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{{Title|''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' in competitive play}}
{{ArticleIcons|ssbm=y|competitive=y}}
{{ArticleIcons|ssbm=y|competitive=y}}
''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' has been played competitively since its inception in 2001 (although it started with relatively low popularity until 2003), with the first ever ''Melee'' tournament being the Nintendo-sponsored {{Trn|Premium Fight}}, held months before the game's release. ''Melee'' continues to thrive in the competitive scene to this day. The scene has gone through several "eras" of smashers: the "Golden Age", the "era of The Five Gods", the "Platinum Age", the "Chaos Age", and the "Rise of Netplay".
{{Out of date||2020}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' in competitive play}}
''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' has been played competitively since its inception in 2001 (although it started with relatively low popularity until 2003), and it continues to thrive in the competitive scene to this day. The scene has gone through several "eras" of smashers, the "Golden Age", "era of The Five Gods", "the Platinum Age" "Chaos Era" and "The Rise of Netplay".


==Early history (2001-2004)==
==Early history (2001-2004)==
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==The "Golden Age" (2004-2008)==
==The "Golden Age" (2004-2008)==
[[File:Pcchrislasvegas.jpg|thumb|{{Sm|PC Chris}} after winning [[MLG Las Vegas 2006]].]]
[[File:Pcchrislasvegas.jpg|thumb|right|{{Sm|PC Chris}} after winning [[MLG Las Vegas 2006]].]]
The '''Golden Age''' of ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' kicked off with Major League Gaming's addition of the game to its largest tournaments, such as [[MLG New York 2004]]. Following large public interest in these early events, MLG began expanding its presence in the ''Melee'' scene, featuring the Nintendo game at more and more of its big events. {{Sm|Ken}}, {{Sm|Azen}}, {{Sm|ChuDat}}, {{Sm|Isai}}, {{Sm|PC Chris}}, and {{Sm|KoreanDJ}} competed with a rising star in the form of {{Sm|Mew2King}} for the top spots at MLG tournaments in 2005 and 2006; Ken was notably dubbed the "King of Smash" for his incredibly consistent level of dominance at these events. Major League Gaming's professional sponsorship resulted in large prize pools compared to the number of competitors (PC Chris won $10,000 for his victory at [[MLG Las Vegas 2006]]), creating a solid foundation for the nation's top players and the competitive community as a whole.
The '''Golden Age''' of ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' kicked off with Major League Gaming's addition of the game to its largest tournaments, such as [[MLG New York 2004]]. Following large public interest in these early events, MLG began expanding its presence in the ''Melee'' scene, featuring the Nintendo game at more and more of its big events. {{Sm|Ken}}, {{Sm|Azen}}, {{Sm|ChuDat}}, {{Sm|Isai}}, {{Sm|PC Chris}}, and {{Sm|KoreanDJ}} competed with a rising star in the form of {{Sm|Mew2King}} for the top spots at MLG tournaments in 2005 and 2006; Ken was notably dubbed the "King of Smash" for his incredibly consistent level of dominance at these events. Major League Gaming's professional sponsorship resulted in large prize pools compared to the number of competitors (PC Chris won $10,000 for his victory at [[MLG Las Vegas 2006]]), creating a solid foundation for the nation's top players and the competitive community as a whole.


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==The "Dark Age" and the era of "The Five Gods" (2008-2013)==
==The "Dark Age" and the era of "The Five Gods" (2008-2013)==
[[File:GENESIS grand finals.jpg|thumb|A photo of the crowd reaction during the grand finals between {{Sm|Mango}} and {{Sm|Armada}} at [[GENESIS]], the largest tournament of 2009.]]
[[File:GENESIS grand finals.jpg|thumb|right|A photo of the crowd reaction during the grand finals between {{Sm|Mango}} and {{Sm|Armada}} at [[GENESIS]], the largest tournament of 2009.]]
[[File:The Five Gods.jpg|thumb|A fan artwork of the Five Gods of ''Melee'', created by DeviantArt user [https://www.deviantart.com/moxie2d/art/THE-FIVE-GODS-Super-Smash-Bros-Melee-528749196 moxie2D].]]
After Nintendo released its newest ''Smash Bros.'' game, ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', in March 2008, ''Melee'' players questioned the survivability of their game as much of the community moved on to the new title. These fears turned out to be true, as 2008, commonly known as the '''Dark Age''' of ''Melee'', became completely dominated by the ''Brawl'' scene; not a single ''Melee'' major was held for around a year, and the few small tournaments held registered paltry attendance numbers compared to those of just the year before. The ''Melee'' scene remained stagnant until {{sm|Alukard}} held [[Revival of Melee]] in Nanuet, New York, in March 2009. This tournament was the first American event to feature ''Melee''{{'}}s best players from across the country (such as {{sm|Mew2King}}, {{sm|Mango}}, {{sm|PC Chris}}, and {{sm|Azen}}) since [[Pound 3]] in February 2008, and was the beginning of a gradual revival in tournament attendance back to pre-''Brawl'' levels. The renewed surge in attendance was aided by the fact that many ''Melee'' players disliked the slower, less combo-oriented gameplay of ''Brawl'' and returned to the former game shortly after its release. While [[EVO]] and [[Major League Gaming]] added ''Brawl'' to their major tournaments, the ''Melee'' community held on through a strong grassroots presence. ''Melee'' players' desires to remain a strong presence in the ''Smash'' scene led to the hosting of bigger and bigger tournaments, including [[GENESIS]] and [[Pound 4]], and ''Melee'' was able to maintain tournament numbers similar to those of ''Brawl'', even though the 2008 game attracted more newer ''Smash'' players than its predecessor.
After Nintendo released its [[Super Smash Bros. Brawl|newest]] ''Smash Bros.'' game in March 2008, ''Melee'' players questioned the survivability of their game as much of the community moved on to the new title. These fears turned out to be true, as 2008, commonly known as the '''Dark Age''' of ''Melee'', became completely dominated by the ''Brawl'' scene; not a single ''Melee'' major was held for around a year, and the few small tournaments held registered paltry attendance numbers compared to those of just the year before. The ''Melee'' scene remained stagnant until {{sm|Alukard}} held [[Revival of Melee]] in Nanuet, New York, in March 2009. This tournament was the first American event to feature ''Melee''{{'}}s best players from across the country (such as {{sm|Mew2King}}, {{sm|Mango}}, {{sm|PC Chris}}, and {{sm|Azen}}) since [[Pound 3]] in February 2008, and was the beginning of a gradual revival in tournament attendance back to pre-''Brawl'' levels. The renewed surge in attendance was aided by the fact that many ''Melee'' players disliked the slower, less combo-oriented gameplay of ''Brawl'' and returned to the former game shortly after its release. While [[EVO]] and [[Major League Gaming]] added ''Brawl'' to their major tournaments, the ''Melee'' community held on through a strong grassroots presence. ''Melee'' players' desires to remain a strong presence in the ''Smash'' scene led to the hosting of bigger and bigger tournaments, including [[GENESIS]] and [[Pound 4]], and ''Melee'' was able to maintain tournament numbers similar to those of ''Brawl'', even though the 2008 game attracted more newer ''Smash'' players than its predecessor.


Following the declining activity of ''Melee''{{'}}s strongest players, such as {{Sm|Ken}}, {{Sm|KoreanDJ}}, Azen, and PC Chris, the tournaments of this age were dominated by '''The Five Gods''': the five very best players of ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' throughout this time period. These five players, {{Sm|Armada}}, {{Sm|Hungrybox}}, {{Sm|Mango}}, {{Sm|Mew2King}}, and {{Sm|PPMD}}, won nearly every ''Melee'' tournament where at least two of them were in attendance from 2008 to 2015, while rarely losing tournament sets to players not among the gods themselves. The sole exception was {{Trn|Don't Go Down There Jeff}}, where Mango sandbagged for part of the tourney.
Following the declining activity of ''Melee''{{'}}s strongest players, such as {{Sm|Ken}}, {{Sm|KoreanDJ}}, Azen, and PC Chris, the tournaments of this age were dominated by '''The Five Gods''': the five very best players of ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' throughout this time period. These five players, {{Sm|Armada}}, {{Sm|Hungrybox}}, {{Sm|Mango}}, {{Sm|Mew2King}}, and {{Sm|PPMD}}, won nearly every ''Melee'' tournament where at least two of them were in attendance from 2008 to 2015, while rarely losing tournament sets to players not among the gods themselves. The sole exception was {{Trn|Don't Go Down There Jeff}}, where Mango sandbagged for part of the tourney.
==The "Platinum Age" (2013-2018)==
==The "Platinum Age" (2013-2018)==
[[File:Mango Evo 2013.jpg|thumb|{{Sm|Mango}} celebrates his victory at [[EVO 2013]].]]
[[File:Mango Evo 2013.jpg|thumb|right|{{Sm|Mango}} celebrates his victory at [[EVO 2013]].]]
[[File:TSBLogo.jpg|thumb|{{Sm|Samox}}'s documentary ''[[The Smash Brothers]]'' helped lead to a huge increase in ''Melee''{{'}}s popularity.]]
[[File:TSBLogo.jpg|thumb|right|{{Sm|Samox}}'s documentary ''[[The Smash Brothers]]'' helped lead to a huge increase in ''Melee''{{'}}s popularity.]]
The era of ''Melee'' after 2013 became known as the '''Platinum Age''', characterized by an unprecedented, explosive spike in attendance numbers, and another transition from a largely grassroots scene to an increased connection and involvement with the rest of the eSports community. After EVO's announcement of a donation drive to feature an eighth title at the world's largest fighting game tournament, [[Melee It On Me]] and other groups organized efforts that raised nearly $95,000, allowing ''Melee'' to become the final featured game at EVO. Hosted from July 12th-14th, 2013, EVO drew a staggering 709 entrants, becoming the largest ''Melee'' tournament of all time. The tournament surpassed [[Pound 4]], the previous record holder, by twice as many entrants, and was the third largest game at EVO, even though it had not been featured in the series since 2007.  
The era of ''Melee'' after 2013 became known as the '''Platinum Age''', characterized by an unprecedented, explosive spike in attendance numbers, and another transition from a largely grassroots scene to an increased connection and involvement with the rest of the eSports community. After EVO's announcement of a donation drive to feature an eighth title at the world's largest fighting game tournament, [[Melee It On Me]] and other groups organized efforts that raised nearly $95,000, allowing ''Melee'' to become the final featured game at EVO. Hosted from July 12th-14th, 2013, EVO drew a staggering 709 entrants, becoming the largest ''Melee'' tournament of all time. The tournament surpassed [[Pound 4]], the previous record holder, by twice as many entrants, and was the third largest game at EVO, even though it had not been featured in the series since 2007.  


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The excitement and energy generated by these three tournaments led to increased attention from the eSports scene as a whole, despite the fighting game community's persistent refusal to recognize ''Smash'' as one of their own. Many of the largest names in the competitive gaming industry, such as [[Cloud 9]], [[Team Curse]], and [[Evil Geniuses]], began sponsoring ''Melee''{{'}}s top players, creating further growth and interest from other members of the gaming community. [[Nintendo]] was initially extremely hostile towards the competitive ''Melee'' scene, as showcased by its attempt to block the streaming of the ''Melee'' portion of EVO 2013 (and, as later discovered, to shut down the event entirely). However, 2014 saw a completely unexpected turnaround, as [[Reggie Fils-Aimé]] of Nintendo of America made a guest appearance through video at EVO 2014 just a year later, congratulating the tournament's top eight finalists, and the company has even sponsored tournaments such as [[Apex 2015]]. 2014 also marked the release of ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', but the game's release had no real effect on attendance for the ''Melee'' scene, as the ''Melee'' fanbase continued to play the older game instead of moving onto ''Smash 4'' due to the latter game lacking the speed and technical demand that ''Melee'' had, similar to ''Brawl'' (but not to the same extent). Since ''Smash 4''{{'}}s release, ''Melee'' has continued to set new attendance milestones; Apex 2015 broke the 1,000 entrant mark in the winter of 2015, and [[EVO 2015]]'s 1,869 entrants topped even its previous years, setting a record for the largest ''Melee'' tournament of all time.   
The excitement and energy generated by these three tournaments led to increased attention from the eSports scene as a whole, despite the fighting game community's persistent refusal to recognize ''Smash'' as one of their own. Many of the largest names in the competitive gaming industry, such as [[Cloud 9]], [[Team Curse]], and [[Evil Geniuses]], began sponsoring ''Melee''{{'}}s top players, creating further growth and interest from other members of the gaming community. [[Nintendo]] was initially extremely hostile towards the competitive ''Melee'' scene, as showcased by its attempt to block the streaming of the ''Melee'' portion of EVO 2013 (and, as later discovered, to shut down the event entirely). However, 2014 saw a completely unexpected turnaround, as [[Reggie Fils-Aimé]] of Nintendo of America made a guest appearance through video at EVO 2014 just a year later, congratulating the tournament's top eight finalists, and the company has even sponsored tournaments such as [[Apex 2015]]. 2014 also marked the release of ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', but the game's release had no real effect on attendance for the ''Melee'' scene, as the ''Melee'' fanbase continued to play the older game instead of moving onto ''Smash 4'' due to the latter game lacking the speed and technical demand that ''Melee'' had, similar to ''Brawl'' (but not to the same extent). Since ''Smash 4''{{'}}s release, ''Melee'' has continued to set new attendance milestones; Apex 2015 broke the 1,000 entrant mark in the winter of 2015, and [[EVO 2015]]'s 1,869 entrants topped even its previous years, setting a record for the largest ''Melee'' tournament of all time.   


While The Five Gods had continued to dominate ''Melee'' majors in the new era, notably featuring {{Sm|Mango}}'s two wins at EVO 2013 and 2014, {{Sm|Leffen}} and {{Sm|Plup}} had emerged as true challengers to them, and are the only two players who have defeated all five in a tournament set. Following his rise in 2014, Leffen won [[B.E.A.S.T 5]], marking the first non-God victory at a major with at least two in attendance since 2008; he won his first American major, [[CEO 2015]], that same year, with three of the gods present. He also won [[Get On My Level 2016]], defeating four gods all in a row without dropping a set. Plup became the second player after Leffen to win a major with two or more gods in attendance, taking [[DreamHack Atlanta 2017]] over Hungrybox and Mew2King; he then won [[GENESIS 5]], winning over Mango and Armada, and double eliminating Hungrybox.
While The Five Gods had continued to dominate ''Melee'' majors in the new era, notably featuring {{Sm|Mango}}'s two wins at EVO 2013 and 2014, {{Sm|Leffen}} and {{Sm|Plup}} had emerged as true challengers to them, and are the only two players who have defeated all five in a tournament set. Following his rise in 2014, Leffen won [[B.E.A.S.T 5]], marking the first non-God victory at a major with at least two in attendance since 2008; he won his first American major, [[CEO 2015]], that same year, with three of the gods present. He also won [[Get On My Level 2016]], defeating four gods all in a row without dropping a set. Plup became the second player after Leffen to win a major with two or more gods in attendance, taking [[DreamHack Atlanta 2017]] over Hungrybox and Mew2King; he would go on to win [[GENESIS 5]], winning over Mango and Armada, and double eliminating Hungrybox.


There are some players whose level of skill lies just below the top players; these players are most commonly considered the "demi-gods". These players are known to frequently earn high placings in large tournaments, and even occasionally take sets off of the gods and other top players, but have yet to achieve the skill level or consistency of the players above them. In addition, {{Sm|Fly Amanita}} and {{Sm|Wobbles}} have each taken sets off of four of the gods, except for {{Sm|Armada}}. <!--https://twitter.com/TempoAxe/status/556216820450209793 Axe does not consider his Pound 4 win over PPMD to be a "god victory".-->{{Sm|Axe}}<!--Please do not add wins against PPMD that happened prior to Revival of Melee 3 (for example, don't include Lucky's or Axe's wins from Pound 4 against him, as PPMD was not considered in contention for "god status" at the time) or wins where Mango was playing as Scorpion Master.-->, {{Sm|Zain}}, {{Sm|aMSa}}, {{Sm|Westballz}}, {{Sm|Shroomed}}, {{Sm|PewPewU}}, SFAT, {{Sm|ChuDat}}, {{Sm|Lucky}}, and {{Sm|Hax}} have each beaten three of the gods.
There are several players whose level of skill lies just below the top players; {{Sm|iBDW}}, {{Sm|S2J}}, {{Sm|Fiction}}, and {{Sm|SFAT}} are currently the players most commonly considered the "demi-gods". These four players are known to frequently earn high placings in large tournaments, as well as for occasionally taking sets off of the gods and Leffen/Plup, but have yet to achieve the skill level or consistency of the players above them. In addition, {{Sm|Fly Amanita}} and {{Sm|Wobbles}} have each taken sets off of four of the gods, except for {{Sm|Armada}}. <!--https://twitter.com/TempoAxe/status/556216820450209793 Axe does not consider his Pound 4 win over PPMD to be a "god victory".-->{{Sm|Axe}}<!--Please do not add wins against PPMD that happened prior to Revival of Melee 3 (for example, don't include Lucky's or Axe's wins from Pound 4 against him, as PPMD was not considered in contention for "god status" at the time) or wins where Mango was playing as Scorpion Master.-->, {{Sm|Zain}}, {{Sm|aMSa}}, {{Sm|Westballz}}, {{Sm|Shroomed}}, {{Sm|PewPewU}}, SFAT, {{Sm|ChuDat}}, {{Sm|Lucky}}, and {{Sm|Hax}} have each beaten three of the gods.


Moreover, the ''Melee'' metagame has seen a major shift towards {{SSBM|Fox}}, the current undisputed best character in the game, sitting at the #1 spot on the [[tier]] list. Fox's incredible speed, mobility, combo ability, and KO power has given him a major increase in popularity far above the rest of the top tiers. Many former mains of other characters have picked up Fox as a main, attempting to improve their results by playing a more tournament-viable character. Most notably, Armada picked up the character to complement his {{SSBM|Peach}}, while {{Sm|Hax}} switched over completely from {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}.
Moreover, the ''Melee'' metagame has seen a major shift towards {{SSBM|Fox}}, the current undisputed best character in the game, sitting at the #1 spot on the [[tier]] list. Fox's incredible speed, mobility, combo ability, and KO power has given him a major increase in popularity far above the rest of the top tiers. Many former mains of other characters have picked up Fox as a main, attempting to improve their results by playing a more tournament-viable character. Most notably, Armada picked up the character to complement his {{SSBM|Peach}}, while {{Sm|Hax}} switched over completely from {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}}.
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<small><nowiki/>*Mew2King forfeited in losers after losing to PPMD at [[Pound V]] and Wobbles at [[Apex 2012]].</small>
<small><nowiki>*</nowiki>Mew2King forfeited in losers after losing to PPMD at [[Pound V]] and Wobbles at [[Apex 2012]].</small>


<small><nowiki/>**Mango was sandbagging under his Scorpion Master alias.</small>
<small><nowiki>**</nowiki>Mango was sandbagging under his Scorpion Master alias.</small>


==The "Chaos Age" and "The Fall of the Five Gods" (2018-2020)==
==The "Chaos Era" and "The Fall of the Five Gods" (2018-2020)==
Towards 2016 and onward, many of the Five Gods stepped out of competitive ''Melee'' play. {{Sm|PPMD}} announced a hiatus in March 2016, citing numerous health issues. He returned to streaming ''Melee'' in 2019, though he is unsure of his future in bracket. {{Sm|Armada}} formally retired from ''Melee'' once again in September 2018.
Towards 2016 and onward, many of the Five Gods stepped out of competitive ''Melee'' play. {{Sm|PPMD}} announced a hiatus in March 2016, citing numerous health issues. He would return to streaming ''Melee'' in 2019, though he is unsure of his future in bracket. {{Sm|Armada}} formally retired from ''Melee'' once again in September 2018.


The release of ''Ultimate'' saw many top ''Melee'' players give the new game a fair shot, as was done with ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4''. Unlike with those games, however, a significant portion of those ''Melee'' players continued to play ''Ultimate'' well after its release. All of the Five Gods, save for PPMD, and many other top Melee players have frequently live streamed the game and have entered ''Ultimate'' singles. Mew2King took a hiatus from ''Melee'' to play ''Ultimate'' and did not compete in ''Melee'' singles for 8 months until {{Trn|The Big House 9}}. Although {{Sm|Leffen}} continued to play ''Melee'', he put a large amount of focus on ''Ultimate'' and achieved moderate success in bracket, culminating in him winning {{Trn|DreamHack Winter 2019}}. He ultimately redirected his focus back to ''Melee'', citing issues with ''Ultimate''’s online service and his small local scene making it difficult for him to improve, among many other factors. After deciding to play ''Smash'' full-time, {{Sm|Hungrybox}} picked up {{SSBU|Jigglypuff}} and decided to commit more time to ''Ultimate'' while also commentating at several ''Ultimate'' tournaments. Several players have made good bracket runs as well: Wizzrobe impressively making top 8 for both ''Melee'' and ''Ultimate'' at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}}; Plup had placed 17th at {{Trn|EVO 2019}} and The Big House 9; and {{Sm|Armada}} had placed 17th at {{Trn|Mainstage}} and The Big House 9. Still others have seen less success in the game but acknowledge its importance, with {{Sm|Mango}} commonly stating that ''Ultimate'' has made him a better ''Melee'' player.
The release of ''Ultimate'' saw many top ''Melee'' players give the new game a fair shot, as was done with ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4''. Unlike with those games, however, a significant portion of those ''Melee'' players continued to play ''Ultimate'' well after its release. All of the Five Gods, save for PPMD, and many other top Melee players have frequently live streamed the game and have entered ''Ultimate'' singles. Mew2King took a hiatus from ''Melee'' to play ''Ultimate'' and did not compete in ''Melee'' singles for 8 months until {{Trn|The Big House 9}}. Although {{Sm|Leffen}} continued to play ''Melee'', he put a large amount of focus on ''Ultimate'' and achieved moderate success in bracket, culminating in him winning {{Trn|DreamHack Winter 2019}}. He ultimately redirected his focus back to ''Melee'', citing issues with ''Ultimate''’s online service and his small local scene making it difficult for him to improve, among many other factors. After deciding to play ''Smash'' full-time, {{Sm|Hungrybox}} picked up {{SSBU|Jigglypuff}} and decided to commit more time to ''Ultimate'' while also commentating at several ''Ultimate'' tournaments. Several players have made good bracket runs as well: Wizzrobe impressively making top 8 for both ''Melee'' and ''Ultimate'' at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}}; Plup had placed 17th at {{Trn|EVO 2019}} and The Big House 9; and {{Sm|Armada}} had placed 17th at {{Trn|Mainstage}} and The Big House 9. Still others have seen less success in the game but acknowledge its importance, with {{Sm|Mango}} commonly stating that ''Ultimate'' has made him a better ''Melee'' player.


2018 and 2019 marked a period of Hungrybox’s dominance; he won nine ''Melee'' tournaments in a row, starting from {{Trn|DreamHack Montreal 2018}} to {{Trn|Pound 2019}} before finally placing 2nd at {{Trn|Come to Papa 3}}. He still continued to place well and win other majors, placing 1st at {{Trn|CEO 2019}}, {{Trn|Low Tier City 7}}, {{Trn|Shine 2019}}, and Mainstage. This has sparked renewed discussion on {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}’s placement on the tier list, with Armada claiming that Jigglypuff is currently the best character in the game. Hungrybox’s dominance with what many perceived to be a highly defensive play style sparked discussion of a ledge grab limit, with one later being enforced at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2019}} and Mainstage.  
2018 and 2019 marked a period of Hungrybox’s dominance; he won 9 Melee tournaments in a row, starting from {{Trn|DreamHack Montreal 2018}} to {{Trn|Pound 2019}} before finally placing 2nd at {{Trn|Come to Papa 3}}. He would still continue to place well and win other majors, placing 1st at {{Trn|CEO 2019}}, {{Trn|Low Tier City 7}}, {{Trn|Shine 2019}}, and Mainstage. This has sparked renewed discussion on {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}’s placement on the tier list, with Armada claiming that Jigglypuff is currently the best character in the game. Hungrybox’s dominance with what many perceived to be a highly defensive play style sparked discussion of a ledge grab limit, with one later being enforced at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2019}} and Mainstage.  


Many new players also went on to defeat the remaining gods and win majors, some with unconventional characters. At {{Trn|EVO 2018}}, {{Sm|Swedish Delight}} defeated {{Sm|Armada}} early in winners, and Armada made an impressive losers run only to lose to {{Sm|Leffen}} in Grand Finals, marking Leffen’s first EVO win. {{Sm|Zain}} claimed victory at {{Trn|Shine 2018}} over Mango and Hungrybox and has continued to be a threat to the gods; he later went on to win his first supermajor at {{Trn|GENESIS 7}} as well, once again defeating Mango and Hungrybox. Wizzrobe earned his first supermajor victory at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}} by double-eliminating Hungrybox, marking the first ''Melee'' supermajor won by a solo {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} main since {{Sm|Isai}} at {{Trn|MOAST 3}} all the way back in 2005. Similarly, {{Sm|Axe}} took 1st at {{Trn|Smash Summit 8}} while defeating Zain, Mango, Leffen, and Wizzrobe, marking Axe’s first supermajor win and the first ever major win by a solo {{SSBM|Pikachu}}. The rise of unorthodox characters has spurred renewed interest in ''Melee'', and rise of many new challengers to the Gods has signaled the end of their reign.  
Many new players would also go on to defeat the remaining gods and win majors, some with unconventional characters. At {{Trn|EVO 2018}}, {{Sm|Swedish Delight}} defeated {{Sm|Armada}} early in winners, and Armada would make an impressive losers run only to lose to {{Sm|Leffen}} in Grand Finals, marking Leffen’s first EVO win. {{Sm|Zain}} would claim victory at {{Trn|Shine 2018}} over Mango and Hungrybox and has continued to be a threat to the gods; he would later go on to win his first supermajor at {{Trn|GENESIS 7}} as well, once again defeating Mango and Hungrybox. Wizzrobe would get his first supermajor victory at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}} by double-eliminating Hungrybox, marking the first ''Melee'' supermajor won by a solo {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} main since {{Sm|Isai}} at {{Trn|MOAST 3}} all the way back in 2005. Similarly, {{Sm|Axe}} would take 1st at {{Trn|Smash Summit 8}} while defeating Zain, Mango, Leffen, and Wizzrobe, marking Axe’s first supermajor win and the first ever major win by a solo {{SSBM|Pikachu}}. The rise of unorthodox characters has spurred renewed interest in Melee, and rise of many new challengers to the Gods has signaled the end of their reign.  


In February 2019, it was revealed that {{Trn|EVO}}, the tournament series responsible for ''Melee''{{'}}s rise in popularity in 2013, would not feature the game in its [[Tournament:EVO 2019|next incarnation]], instead relegating it to a side event. While arguably inevitable, this announcement drew some concern from the ''Melee'' fanbase, for it could possibly compel other fighting game tournaments to drop the game as well and thus lead to its eventual demise. Observers remarked, however, that worry over the exclusion of ''Melee'' from larger tournaments would do more damage to its popularity than the exclusion itself. ''Melee'' remained strong throughout the year even with the noticeable decline in interest thanks to the release of ''Ultimate'' and the reduced prominence of the Five Gods.
In February 2019, it was revealed that {{Trn|EVO}}, the tournament series responsible for ''Melee''{{'}}s rise in popularity in 2013, would not feature the game in its [[Tournament:EVO 2019|next incarnation]], instead relegating it to a side event. While arguably inevitable, this announcement drew some concern from the ''Melee'' fanbase, for it could possibly compel other fighting game tournaments to drop the game as well and thus lead to its eventual demise. Observers remarked, however, that worry over the exclusion of ''Melee'' from larger tournaments would do more damage to its popularity than the exclusion itself. ''Melee'' remained strong throughout the year even with the noticeable decline in interest thanks to the release of ''Ultimate'' and the reduced prominence of the Five Gods.


==The "Diamond Age" and The Rise of Netplay (2020-2024)==
==The Rise of Netplay (2020-present)==
{{main|COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on competitive Smash}}
{{main|COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on competitive Smash}}
{{main|2020 Super Smash Bros. sexual misconduct allegations}}
Going into 2020, ''Melee'' retained its stature from the previous year. The {{Trn|Smash World Tour 2020}} circuit, with tournaments for both ''Ultimate'' and ''Melee'', was established to provide players with a large, formalized prize pool across several major tournaments.
Going into 2020, ''Melee'' retained its stature from the previous year. The {{Trn|Smash World Tour 2020}} circuit, with tournaments for both ''Ultimate'' and ''Melee'', was established to provide players with a large, formalized prize pool across several major tournaments.


Similar to ''Ultimate''{{'}}s competitive scene, tournament activity for ''Melee'' took a hit as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with numerous tournaments being either delayed or cancelled, players remaining inside and not travelling abroad to attend the few tournaments that were open, and the [[MPGR]] and Smash World Tour being suspended to further dissuade players from attending in person events. Many ''Melee'' players began shifting to online netplay via modified versions of the [[Dolphin]] emulator, thus formally beginning an online tournament scene for the game. The use of delay-based netcode, however, meant international play was nearly impossible due to the drastic latency such long distance connections would introduce. Because of this, online tournaments were restricted to certain regions; as such, ''Melee'' tournament activity became far less common than that of ''Ultimate''. Despite this, several tournament series such as {{Trn|Rona Rumble|series}}, {{Trn|Untitled}}, and {{Trn|East Coast Fridays}}, managed to garner a regional-level size of attendance and many top players. Outside of these smaller scale tournaments, in place of Pound 2020 was {{Trn|Pound Online}}, which drew nearly 1000 entrants for ''Melee'' and had {{Sm|Zain}} beat out Hungrybox in grand finals.
Similar to ''Ultimate''{{'}}s competitive scene, tournament activity for ''Melee'' took a hit as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with numerous tournaments being either delayed or cancelled, players remaining inside and not travelling abroad to attend the few tournaments that were open, and the MPGR and Smash World Tour being suspended to further dissuade players from attending in person events. Unlike ''Ultimate'', however, ''Melee'' does not natively support online play, so players who wished to play matches with one another either had to risk travelling or use [[mod]]s that allow the game to be played over a network. This drew concerns from players who were averse to the logistical complications of mods, and as such ''Melee'' tournament activity became far less common than that of ''Ultimate''. In spite of this, some cancelled tournaments held online alternatives utilizing netplay: for instance, in place of Pound 2020 was {{Trn|Pound Online}}, which drew nearly 1000 entrants for ''Melee'' and had {{Sm|Zain}} beat out Hungrybox in grand finals.
 
As frustration with the state of netplay grew and online attendance waned, a surprise announcement was made on June 22nd, 2020. {{Sm|Fizzi}} had announced that the team behind [[Project Slippi]] had managed to incorporate [[Wikipedia:GGPO|rollback netcode]] into ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', allowing ''Melee'' netplay to work over large distances with little latency. With the arrival of a viable, practical alternative to major international tournaments, many ''Melee'' players, along with some ''Ultimate'' players who were frustrated with the game's online service, began flocking to the netplay scene, thus allowing it to thrive.
 
With the increased attention to Project Slippi, however, came concerns that Nintendo would soon go after it and cancel events running it. On November 19th, 2020, the team behind The Big House, a series which saw tournaments sponsored by Nintendo, announced that Nintendo had sent them a {{Iw|wikipedia|cease and desist}} letter over their use of Slippi for {{Trn|The Big House Online}}, the online replacement to the cancelled 10th installment of the tournament. This sparked outrage amongst the community and the hashtag "#FreeMelee" began trending on [[Twitter]] within minutes.
 
In July 2020, [[2020 Super Smash Bros. sexual misconduct allegations|numerous allegations of sexual misconduct]] were risen on over 125 members of the ''Smash'' community, including some of ''Melee''{{'}}s most well-known players and commentators. This resulted in many of these players being isolated from the community, and sparked widespread conversation over the unsafe environments created by ''Smash'' tournaments. Many community members argued that the largely grassroots nature of the tournament scene had failed to protect women and minors from sexual assault and sexual abuse.
 
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, online events continued with both minor and major hiccups including but not limited to Nintendo barring tournaments due to the use of Slippi. During this time period, Zain and Mango were widely considered to be the best players in North America, with them both taking numerous sets off each other at tournaments such as the {{Trn|Summit Champions League}}. This era saw the rise and decline of many players, most notably n0ne's rise to a likely top 10 spot, and Hungrybox's sub-par performance.
 
On July 15th, 2021, the first major offline tournament post-quarantine was held, {{Trn|Smash Summit 11}}. This marked the return of offline ''Melee'' and the continuation of in-person tournaments. The pandemic gave rise to a new generation of players nicknamed "Slippi kids" who started attending tournaments with varying results. Past Mango's win at Smash Summit 11, Zain's dominance continued into offline tournaments, with him taking 1st place at {{Trn|GENESIS 8}} and {{Trn|Pound 2022}}. This period in time also saw the rise of Sheik player {{Sm|Jmook}}, who placed just behind Zain to take 2nd place at his first offline major post-quarantine. Many players would take 1st place spots at major tournaments during the late spring and summer of 2022, such as Leffen at {{Trn|Battle of BC 4}}, Hungrybox at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2022}}, and iBDW at Smash Summit 13 and {{Trn|Double Down}}.
 
{{Trn|The Big House 10}}, held on October 7th, 2022, saw Japanese player {{Sm|aMSa}} finally win a ''Melee'' "supermajor". This win was noteworthy not only because The Big House 10 was considered to be the most difficult tournament of all time -- with 23 of the top 25-ranked players at the time having attended -- but because it was achieved solely with {{SSBM|Yoshi}}, a character long-considered to be mid-tier at best. As with Axe's Summit win in 2019, Amsa's 1st place finish at The Big House 10 with Yoshi would defend ''Melee'' against arguments of the game's limited number of tournament-viable characters.
 
The closing months of 2022 and beginning months of 2023 saw several harsh setbacks for competitive play, ''Melee'' included. November saw the cancellations of the {{Trn|Smash World Tour 2022}} and the {{Trn|Panda Cup}}. Due to the controversy that came with the cancellations, {{Team|Panda}} also disbanded, reverting the yearly rankings to the "SSBMRank" moniker. The beginning 2023 saw the end of the {{Trn|Smash Summit|series}} series following {{Team|Beyond the Summit}}'s dissolution, while other teams that had ''Melee'' rosters such as {{Team|Counter Logic Gaming}} followed suit or dropped their rosters.
 
Despite these setbacks, majors continued to flourish with little setback. Most notably, the first two majors of the year -- the supermajor {{Trn|GENESIS 9}} and the major {{Trn|Collision 2023}} -- were won by {{Sm|Jmook}}, marking the first major win for a solo-Sheik player. In addition, the {{Trn|Ludwig Ahgren Championship Series 5}} gave the community a supermajor invitational for the first half of the year, taking the place of the Smash Summit that would have ran around the same time.


==See also==
==See also==
*[[The Smash Brothers]] - documentary about seven of the greatest players before the era of the gods, with Mew2King and Mango being part of both groups
* [[The Smash Brothers]] - documentary about the seven greatest players before the era of the gods, Mew2King and Mango are part of both groups
*[[Metagame (documentary)]]
*[[Tournament rulesets (SSBM)]]
*[[Tournament rulesets (SSBM)]]
*[[Super Smash Bros. 64 in competitive play]]
*[[Super Smash Bros. 64 in competitive play]]
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==External links==
==External links==
* [http://smashboards.com/threads/history-of-a-smasher.290961/ Chillindude's ''History of a Smasher'' on SmashBoards]
* [http://smashboards.com/threads/history-of-a-smasher.290961/ Chillindude's ''History of a Smasher'' on SmashBoards]
* [https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/348106 Wife's ''Team Ben: A Year as a Professional Gamer'', an autobiography on the Golden Age of Melee]
* [https://bignokh.com/2017/01/26/smash-history-the-early-ages-2001-2003/ Smash History: The Early Ages (2001-2003)]
* [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzEAb-P9zkFw3mWc1792QBYWWMcbyAFEF YouTube playlist with nearly every single tournament set ever recorded with the Big Six]
* [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzEAb-P9zkFw3mWc1792QBYWWMcbyAFEF YouTube playlist with nearly every single tournament set ever recorded with the Big Six]


[[Category:Super Smash Bros. Melee]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. Melee]]
[[Category:Competitive play]]
[[Category:Competitive play]]

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