Nintendo didn't invite the top player of its longest-running esports title, Super Smash Bros. Melee, to its biggest (and likely only) tournament of the year. Juan "Hungrybox" Debiedma isn't exactly salty that he won't be playing at the E3 Invitational next month; he's more disbelieving.
"It's not as outlandish as flat earth," said Debiedma over the phone yesterday. "But I was surprised, to say the least."
Masaya "aMSa" Chikamoto has been on a tear at this weekend's Smash Summit 6, and yesterday he pulled off an upset on one of Melee's best players.
One of the world's top Super Smash Bros. players recently knocked Nintendo for not sufficiently supporting the scene and said he hoped that Nintendo heard him. Last week in Los Angeles, they did -- after we played a clip of his speech to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime.
Juan "Hungrybox" Debiedma had just come off a long tournament run of beating some of the best in Super Smash Bros. Melee when he took to the stage for a winner's interview. Debiedma used the opportunity to hold an impassioned rally for the grassroots that makes Smash happen, with choice words for a "certain company".
The final day of DreamHack Austin was filled to the brim with explosive Melee plays, from Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman's incredible run through the loser's side of the bracket to Daniel "ChuDat" Rodriguez taking down some of the game's finest on his road to the top. Comparatively, the grand finals of Melee were a little disappointing.
Juan "Hungrybox" Debiedma has finally taken out top prize at EVO, winning 2016's Smash tournament after beating Sweden's Adam "Armada" Lindgren in the Grand Final.
Star Super Smash Bros. player Juan "Hungrybox" Debiedma won first place in the fighting game's Dreamhack tournament this weekend, making him the first American Smash pro to do so on European soil. The post-game interview he gave immediately after winning quickly turned personal.
