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{{ongoing}}
{{ArticleIcons|ssbm=y|ssbu=y|competitive=y|online=y}}
{{ArticleIcons|ssbm=y|ssbu=y|competitive=y|online=y}}
{{Infobox Tournament Series
{{Infobox Tournament Series
|name = Panda Cup
|name = Panda Cup
|image = [[File:PandaCup.png|250px]]
|image = [[File:PandaCup.svg|250px|class=invert-dark]]
|founded = 2022
|founded = 2022
|region = North America
|region = North America
Line 10: Line 9:
|ssbuwinner =   
|ssbuwinner =   
|player(s) with most wins =  
|player(s) with most wins =  
|director = {{Team|Panda}}
|organizer = {{Team|Panda}}
|website = [https://pandacup.com/ Panda Cup website]
|website = [https://pandacup.com/ Panda Cup website]
}}
}}
The '''Panda Cup''' is an ongoing ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' tournament circuit organized by {{Team|Panda}} and is the first North American ''Super Smash Bros.'' circuit officially licensed by [[Nintendo]]. The circuit began on June 24th, 2022 and will conclude on December 18th, 2022. The championships will be held on December 16th-18th, 2022, with a Last Chance Qualifier held on December 15th, 2022. There will be a pot prize starting at $100,000.
The '''Panda Cup''' was a ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' tournament circuit organized by {{Team|Panda}} and was the first North American ''Super Smash Bros.'' circuit officially licensed by [[Nintendo]]. The circuit began on June 24th, 2022 and was planned to conclude on December 18th, 2022. The championships was planned to be held on December 16th-18th, 2022, with a Last Chance Qualifier held on December 15th, 2022, but the date was postponed on December 5th, 2022,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/PandaGlobal/status/1599631343159480321|title=Panda Cup Finale is postponed}}</ref> and eventually confirmed to be cancelled on November 23rd, 2023.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2DpSz8mpuA Dr Alan Reveals EVERYTHING That Happened w/ Panda! | Lights Out Episode 36]</ref> There was going to be a pot prize starting at $100,000.


==Format==
==Format==
[[File:Panda Cup regions.png|thumb|250px|Regions of the Panda Cup]]
[[File:Panda Cup regions.png|thumb|250px|Regions of the Panda Cup]]


32 players in each game will qualify for the finale through four different ways:
32 players in each game qualified for the finale through four different ways:


'''1. Featured Community Stops:''' 11 offline tournaments featured as community stops will have totals of 16 players qualifying for ''Melee'' and 18 players qualifying for ''Ultimate''. The number of qualifying spots for each tournament will range from 1 to 3 players. 6 tournaments will be qualifiers for both games, {{Trn|Saving Mr. Lombardi 3}} will be a qualifier for ''Melee'' only, and {{Trn|Almost Pro}}, {{Trn|Let's Make Moves: Miami}}, and {{Trn|Port Priority 7}} will be qualifiers for ''Ultimate'' only.
'''1. Featured Community Stops:''' 11 offline tournaments featured as community stops had totals of 16 players qualifying for ''Melee'' and 18 players qualifying for ''Ultimate''. The number of qualifying spots for each tournament ranged from 1 to 3 players. 6 tournaments were qualifiers for both games, {{Trn|Saving Mr. Lombardi 3}} was a qualifier for ''Melee'' only, and {{Trn|Almost Pro}}, {{Trn|Let's Make Moves Miami}}, and {{Trn|Port Priority 7}} were qualifiers for ''Ultimate'' only.


'''2. Panda Cup Online Qualifiers:''' 8 players will qualify through online tournaments for ''Ultimate'' only. There are 8 regions, with 4 qualifiers and a regional final for each. Points will be distributed to the Top 96 of each qualifier, with the Top 32 of each region's leaderboard invited to the regional finals. Players will be removed from Top 32 eligibility based on DQs, meaning the Top 32 indicated by points may not be final.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/8fsWo5z.png|title=PGstats Discord Jaaahsh message}}</ref> In the event of a tie in points for the regional finals spots, all of the tied players will be invited into the regional finals, even if it means more than 32 players will make up the bracket. The regional finals will be a double-elimination bracket with all sets Best of 5. The winner of each regional finals qualifies for the finale. Players must be 18 years or older to participate in the online tournaments, and registration is region-locked to the players living within each tournament's region.
'''2. Panda Cup Online Qualifiers:''' 8 players qualified through online tournaments for ''Ultimate'' only. There were 8 regions, with 4 qualifiers and a regional final for each. Points were distributed to the Top 96 of each qualifier, with the Top 32 of each region's leaderboard invited to the regional finals. Players were removed from Top 32 eligibility based on DQs, meaning the Top 32 indicated by points may not have been final.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/8fsWo5z.png|title=PGstats Discord Jaaahsh message}}</ref> In the event of a tie in points for the regional finals spots, all of the tied players would be invited into the regional finals, even if it meant more than 32 players would make up the bracket. The regional finals were a double-elimination bracket with all sets Best of 5. The winner of each regional finals qualified for the finale. Players had to be 18 years or older to participate in the online tournaments, and registration was region-locked to the players living within each tournament's region.


'''3. Expert Community Panel:''' A community panel for each game will determine the final players to be invited before the Last Chance Qualifier, inviting 12 players for ''Melee'' and 2 players for ''Ultimate''. The panels will include trusted members of the community, many of whom helped to create the [[MPGR]] and [[PGRU]]. Each panelist will create a list, and the lists will be combined and averaged to determine the invited players.
'''3. Expert Community Panel:''' A community panel for each game determined the final players that were invited before the Last Chance Qualifier, inviting 12 players for ''Melee'' and 2 players for ''Ultimate''. The panels included trusted members of the community, many of whom helped to create the [[MPGR]] and [[PGRU]]. Each panelist created a list, and the lists will be combined and averaged to determine the invited players. Only placements, wins, and losses at Panda Cup events counted for the panel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/PracticalTAS/status/1591812019061415937|title=PracticalTAS comment}}</ref>


The panel will judge players based on 4 criteria:
The panel judged players based on 4 criteria:
* Placement at Panda Cup events
* Placement at Panda Cup events
* Win rate against players who are qualified or with a higher seed at Panda Cup events
* Win rate against players who were qualified or with a higher seed at Panda Cup events
* Losses against qualified or higher seed players
* Losses against qualified or higher seed players
* Win/loss rate against other players who may be chosen by the panel
* Win/loss rate against other players who may have been chosen by the panel


'''4. Last Chance Qualifier:''' The {{Trn|Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier}} will be an offline bracket held the day before the finale, with the top 4 players of each game qualifying.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/KidLiquid/status/1576761760455208960|title=Top 4 qualify confirmation}}</ref>
'''4. Last Chance Qualifier:''' The {{Trn|Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier}} was going to be an offline bracket held the day before the finale, with the top 4 players of each game qualifying.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/KidLiquid/status/1576761760455208960|title=Top 4 qualify confirmation}}</ref>


In the {{Trn|Panda Cup Finale}}, the 32 qualified players of each game will face off. All finalists will earn complimentary travel and housing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.panda.gg/news/panda-cup-announcement|title=Panda Cup Announcement}}</ref>
In the {{Trn|Panda Cup Finale}}, the 32 qualified players of each game would face off. All finalists would earn complimentary travel and housing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.panda.gg/news/panda-cup-announcement|title=Panda Cup Announcement}}</ref>


===Online Qualifier scoring===
===Online Qualifier scoring===
Line 144: Line 143:


===Player qualification===
===Player qualification===
Players can only qualify once. If a player is already qualified, the next highest placing non-qualified player receives the spot.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/PandaCup/status/1542250018920202240|title=Qualification rules}}</ref> If a qualified player declines to participate, the qualifying spot will be transferred to the next highest ranked player in the event in which the declining player competed who is not otherwise qualified, following the tiebreaker rules listed below.
Players could only qualify once. If a player was already qualified, the next highest placing non-qualified player received the spot.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/PandaCup/status/1542250018920202240|title=Qualification rules}}</ref> If a qualified player declined to participate, the qualifying spot would be transferred to the next highest ranked player in the event in which the declining player competed who is not otherwise qualified, following the tiebreaker rules listed below.


In the event {{Trn|Panda Cup Finale}} qualifying spots require tiebreakers (for example, because one spot trickles down to 7th place, where there are two players), the following system is in place:
In the event {{Trn|Panda Cup Finale}} qualifying spots required tiebreakers (for example, because one spot trickled down to 7th place, where there are two players), the following system would be in place:


* If one spot has two claimants: both tied players face-off in a best-of-five set. The winner of this set claims the Panda Cup Finale spot.
* If one spot had two claimants: both tied players would face-off in a best-of-five set. The winner of this set would claim the Panda Cup Finale spot.
* If one spot has three or more claimants: a single-elimination bracket of best-of-five sets is played out, seeded based on initial event seeding. The winner of this bracket claims the Panda Cup Finale spot.
* If one spot had three or more claimants: a single-elimination bracket of best-of-five sets would be played out, seeded based on initial event seeding. The winner of this bracket would claim the Panda Cup Finale spot.
* If two spots have three or more claimants: a double-elimination bracket of best-of-five sets is set up. If the number of claimants is not a power of two (2, 4, 8, etc), the players with the lowest initial seedings begin in losers (leaving a power-of-two number of players in Winners). The players who make it to Grand Finals of this bracket claim the Panda Cup Finale spots.
* If two spots had three or more claimants: a double-elimination bracket of best-of-five sets would be set up. If the number of claimants was not a power of two (2, 4, 8, etc), the players with the lowest initial seedings would begin in losers (leaving a power-of-two number of players in Winners). The players who would make it to Grand Finals of this bracket would claim the Panda Cup Finale spots.
* If three spots have four or more claimants: a double-elimination bracket of best-of-five sets is set up. If the number of claimants is not a power of two (4, 8, etc), the players with the lowest initial seedings begin in losers (leaving a power-of-two number of players in Winners). The two players who make it to Winners Finals and the one player who makes it to Losers Finals of this bracket claim the Panda Cup Finale spots.
* If three spots had four or more claimants: a double-elimination bracket of best-of-five sets would be set up. If the number of claimants was not a power of two (4, 8, etc), the players with the lowest initial seedings would begin in losers (leaving a power-of-two number of players in Winners). The two players who would make it to Winners Finals and the one player who would make it to Losers Finals of this bracket would claim the Panda Cup Finale spots.
 
==Controversy==
{{main|Cancellation of Smash World Tour 2022}}
On November 29th, 2022, Smash World Tour released [https://medium.com/@smashworldtour/smash-world-tour-official-statement-f568a3d135c8 a document] detailing actions behind-the-scene that eventually led to its cancellation. The document had a specific section dedicated to the actions of Panda, specifically Panda's CEO Alan Bunney.
 
During the first few months of the year, Smash World Tour found that many tournament organizers were unwilling to participate in the Smash World Tour due to the actions of Bunney, who told the organizers that the circuit would either not happen in 2022, or would be quickly shut down if announced. Bunney also pressured tournaments to either not join the SWT or, if they were already in the circuit, to drop out, stating that tournaments in the SWT would not be part of the Panda Cup and also implying that they would not be safe from Nintendo. Notably, Bunney learned that {{Team|Beyond the Summit}} had the broadcasting rights to a few tournaments that Panda Cup wanted, so Bunney tried to force BTS to give up their streaming rights, threatening to get Nintendo involved if they didn't. The threat prove unsuccessful, and with many events declining the invitation, Panda eventually lifted their exclusivity rule. This led many tournaments that were in both the Panda Cup and the SWT to receive a license from Nintendo, surprising the SWT organizers, who were initially told by Nintendo that it was not possible.
 
The accusations in the document were supported by LD, the co-founder of BTS.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/LDeeep/status/1597728742343778304|title=LD on Panda}}</ref>
 
The document's release led to an outcry against Bunney and Panda, with many accusing them for causing the cancellation of the Smash World Tour 2022 and hurting the grassroots scene. Many prominent members of the community called for a boycott for the circuit and the [[Panda Cup Finale]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/nedPT_/status/1597737009132765184|title={{Sm|Ned}}'s boycott}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/aidencalvin/status/1597728832299360256|title={{Sm|Calvin}}'s boycott}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Fizzi36/status/1597732567947804672|title={{Sm|Fizzi}}'s call for boycott}}</ref> and within a few hours, many players who had qualified for the finale (such as {{Sm|Lima}} and {{Sm|Axe}}) or had planned to attend the [[Tournament:Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier|Last Chance Qualifier]] (such as {{Sm|Sparg0}} and {{Sm|Spark}}) announced that they were dropping out.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/z8be4p/comment/iyatga3/|title=List of players who dropped out}}, {{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/zaxd75/list_of_players_confirmed_to_have_dqed_from/|title=second post}}</ref> Some players were unable to drop out due to being contractually required to attend (such as Panda-sponsored player {{Sm|Plup}}), though this proved not to be an issue after the event itself was canceled.


==List of tournaments==
==List of tournaments==
Line 169: Line 178:
|{{Trn|The Big House 10}}||October 7th-9th||982||{{Sm|aMSa|Canada}}
|{{Trn|The Big House 10}}||October 7th-9th||982||{{Sm|aMSa|Canada}}
|-
|-
|{{Trn|Saving Mr. Lombardi 3}}||November 12th||TBD||TBD
|{{Trn|Saving Mr. Lombardi 3}}||November 12th||152||{{Sm|KoDoRiN|USA}}
|-
|-
|{{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2022}}||November 18th-20th||TBD||TBD
|{{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2022}}||November 18th-20th||196||{{Sm|SFOP|USA}}
|}
|}


Line 178: Line 187:
!Event!!Date!!Attendance!!Winner
!Event!!Date!!Attendance!!Winner
|-
|-
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier}}||December 15th||TBD||TBD
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier}}(cancelled)||&mdash;||&mdash;||&mdash;
|-
|-
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Finale}}||December 16th-18th||32||TBD
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Finale}}(cancelled)||&mdash;||32||&mdash;
|}
|}


Line 200: Line 209:
|{{Trn|The Big House 10}}||October 7th-9th||636||{{Sm|Riddles|Canada}}
|{{Trn|The Big House 10}}||October 7th-9th||636||{{Sm|Riddles|Canada}}
|-
|-
|{{Trn|Let's Make Moves: Miami}}||October 28th-30th||TBD||TBD
|{{Trn|Let's Make Moves Miami}}||October 28th-30th||467||{{Sm|acola|Japan}}
|-
|-
|{{Trn|Port Priority 7}}||November 12th-13th||TBD||TBD
|{{Trn|Port Priority 7}}||November 12th-13th||600||{{Sm|Tweek|USA}}
|-
|-
|{{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2022}}||November 18th-20th||TBD||TBD
|{{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2022}}||November 18th-20th||415||{{Sm|ApolloKage|USA}}
|}
|}


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|{{Trn|Panda Cup Online Qualifier: South-Central USA Regional Finals}}{{OnlineIcon}}||October 23rd||31||{{Sm|Deathspade|USA}}
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Online Qualifier: South-Central USA Regional Finals}}{{OnlineIcon}}||October 23rd||31||{{Sm|Deathspade|USA}}
|-
|-
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southwest USA Regional Finals}}{{OnlineIcon}}||October 29th||33||TBD
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southwest USA Regional Finals}}{{OnlineIcon}}||October 29th||33||{{Sm|Scend|USA}}
|-
|-
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mexico Regional Finals}}{{OnlineIcon}}||October 30th||32||TBD
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mexico Regional Finals}}{{OnlineIcon}}||October 30th||32||{{Sm|Chag|Mexico}}
|-
|-
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northeast NA Regional Finals}}{{OnlineIcon}}||November 5th||33||TBD
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northeast NA Regional Finals}}{{OnlineIcon}}||November 5th||33||{{Sm|Anarchy|Canada}}
|-
|-
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northwest NA Regional Finals}}{{OnlineIcon}}||November 6th||34||TBD
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northwest NA Regional Finals}}{{OnlineIcon}}||November 6th||34|| {{Sm|Justice|USA|p=Washington}}
|}
|}


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!Event!!Date!!Attendance!!Winner
!Event!!Date!!Attendance!!Winner
|-
|-
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier}}||December 15th||TBD||TBD
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier}}(cancelled)||&mdash;||&mdash;||&mdash;
|-
|-
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Finale}}||December 16th-18th||32||TBD
|{{Trn|Panda Cup Finale}}(cancelled)||&mdash;||32||&mdash;
|}
|}


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*{{Sm|Soonsay|Canada}}
*{{Sm|Soonsay|Canada}}
{{Trn|Saving Mr. Lombardi 3}}
{{Trn|Saving Mr. Lombardi 3}}
*TBD
*{{Sm|KoDoRiN|USA}}
|
|
{{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2022}}
{{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2022}}
*TBD
*{{Sm|Colbol|USA}}
*TBD
*{{Sm|Mew2King|USA}}
{{Trn|Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier}}
{{Trn|Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier}}
*TBD
*n/a
*TBD
*n/a
*TBD
*n/a
*TBD
*n/a
|}
|}


The following players were invited by panelists for ''Melee'':
The following players were invited by panelists for ''Melee'':
{|
|
*{{Sm|Axe|USA}}
*{{Sm|Eddy Mexico|Mexico}}
*{{Sm|Fiction|USA}}
|
*{{Sm|Ginger|USA}}
*{{Sm|Joshman|Australia}}
*{{Sm|Leffen|Sweden}}
|
*{{Sm|moky|Canada}}
*{{Sm|n0ne|Canada}}
*{{Sm|Panda|USA|p=Florida}}
|
*{{Sm|Pipsqueak|Sweden}}
*{{Sm|S2J|USA}}
*{{Sm|SFAT|USA}}
|}


===''Ultimate''===
===''Ultimate''===
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*{{Sm|Tweek|USA}}
*{{Sm|Tweek|USA}}
*{{Sm|MuteAce|USA}}
*{{Sm|MuteAce|USA}}
{{Trn|Let’s Make Moves: Miami}}
{{Trn|Let's Make Moves Miami}}
*TBD
*{{Sm|acola|Japan}}
{{Trn|Port Priority 7}}
{{Trn|Port Priority 7}}
*TBD
*{{Sm|Kurama|USA}}
|
|
{{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2022}}
{{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2022}}
*TBD
*{{Sm|ApolloKage|USA}}
*TBD
*{{Sm|Anathema|USA}}
{{Trn|Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier}}
{{Trn|Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier}}
*TBD
*n/a
*TBD
*n/a
*TBD
*n/a
*TBD
*n/a
|}
|}


Line 394: Line 421:
*[[Tournament:Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southeast USA Regional Finals|Southeast USA]]: {{Sm|Jake|USA}}
*[[Tournament:Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southeast USA Regional Finals|Southeast USA]]: {{Sm|Jake|USA}}
*[[Tournament:Panda Cup Online Qualifier: South-Central USA Regional Finals|South-Central USA]]: {{Sm|Deathspade|USA}}
*[[Tournament:Panda Cup Online Qualifier: South-Central USA Regional Finals|South-Central USA]]: {{Sm|Deathspade|USA}}
*[[Tournament:Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southwest USA Regional Finals|Southwest USA]]: TBD
*[[Tournament:Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southwest USA Regional Finals|Southwest USA]]: {{Sm|Scend|USA}}
*[[Tournament:Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mexico Regional Finals|Mexico]]: TBD
*[[Tournament:Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mexico Regional Finals|Mexico]]: {{Sm|Chag|Mexico}}
*[[Tournament:Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northeast NA Regional Finals|Northeast NA]]: TBD
*[[Tournament:Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northeast NA Regional Finals|Northeast NA]]: {{Sm|Anarchy|Canada}}
*[[Tournament:Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northwest NA Regional Finals|Northwest NA]]: TBD
*[[Tournament:Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northwest NA Regional Finals|Northwest NA]]: {{Sm|Justice|USA|p=Washington}}


The following players were invited by panelists for ''Ultimate'':
The following players were invited by panelists for ''Ultimate'':
*{{Sm|Kola|USA}}
*{{Sm|Zomba|USA}}


==Regional qualifier players==
==Regional qualifier players==
<!--Do not add players until they are confirmed for the regional finals. Players will be removed from Top 32 eligibility based on DQs, meaning the Top 32 indicated by points may not be final.-->
{{cleanup|Since this template will never be filled, we need to either get rid of it or repurpose it to explain that the event was canceled.}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Region
! Region
Line 494: Line 523:
[[Category:Circuits]]
[[Category:Circuits]]
[[Category:Nintendo-sponsored tournaments]]
[[Category:Nintendo-sponsored tournaments]]
[[Category:Online tournaments]]
[[Category:Online tournaments (SSBU)]]

Latest revision as of 20:08, June 17, 2024

Panda Cup
PandaCup.svg
Info
Founded 2022
Region North America
Format Double Elimination
Staff
Organizer(s) Panda
Website(s) Panda Cup website

The Panda Cup was a Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament circuit organized by Panda and was the first North American Super Smash Bros. circuit officially licensed by Nintendo. The circuit began on June 24th, 2022 and was planned to conclude on December 18th, 2022. The championships was planned to be held on December 16th-18th, 2022, with a Last Chance Qualifier held on December 15th, 2022, but the date was postponed on December 5th, 2022,[1] and eventually confirmed to be cancelled on November 23rd, 2023.[2] There was going to be a pot prize starting at $100,000.

Format[edit]

Regions of the Panda Cup

32 players in each game qualified for the finale through four different ways:

1. Featured Community Stops: 11 offline tournaments featured as community stops had totals of 16 players qualifying for Melee and 18 players qualifying for Ultimate. The number of qualifying spots for each tournament ranged from 1 to 3 players. 6 tournaments were qualifiers for both games, Saving Mr. Lombardi 3 was a qualifier for Melee only, and Almost Pro, Let's Make Moves Miami, and Port Priority 7 were qualifiers for Ultimate only.

2. Panda Cup Online Qualifiers: 8 players qualified through online tournaments for Ultimate only. There were 8 regions, with 4 qualifiers and a regional final for each. Points were distributed to the Top 96 of each qualifier, with the Top 32 of each region's leaderboard invited to the regional finals. Players were removed from Top 32 eligibility based on DQs, meaning the Top 32 indicated by points may not have been final.[3] In the event of a tie in points for the regional finals spots, all of the tied players would be invited into the regional finals, even if it meant more than 32 players would make up the bracket. The regional finals were a double-elimination bracket with all sets Best of 5. The winner of each regional finals qualified for the finale. Players had to be 18 years or older to participate in the online tournaments, and registration was region-locked to the players living within each tournament's region.

3. Expert Community Panel: A community panel for each game determined the final players that were invited before the Last Chance Qualifier, inviting 12 players for Melee and 2 players for Ultimate. The panels included trusted members of the community, many of whom helped to create the MPGR and PGRU. Each panelist created a list, and the lists will be combined and averaged to determine the invited players. Only placements, wins, and losses at Panda Cup events counted for the panel.[4]

The panel judged players based on 4 criteria:

  • Placement at Panda Cup events
  • Win rate against players who were qualified or with a higher seed at Panda Cup events
  • Losses against qualified or higher seed players
  • Win/loss rate against other players who may have been chosen by the panel

4. Last Chance Qualifier: The Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier was going to be an offline bracket held the day before the finale, with the top 4 players of each game qualifying.[5]

In the Panda Cup Finale, the 32 qualified players of each game would face off. All finalists would earn complimentary travel and housing.[6]

Online Qualifier scoring[edit]

Placement Score
1st 100
2nd 70
3rd 45
4th 30
5th 20
7th 12
9th 8
13th 6
17th 5
25th 4
33rd 3
49th 2
65th 1

Official Ruleset[edit]

Terms and Conditions

Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

Rulebook

Game settings[edit]

  • Stocks: 4
  • Timer: 8:00
  • Game Version: NTSC 1.02 and all characters/stages unlocked, using the TO’s choice of memory card data

Stages[edit]

Starter Counterpick
Battlefield Pokémon Stadium
Yoshi's Story
Dream Land
Final Destination
Fountain of Dreams

Additional rules[edit]

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

Rulebook

Game settings[edit]

Options[edit]

Stages[edit]

Ultimate's stage list is subject to change.

Starter Counterpick
Battlefield Kalos Pokémon League
Final Destination* Lylat Cruise
Pokémon Stadium 2 Small Battlefield
Smashville
Town and City

*The only acceptable alternative form of Final Destination (chosen through the Omega Form option on stage select) is Wuhu Island Omega.

Player qualification[edit]

Players could only qualify once. If a player was already qualified, the next highest placing non-qualified player received the spot.[7] If a qualified player declined to participate, the qualifying spot would be transferred to the next highest ranked player in the event in which the declining player competed who is not otherwise qualified, following the tiebreaker rules listed below.

In the event Panda Cup Finale qualifying spots required tiebreakers (for example, because one spot trickled down to 7th place, where there are two players), the following system would be in place:

  • If one spot had two claimants: both tied players would face-off in a best-of-five set. The winner of this set would claim the Panda Cup Finale spot.
  • If one spot had three or more claimants: a single-elimination bracket of best-of-five sets would be played out, seeded based on initial event seeding. The winner of this bracket would claim the Panda Cup Finale spot.
  • If two spots had three or more claimants: a double-elimination bracket of best-of-five sets would be set up. If the number of claimants was not a power of two (2, 4, 8, etc), the players with the lowest initial seedings would begin in losers (leaving a power-of-two number of players in Winners). The players who would make it to Grand Finals of this bracket would claim the Panda Cup Finale spots.
  • If three spots had four or more claimants: a double-elimination bracket of best-of-five sets would be set up. If the number of claimants was not a power of two (4, 8, etc), the players with the lowest initial seedings would begin in losers (leaving a power-of-two number of players in Winners). The two players who would make it to Winners Finals and the one player who would make it to Losers Finals of this bracket would claim the Panda Cup Finale spots.

Controversy[edit]

Main article: Cancellation of Smash World Tour 2022

On November 29th, 2022, Smash World Tour released a document detailing actions behind-the-scene that eventually led to its cancellation. The document had a specific section dedicated to the actions of Panda, specifically Panda's CEO Alan Bunney.

During the first few months of the year, Smash World Tour found that many tournament organizers were unwilling to participate in the Smash World Tour due to the actions of Bunney, who told the organizers that the circuit would either not happen in 2022, or would be quickly shut down if announced. Bunney also pressured tournaments to either not join the SWT or, if they were already in the circuit, to drop out, stating that tournaments in the SWT would not be part of the Panda Cup and also implying that they would not be safe from Nintendo. Notably, Bunney learned that Beyond the Summit had the broadcasting rights to a few tournaments that Panda Cup wanted, so Bunney tried to force BTS to give up their streaming rights, threatening to get Nintendo involved if they didn't. The threat prove unsuccessful, and with many events declining the invitation, Panda eventually lifted their exclusivity rule. This led many tournaments that were in both the Panda Cup and the SWT to receive a license from Nintendo, surprising the SWT organizers, who were initially told by Nintendo that it was not possible.

The accusations in the document were supported by LD, the co-founder of BTS.[8]

The document's release led to an outcry against Bunney and Panda, with many accusing them for causing the cancellation of the Smash World Tour 2022 and hurting the grassroots scene. Many prominent members of the community called for a boycott for the circuit and the Panda Cup Finale,[9][10][11] and within a few hours, many players who had qualified for the finale (such as Lima and Axe) or had planned to attend the Last Chance Qualifier (such as Sparg0 and Spark) announced that they were dropping out.[12] Some players were unable to drop out due to being contractually required to attend (such as Panda-sponsored player Plup), though this proved not to be an issue after the event itself was canceled.

List of tournaments[edit]

Melee[edit]

Offline qualifiers[edit]

Event Date Attendance Winner
CEO 2022 June 24th-26th 224 USA Plup
Get On My Level 2022 July 1st-3rd 493 USA Hungrybox
Smash Factor 9 July 29th-31st 101 USA Wizzrobe
Lost Tech City 2022 September 30th-October 2nd 153 USA Mango
The Big House 10 October 7th-9th 982 Canada aMSa
Saving Mr. Lombardi 3 November 12th 152 USA KoDoRiN
DreamHack Atlanta 2022 November 18th-20th 196 USA SFOP

Finale[edit]

Event Date Attendance Winner
Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier(cancelled) — — —
Panda Cup Finale(cancelled) — 32 —

Ultimate[edit]

Offline qualifiers[edit]

Event Date Attendance Winner
CEO 2022 June 24th-26th 651 Dominican Republic Sonix
Get On My Level 2022 July 1st-3rd 753 USA Onin
Smash Factor 9 July 29th-31st 719 Mexico MkLeo
Almost Pro September 2nd-4th 194 USA Aaron
Lost Tech City 2022 September 30th-October 2nd 418 USA Marss
The Big House 10 October 7th-9th 636 Canada Riddles
Let's Make Moves Miami October 28th-30th 467 Japan acola
Port Priority 7 November 12th-13th 600 USA Tweek
DreamHack Atlanta 2022 November 18th-20th 415 USA ApolloKage

Online qualifiers[edit]

Event Date Attendance Winner
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southeast USA 1Online July 3rd 46 USA Jake
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Heartland 1Online July 5th 74 USA ATATA
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northwest NA 1Online July 9th 42 Canada Samuel
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mid-Atlantic USA 1Online July 12th 74 USA MPg
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mexico 1Online July 14th 42 Mexico Many
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southwest USA 1Online July 17th 86 USA Kiyarash
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mid-Atlantic USA 2Online July 21st 42 USA Dabuz
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: South-Central USA 1Online July 23rd 76 USA m0use
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northwest NA 2Online July 28th 25 Canada Samuel
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northeast NA 1Online July 30th 90 Canada Vapor
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Heartland 2Online July 31st 44 USA Ravenking
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southwest USA 2Online August 2nd 35 USA Zaibatsu
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southeast USA 2Online August 4th 46 USA ESAM
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: South-Central USA 2Online August 9th 39 USA Teaser
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mexico 2Online August 14th 30 Mexico Chag
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northeast NA 2Online August 18th 36 Canada Armadillo
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southeast USA 3Online August 20th 48 USA 8BitMan
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mid-Atlantic USA 3Online August 21st 40 USA MPg
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northeast NA 3Online August 23rd 33 USA Unleashed
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mexico 3Online August 27th 37 Mexico OG-Mustaine
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: South-Central USA 3Online August 28th 31 USA Magic Trumpet Man
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northwest NA 3Online August 30th 33 Canada Ouch!?
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southwest USA 3Online September 1st 51 USA Scend
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Heartland 3Online September 3rd 74 USA TimeGear
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northeast NA 4Online September 4th 54 USA Axiom XL
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southwest USA 4Online September 10th 64 USA Kiyarash
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mid-Atlantic USA 4Online September 17th 54 USA MPg
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northwest NA 4Online September 18th 66 USA LightningQuiz7
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mexico 4Online September 20th 43 Mexico Regi Shikimi
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: South-Central USA 4Online September 22nd 78 USA T_pot
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Heartland 4Online September 29th 60 USA Ravenking
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southeast USA 4Online October 4th 95 USA 8BitMan

Online finals[edit]

Event Date Attendance Winner
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Heartland Regional FinalsOnline October 15th 37 USA Ravenking
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mid-Atlantic USA Regional FinalsOnline October 16th 33 USA MPg
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southeast USA Regional FinalsOnline October 22nd 33 USA Jake
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: South-Central USA Regional FinalsOnline October 23rd 31 USA Deathspade
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Southwest USA Regional FinalsOnline October 29th 33 USA Scend
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Mexico Regional FinalsOnline October 30th 32 Mexico Chag
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northeast NA Regional FinalsOnline November 5th 33 Canada Anarchy
Panda Cup Online Qualifier: Northwest NA Regional FinalsOnline November 6th 34 USA Justice

Finale[edit]

Event Date Attendance Winner
Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier(cancelled) — — —
Panda Cup Finale(cancelled) — 32 —

Players qualified[edit]

Melee[edit]

The following players qualified through offline tournaments in the circuit for Melee:

CEO 2022

Get On My Level 2022

Smash Factor 9

Lost Tech City 2022

The Big House 10

Saving Mr. Lombardi 3

DreamHack Atlanta 2022

Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier

  • n/a
  • n/a
  • n/a
  • n/a

The following players were invited by panelists for Melee:

Ultimate[edit]

The following players qualified through offline tournaments in the circuit for Ultimate:

CEO 2022

Get On My Level 2022

Smash Factor 9

Almost Pro

Lost Tech City 2022

The Big House 10

Let's Make Moves Miami

Port Priority 7

DreamHack Atlanta 2022

Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier

  • n/a
  • n/a
  • n/a
  • n/a

The following players qualified through online finals in the circuit for Ultimate:

The following players were invited by panelists for Ultimate:

Regional qualifier players[edit]

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Region Online Finals Finale
player
Heartland
Mid-Atlantic USA
Southeast USA
South-Central USA
Southwest USA
Mexico
Northeast NA
Northwest NA

Trivia[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Panda Cup Finale is postponed.
  2. ^ Dr Alan Reveals EVERYTHING That Happened w/ Panda! | Lights Out Episode 36
  3. ^ PGstats Discord Jaaahsh message.
  4. ^ PracticalTAS comment.
  5. ^ Top 4 qualify confirmation.
  6. ^ Panda Cup Announcement.
  7. ^ Qualification rules.
  8. ^ LD on Panda.
  9. ^ Ned's boycott.
  10. ^ Calvin's boycott.
  11. ^ Fizzi's call for boycott.
  12. ^ List of players who dropped out., second post.
  13. ^ Nintendo Switch Online app trailer.
  14. ^ Hungrybox's video.

External links[edit]


v • d • e
Panda Cup
Melee qualifiers CEO 2022 · Get On My Level 2022 · Smash Factor 9 · Lost Tech City 2022 · The Big House 10 · Saving Mr. Lombardi 3 · DreamHack Atlanta 2022 · Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier
Ultimate offline qualifiers CEO 2022 · Get On My Level 2022 · Smash Factor 9 · Almost Pro · Lost Tech City 2022 · The Big House 10 · Let's Make Moves Miami · Port Priority 7 · DreamHack Atlanta 2022 · Panda Cup Last Chance Qualifier
Ultimate online qualifiers Southeast USA (1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · Finals) · Heartland (1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · Finals) · Northwest NA (1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · Finals) · Mid-Atlantic USA (1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · Finals) · Mexico (1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · Finals) · Southwest USA (1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · Finals) · South-Central USA (1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · Finals) · Northeast NA (1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · Finals)
Finals Panda Cup Finale
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