note that EVO will offer free water.
Comments
7 responses to “Super Smash Bros. Melee Won’t Be At Evo 2019”
The world is drowning in salt right now.
It was coming for a long time, either melee or brawl had to give. In the end it was melee on the chopping block.
About time IMO.
What are all those Melee players gonna do now instead? Shower?
Damn, reading people being crybabies about how they can’t play without controllers that are factory defective in a very specific way instead of just allowing 3rd party controllers like many, many other fighting games was hilarious.
I’m surprised it’s lasted this long, it’s a testament to the game, it’s community and the draw it’s held over the scene.
Most companies would give their souls for a game that’s stayed relevant for nearly 20 years.
oh damn, i was really hoping to watch fox vs marth again