COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on competitive Smash
The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing pandemic of a disease called coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 for short, caused by a virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (abbreviated to SARS-CoV-2). The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China, in December 2019, and recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. COVID-19 has been reported in more than 200 countries and territories, with major outbreaks occurring in mainland China, Europe, Iran, Latin America (especially Brazil), and the United States. On March 13th, the WHO stated that Europe had become the new epicenter of the pandemic. Public health responses have included national pandemic preparedness and response plans, travel restrictions, quarantines, curfews, event postponements and cancelations, and facility closures.
Despite the pandemic forcing the employees of Nintendo into working from home, development of Fighters Pass Vol. 2 was still able to continue without many issues. However, this caused Masahiro Sakurai to have to present the fighters from his house instead of his studio (with the exception of Sephiroth and Kazuya).
This pandemic has also affected the competitive Super Smash Bros. community through numerous tournament cancelations and postponements for public health safety.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Common symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of smell and taste. While the majority of cases result in mild symptoms, some progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) possibly precipitated by cytokine storm, multi-organ failure, septic shock, and blood clots. The time from exposure to onset of symptoms is typically around five days, but may range from two to fourteen days.
The virus is primarily spread between people during close contact, most often via small droplets produced by coughing, sneezing, and talking. The droplets usually fall to the ground or onto surfaces rather than travelling through air over long distances. However, the transmission may also occur through smaller droplets that are able to stay suspended in the air for longer periods of time in enclosed spaces, as typical for airborne diseases. Less commonly, people may become infected by touching a contaminated surface and then touching their face. It is most contagious during the first three days after the onset of symptoms, although spread is possible before symptoms appear, and from people who do not show symptoms.
Impacts on the competitive scene
The 2020 MPGR and Spring 2020 PGRU were frozen on March 12th, 2020. No further events, including CEO Dreamland 2020, would count towards player ranking.
Likewise, the Smash World Tour 2020 circuit announced that there would not be any Platinum- or Gold-tier events in March and April 2020; a later update further extended the date to June 1st, 2020. Silver events would continue as normal, however, it was recommended for sick people to stay home. Several events were canceled or postponed independently of Smash World Tour's rulings. Missed point opportunities were planned to be made up later. A TO relief fund shop was later opened on Smash.gg. With the pandemic shutting down offline tournaments for the rest of the year, the circuit was effectively cancelled. Two Silver events for Melee and three Silver events for Ultimate ended up being held. Smash World Tour 2021 was then announced on February 20th, 2021, with online qualifiers, offline regional qualifiers, and an offline finale. The online qualifiers ran as planned, but on June 21st, 2021, many of the regional qualifier tournaments were shifted back due to the pandemic still affecting some regions. The offline regional final for South America was canceled entirely. Instead, Chape and HP were chosen as the South American Melee finalists while the Ultimate qualifier was changed to online.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the evolution of the metagame in offline contexts has been largely unproven. This includes characters that received major changes during updates, but especially all downloadable characters that were released shortly before or during the global pandemic, starting with Terry. This also applies to the legality of the stages Small Battlefield, Minecraft World, and Northern Cave, which were added to the game during this time.
Online tournaments
While online tournaments had been a part of the scene for years, the cancellation of several high profile offline tournaments led many players to turn to online play for their tournament fixes. Many weeklies such as Xeno and Xanadu moved online, while tournaments such as the bunker down series and 2GG Crisis Core: Final Saga served as online fundraisers to help recoup losses. Several tournament series held online alternatives, including Pound Online, Collision Online, and Get On My Line 2020.
YouTubers Alpharad and Cr1tikal started hosting The Quarantine Series, a 4-month long circuit that has a prize pool ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 per tournament and a planned $50,000 for the finale. In the first tournament of the circuit, over 5,000 entrants registered to play, making it the largest known online Smash tournament without factoring in disqualifications, defeating Soaked Series Invitational's record from a month earlier. This record was later defeated by Hungrybox's tournament The Box, which had over 8,000 entrants. Due to lots of players attending online tournaments, this led Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v5 to make its rankings from 50 to 75 players.
As online play rewards different tactics from offline play, the new online tournaments differ somewhat from in-person tournaments; the added input delay and lag have allowed characters such as Sonic, Cloud, and Roy to see more success. Some controversy came about when players from distant regions such as Tarik participated in these tournaments, specifically Pound Online, with many players believing tournaments should be region-locked to reduce latency. As a result, all further tournaments in The Quarantine Series (and others such as The Box) were region-locked to the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and the prize pools were extended from the top 8 to top 16 to reduce the added stress with playing online. With many more players relying on online play, frustration with the game's online service grew to a peak; the hashtag "#FixUltimateOnline" became the number one gaming trend on Twitter on April 2, 2020. Possibly as a response to this outcry, in update 8.1.0 online play stability was slightly improved, by increasing the tick rate and slightly decreasing input delay.
After Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v5 rankings, subscriber tournaments were now included, making monthlies like The Box: Lunch Box, M-Kolosseum (series), and Frame Perfect Series: ONLINE titles ongoing. Despite including subscriber tournaments, decreased player attendance in online tournaments made its ranking from 75 to 50 players.
As Super Smash Bros. Melee does not have native online play, players have to use netplay mods for emulators in order to compete online. The Dolphin emulator mod Project Slippi is one of such mods, and since June 2020 it features rollback netcode for Melee, allowing for stable online play across even long distances. However, the use of this mod has sparked controversy following the cancellation of The Big House Online, in response of a cease and desist from Nintendo.
Reopening
In regions with relatively few cases of COVID-19, such as Japan, Taiwan, Australia, the Middle East, and New Zealand, or that have otherwise allowed large gatherings, such as France and Germany, offline play has resumed, although with smaller entrant numbers and safety precautions enforced.
In early 2021, vaccines for COVID-19 began to roll out, and by May 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced fully vaccinated adults could stop wearing masks and social distancing.[1] Despite continued safety concerns, some American locals have reopened during this time with safety precautions. The first major tournament in the United States and worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic was InfinityCON Tally 2021, held in Florida on June 5th-6th, where 422 people attended, by a large margin the highest amount of any tournament since CEO Dreamland 2020, almost 14 months prior. It has since been followed by other large scale tournaments like Kagaribi 4, the first Japanese supermajor since the beginning of the pandemic.
List of offline tournaments during the pandemic
The following is a list of notable tournaments that were held offline during the pandemic, starting from the PGR freeze period on March 12th, 2020.
Tournament | Dates | Location | Attendance | Games |
---|---|---|---|---|
CEO Dreamland 2020 | March 13th-15th, 2020 | Orlando, Florida | 970 | SSB Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate |
Don't Stomp On Me | March 14th, 2020 | Corsicana, Texas | 89 | Melee |
Keystoned IV | March 14th-15th, 2020 | Hatboro, Pennsylvania | 50 | SSB |
RFTV DOJO - LA DESPEDIDA: Thanks For Playing | March 14th-15th, 2020 | Mexico City | 138 | Ultimate |
Kurobra 20 | March 21st, 2020 | Fujisawa | 64 | Ultimate |
HKSBC Monthly Tournament for May 2020 | May 30th, 2020 | Kowloon Bay | 48 | Ultimate |
XGT 2020 May | May 30th, 2020 | Taipei | 67 | Ultimate |
Maesuma TOP 3 | July 4th, 2020 | Osaka | 96 | Ultimate |
Breakpoint Ultimate - FOUR | July 18th, 2020 | Vienna | 96 | Ultimate |
Super Smash Stadium 1 | July 25th, 2020 | Villeneuve-d'Ascq | 144 | Ultimate |
Breakpoint Ultimate - FIVE | August 22nd, 2020 | Vienna | 88 | Ultimate |
Smash Odyssey GZstage | August 22nd-23rd, 2020 | Guangzhou | 74 | Ultimate |
Bour'pif Arena 6 | August 30th, 2020 | Thonon-les-Bains | 128 | Ultimate |
XGT 2020 September | September 5th, 2020 | Taipei | 52 | Ultimate |
Breakpoint Ultimate - SIX | September 12th, 2020 | Vienna | 94 | Ultimate |
Sumabato SP 13 | September 20th, 2020 | Osaka | 65 | Ultimate |
TWELVE I - 2020 | September 26th, 2020 | Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois | 121 | Ultimate |
Smash Contest: DoKomi 2020 | September 26th-27th, 2020 | Düsseldorf | 150 | Ultimate |
HKSBC 2nd Anniversary CUP | October 10th, 2020 | Kowloon Bay | 53 | Ultimate |
WANTED SAISON 4 - 3 Years Anniversary | October 10th, 2020 | Créteil | 179 | Ultimate |
Sumabato SP 14 | October 11th, 2020 | Osaka | 96 | Ultimate |
Eastern Powerhouse Invitational FINAL | October 24th, 2020 | Kanto | 12 | Ultimate |
Maesuma TOP 4 | October 31st-November 1st, 2020 | Osaka | 128 | Ultimate |
Sumabato SP 15 | November 15th, 2020 | Osaka | 160 | Ultimate |
Kanto 2020 | November 22nd, 2020 | Tokyo | 41 | SSB |
Mēsuma | November 29th, 2020 | Aichi Prefecture | 128 | Ultimate |
Mountain Top 2 | December 5th-6th, 2020 | Guangzhou | 101 | Ultimate |
Kagaribi | December 13th, 2020 | Tokyo | 133 | Ultimate |
TFF2020 | December 19th, 2020 | Taipei | 55 | Ultimate |
Pissmas 2 | December 20th, 2020 | Peachester | 131 | Ultimate |
TSC 13 | December 26th, 2020 | Miyagi Prefecture | 136 | Ultimate |
Sumabato SP 16 | December 26th, 2020 | Osaka | 128 | Ultimate |
TNT Nak 2021 | January 24th, 2021 | Lima | 20 | SSB |
Biggie III | February 5th-7th, 2021 | Wellington | 93 | Melee Ultimate |
XGT 2021 February | February 27th, 2021 | Taipei | 64 | Ultimate |
Sumabato SP 17 | March 7th, 2021 | Osaka | 128 | Ultimate |
Kagaribi 3 | March 26th-27th, 2021 | Tokyo | 132 | Ultimate |
Xiamen Egret Cup | March 27th, 2021 | Xiamen | 50 | Ultimate |
XGT 2021 March | March 27th, 2021 | Taipei | 69 | Ultimate |
LEVELUP Arena Premier Tournament | April 27th, 2021 | Overland Park, Kansas | 192 | Ultimate |
Smash Odyssey Reviewing Soldier | May 2nd, 2021 | Guangzhou | 51 | Ultimate |
Speedy Summit 3 | May 15th, 2021 | Provo, Utah | 26 | Ultimate |
Spark Game Champions 2021 | May 15th-16th, 2021 | Beijing | 89 | Ultimate |
4o4 Smash Monthly 2 | May 22nd, 2021 | Atlanta, Georgia | 72 | Ultimate |
Super Smash Stadium Édition Battlefield | May 29th, 2021 | Lille | 139 | Ultimate |
The 14th Year of our Boy, SHADIC | May 29th, 2021 | Austin, Texas | 63 | Ultimate |
Super Smash Stadium Édition Peach Castle | May 30th, 2021 | Lille | 135 | Ultimate |
InfinityCON Tally 2021 | June 5th-6th, 2021 | Tallahassee, Florida | 422 | Ultimate |
The Dungeon | June 5th-6th, 2021 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | 186 | Ultimate |
Bay State Invitational Test Invitational | June 10th, 2021 | Boston, Massachusetts | 32 | Ultimate |
Momentous | June 12th, 2021 | New York City, New York | 16 | Ultimate |
Keystoned 4.5 | June 19th-20th, 2021 | Hatboro, Pennsylvania | 42 | SSB |
Maji Georgia Invitational | June 19th-20th, 2021 | Johns Creek, Georgia | 16 | Ultimate |
WANTED SAISON 4 - Chapter 2 | June 20th, 2021 | Créteil | 267 | Ultimate |
The New Norm #1 | June 20th-21st, 2021 | Los Angeles, California | 69 | Melee |
Bourbon State Gaming: Stop Your Friendlies | June 26th, 2021 | Lexington, Kentucky | 200 | Ultimate |
MUERTE AL ONLINE | June 26th, 2021 | Monterrey | 12 | Ultimate |
Ronin Rumble Cup | June 26th, 2021 | Alachua, Florida | 183 | Ultimate |
Kagaribi 4 | June 26th-27th, 2021 | Tokyo | 386 | Ultimate |
TWELVE II - 2021 | June 26th-27th, 2021 | Paris | 187 | Ultimate |
GI Carnival | July 3rd, 2021 | Tokyo | 8 | Ultimate |
Maesuma TOP 5 | July 3rd-4th, 2021 | Osaka | 128 | Ultimate |
LEVELUP Arena 2 | July 10th, 2021 | Overland Park, Kansas | 239 | Ultimate |
Abierto Puerto Vallarta | July 10th-11th, 2021 | Puerto Vallarta | 113 | Ultimate |
Typhoon Saga 2021 | July 11th, 2021 | Marietta, Georgia | 111 | Ultimate |
Smash Summit 11 | July 15th-18th, 2021 | Los Angels, California | 16 | Melee |
Sumabato SP 18 | July 23rd, 2021 | Osaka | 128 | Ultimate |
MechaCon Omega | July 23rd-25th, 2021 | New Orleans, Louisiana | 197 | Ultimate |
Sumabato SP 19 | July 24th, 2021 | Osaka | 128 | Ultimate |
Push the Limit 12 | July 24th, 2021 | Waitham, Massachussets | 129 | Ultimate |
No Man's Land | July 24th-25th, 2021 | Wichita Falls, Texas | 149 | Ultimate |
CROSSxUP | July 25th, 2021 | Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania | 194 | Ultimate |
The Comeback | July 31st, 2021 | Laurel, Maryland | 243 | Ultimate |
TEC Smash Down | July 31st, 2021 | Austin, Texas | 65 | Ultimate |
Battle of Z: Toronto Strikes Back | July 31st, 2021 | Montreal | 153 | Ultimate |
Anime Houston 2021 | August 6th-8th, 2021 | Houston, Texas | 113 | Melee Ultimate |
Hællæwood Smash | August 7th, 2021 | Fredrikstad | 91 | Ultimate |
Smash Contest: DoKomi 2021 | August 7th-8th, 2021 | Düsseldorf | 318 | Ultimate |
Ultimate WANTED 3 | August 12th-15th, 2021 | Créteil | 532 | Ultimate |
Invasion | August 14th, 2021 | Birmingham | 193 | Ultimate |
Hold That L #6 | August 14th-15th, 2021 | Chicago, Illinois | 149 | Melee |
DATEV Ultimate Series - Prelude 5 | August 21st, 2021 | Nuremberg | 126 | Ultimate |
SWT: Central America Ultimate Regional Finals | August 21st-22nd, 2021 | unknown | 16 | Ultimate |
Mega Smash Mondays 240 | August 23rd, 2021 | La Mirada, California | 320 | Ultimate |
Smash Ultimate Summit 3 | August 26th-29th, 2021 | Los Angeles, California | 16 | Ultimate |
Kamp Kone | August 27th-30th, 2021 | Derby | 134 | Melee |
Back in Blood | August 28th, 2021 | Portland, Oregon | 223 | Ultimate |
TGM Brawl 1 | August 28th, 2021 | Mainz | 128 | Ultimate |
SWT: Central America Melee Regional Finals | August 28th-29th, 2021 | unknown | 16 | Melee |
Bour'pif Arena 7 | August 28th-29th, 2021 | Thonon-les-Bains | 128 | Melee Ultimate |
Temple: Hermès Edition | September 4th-5th, 2021 | Villeneuve-d-Ascq | 863 | Ultimate |
List of tournaments affected by the pandemic
Below is a list of tournaments that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through cancellations, postponements, or major players dropping out.
March 2020
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Umebura SP 8 | March 7th, 2020 | Japan | Ultimate | >800 | Cancelled | PGRU A-tier prior to cancellation | |
Emerald City 9 | March 7th, 2020 | Washington | Melee, Ultimate, Project+ | 470 | Cancelled | PGRU C-tier prior to cancellation. Project+ was still run. | [1] |
CEO Dreamland 2020 | March 13th-15th, 2020 | Florida | 64, Melee, Brawl, Smash 4, Ultimate | 971 | Affected | Several players dropped out; no longer Gold stop for SWT. | |
Poravaunu 9 | March 14th-15th, 2020 | Finland | Melee, Ultimate | ~80 | Cancelled | SWT Silver prior to cancellation. | [2] |
Shack Smash Ultimate invitational | March 20th-21st, 2020 | Texas | Ultimate | 16 | Postponed | Postponed to an unknown date. | [3] |
Rock N' Roll | March 21st, 2020 | Spain | Ultimate | 144 | Postponed | Postponed initially to May 16th, but current status unknown; PGRU C-tier prior to postponement. | [4] |
Confluence | March 21st, 2020 | Illinois | Melee, Ultimate, Project+ | 115 | Cancelled | Postponed to an later date, ultimately cancelled. | [5] |
Home Sweet Home | March 21st, 2020 | Alabama | Melee, Ultimate | 187 | Cancelled | SWT Silver prior to cancellation. | [6] |
PRESS LESS 2020 | March 21st, 2020 | Canada | Melee, Ultimate | 231 | Postponed | Postponed indefinitely. PGRU C-tier prior to PGRU hiatus; SWT Silver prior to cancellation. | [7] |
Smashmania XIII | March 21st, 2020 | Texas | Melee, Ultimate | ??? | Postponed | Postoponed to an unknown date; SWT Silver prior to postponement. | [8] |
Smash 'n Warp 4 | March 21st, 2020 | France | Ultimate | ??? | Cancelled | SWT silver prior to cancellation | [9] |
DAT BlastZone 31: Revival | March 21st, 2020 | England | Ultimate | 128 | Postponed | Postponed indefinitely. PGRU C-tier prior to PGRU hiatus. | [10] |
Sumabato SP 13 | March 22nd, 2020 | Japan | Ultimate | 320 | Postponed | Postponed thrice, first to April 4th, then to July 24th, finally held on September 20th; PGRU B-tier prior to postponement. | [11] |
Final Round 2020 | March 20th-22nd, 2020 | Georgia | Ultimate | 64 | Cancelled | SWT Silver prior to cancellation | [12] |
CT Gamercon 4 | March 21st-22nd, 2020 | Connecticut | Melee, Ultimate | 157 | Postponed | Postponed to September 12th-13th, 2020, then later March 13th-14th, 2021, then to September 18th-19th, 2021; PGRU C-tier prior to postponement. | [13][14] |
WANTED Saison 3 - Chap 8: Invasion de l'Ouest II | March 21st-22nd, 2020 | France | Ultimate | 146 | Cancelled | SWT Silver prior to cancellation. | [15] |
NCS Major: Smashdown | March 21st-22nd, 2020 | Colorado | Ultimate | 80 | Cancelled | SWT Silver prior to cancellation. | [16] |
Smashdown 2020 | March 21st-22nd, 2020 | Colombia | Melee, Ultimate | 149 | Postponed | PGRU C-tier prior to PGRU hiatus; SWT Silver prior to postponement. | [17] |
BIT MASTER MTY 10 | March 27th-28th, 2020 | Mexico | Ultimate | 264 | Postponed | Postponed to a later date; SWT Silver prior to cancellation, and PGRU B-tier prior to PGRU hiatus | [18] |
Michigan M@sters 2020 | March 27th-29th, 2020 | Michigan | Ultimate | ??? | Cancelled | SWT Silver prior to cancellation | [19] |
Full Bloom 6 | March 28th-29th, 2020 | Indiana | Melee, Ultimate | 485 | Cancelled | PGRU C-tier prior to cancellation. | [20] |
CGN OPEN | March 28th, 2020 | Germany | Ultimate | 105 | Postponed | Postponed to an unknown date. SWT Silver prior to initial cancellation. An online alternative was also created. | [21] |
Seibugeki 5 | March 28th, 2020 | Japan | Ultimate | 138 | Cancelled | [22] | |
HFLAN Melee Edition 2020 | March 28th-29th, 2020 | France | Melee | 193 | Postponed | Initially postponed to an unknown fall date. Later postponed to March or April 2021, but current status unknown. Originally first SWT Platinum event. | [23][24] |
2GG: Final Saga | March 28th-29th, 2020 | SoCal | Ultimate | 732 | Postponed | Postponed to an unknown date, later to September 4th-6th, 2021, later again to December 18th-20th, 2021. PGRU S-tier prior to PGRU hiatus. | [25][26] |
Union | March 28th-29th, 2020 | England | Ultimate | 128 | Postponed | Postponed to an unknown date, later to 2022. PGRU C-tier prior to PGRU hiatus; SWT Silver prior to cancellation. | [27][28] |
April 2020
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pound 2020 | April 3rd-5th, 2020 | MD/VA | Melee, Ultimate | 911 | Cancelled | PGRU B-tier and SWT Platinum prior to cancellation. Later replaced by Pound Online. | [29] |
Invasion | April 4th, 2020 | England | Ultimate | 192 | Postponed | All Italians dropped out; renamed from "Invasion: Italy". Later postponed to November 14th. Later postponed again to June 26th, 2021. Later postponed again on August 14th, 2021. | [30][31][32] |
Smash Clash Munich | April 4th, 2020 | Germany | Ultimate | 46 | Cancelled | SWT Silver prior to cancellation. | [33] |
HSTSP Extend | April 4th, 2020 | Japan | Ultimate | 192 | Cancelled | PGRU C-tier prior to PGRU hiatus | [34] |
Golden Flame | April 4th-5th, 2020 | France | Ultimate | 64 | Postponed | Postponed to an unknown date. | [35] |
NorCal Regionals 2020 | April 10th-12th | NorCal | Ultimate | 37 | Cancelled | SWT Silver prior to cancellation | [36] |
Smash Odyssey: Ghent 2 | April 11th, 2020 | Belgium | Ultimate | 34 | Postponed | Postponed to an unknown date, hopefully June or July. | [37] |
Tech Republic V | April 11th-12th, 2020 | Spain | Ultimate | 218 | Cancelled | PGRU B-tier prior to cancellation. | [38] |
Atlantis | April 18th, 2020 | Netherlands | Ultimate | 66 | Postponed | Postponed to an unknown date. SWT Silver prior to postponement. | [39] |
Collision 2020 | April 18th-19th, 2020 | New Jersey | Ultimate | 390 | Cancelled | Initially postponed to August 22nd-23rd. PGRU A-tier prior to PGRU hiatus. | [40][41] |
Boss Battle Remix | April 24th-25th, 2020 | Indiana | 64 | 31 | Cancelled | Postponed to an unknown date, later cancelled. | [42][43] |
Nick Yingling Experience | April 25th, 2020 | Arizona | Melee | 70 | Cancelled | SWT Silver prior to cancellation. | [44] |
Karisuma SP 9 | April 25th, 2020 | Japan | Ultimate | 160+ | Cancelled | PGRU C-tier prior to PGRU hiatus. | [45] |
OVERDRIVE | April 25th-26th, 2020 | France | Ultimate | 106 | Cancelled | Solary Circuit frozen as well. | [46] |
Polish Smash Phoenix 2 | April 25th-26th, 2020 | Poland | Melee, Ultimate | 48 | Postponed | Postponed to an unknown date. SWT Silver prior to postponement. | [47] |
May 2020
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kings of Hali 5 | May 1st-3rd, 2020 | Canada | Melee, Ultimate, Project+ | 201 | Cancelled | PGRU C-tier prior to PGRU hiatus; SWT Silver prior to cancellation. | [48] |
ICARUS VI | May 2nd-3rd, 2020 | Italy | Ultimate | 217 | Postponed | Postponed to October 9th-10th, but current status unknown. | [49] |
Umebura Japan Major 2020 | May 4th-6th, 2020 | Japan | Ultimate | ? | Cancelled | SWT Platinum then removed from SWT prior cancellation. | [50] |
Crown II | May 9th-10th, 2020 | Utah | Melee, Ultimate | 117 | Cancelled | SWT Silver prior to cancellation. | [51] |
Stunfest 2020 | May 15th-17th, 2020 | France | Melee, Ultimate | 156 | Cancelled | PGRU C-tier prior to PGRU hiatus | [52] |
Get On My Level 2020 | May 15th-17th, 2020 | Canada | Melee, Ultimate | N/A | Cancelled | Initially postponed indefinitely; every GOML North American Open tournament states that Get On My Level 2020 will not happen. PGRU S-tier prior to PGRU hiatus; SWT Platinum prior to SWT hiatus. | [53] |
MomoCon 2020 | May 21st-24th, 2020 | Georgia | Melee, Ultimate | ? | Cancelled | SWT Gold prior to cancellation. | [54] |
Smash Contest: DoKomi 2020 | May 23rd-24th, 2020 | Germany | Ultimate | 166 | Postponed | Postponed to September 12th-13th, then finally held on September 26th-27th. PGRU C-tier prior to PGRU hiatus. | [55] |
Battle Arena Melbourne 12 | May 29th-31st, 2020 | Australia | 64, Melee, Ultimate, Project+ | ~100 | Postponed | Postponed a couple of times, eventually to an unspecified date in May 2022; SWT Platinum prior to postponement. | [56][57][58] |
June 2020
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Double Down | June 5th-7th, 2020 | Nevada | Melee, Ultimate | ??? | Postponed | Postponed until further notice. SWT Platinum prior to postponement. | [59] |
COST 2020 | June 7th | Ohio | Melee, Ultimate | 173 | Cancelled | [60] | |
Smash Ultimate Summit 3 | June 11th-14th, 2020 | SoCal | Ultimate | 16 | Postponed | Initially postponed, later cancelled, then later reopened for August 26th-29th, 2021. | [61][62] |
Battle of BC 4 | June 19th-21st, 2020 | Canada | Melee, Ultimate | 158 | Cancelled | SWT Gold prior to cancellation. | [63] |
e-Caribana | June 21st, 2020 | Switzerland | Ultimate | 16 | Cancelled | 2020 iteration cancelled. PGRU B-tier prior to PGRU hiatus. | |
CEO 2020 | June 26th-28th, 2020 | Florida | Ultimate | ??? | Cancelled | Postponed to December 11th-13th, 2020 and later cancelled. SWT Gold prior to cancellation. | [64][65] |
July 2020
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Low Tier City Expo 2020 | July 10th-12th, 2020 | Texas | 64, Melee, Ultimate, Project+ | 330 | Cancelled | 2020 iteration cancelled. SWT Platinum prior to cancellation | [66] |
COLOSSEL 2020 | July 11th-12th, 2020 | France | Ultimate | 348 | Cancelled | 2020 iteration cancelled. | [67] |
Fête 2020 | July 23rd-26th, 2020 | United Kingdom | Melee | N/A | Cancelled | SWT Gold prior to cancellation. | [68] |
Smash Factor 9 | July 24th-26th, 2020 | Mexico | 64, Melee, Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | Postponed indefinitely. SWT Platinum prior to postponement. | [69] |
EVO 2020 | July 31st-August 2nd, 2020 | Nevada | Ultimate | N/A | Cancelled | Replaced with online event, but Smash Ultimate was cut from lineup. Online event was later cancelled due to sexual allegations. | [70][71] |
August 2020
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Super Smash Con 2020 | August 6th-9th, 2020 | Virginia | 64, Melee, Brawl, Smash 4, Ultimate, Project+ | N/A | Cancelled | SWT Platinum prior to cancellation. | [72] |
FESTA | August 16th-22nd, 2020 | Sweden | Melee | N/A | Postponed | Postponed to August 15th-21st, 2021, then later to July 17th-23rd, 2022. | [73][74] |
Biggie III | August 21st-23rd, 2020 | New Zealand | Melee, Ultimate | 87+ | Postponed | Postponed to February 5th-7th, 2021 due to confirmed community transmmission in New Zealand. | [75] |
Shine 2020 | August 28th-30th, 2020 | Massachusetts | Melee, Ultimate | N/A | Cancelled | [76] |
September 2020
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standoff 2020 | September 4th-6th, 2020 | Texas | Ultimate, Project+ | N/A | Cancelled | [77] | |
DreamHack Montreal 2020 | September 11th-13th, 2020 | Canada | Melee, Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | Postponed until 2021, will likely keep current name. | [78] |
Riptide | September 11th-13th, 2020 | Ohio | Melee, Ultimate, Project+ | N/A | Postponed | Cancelled, then reopened for September 10th-12th, 2021 | [79][80] |
Smash Dream Cup | September 12th-13th, 2020 | Mexico | Ultimate | 48 | Postponed | Postponed until March 13th-14th 2021, but current status unknown. | [81] |
Glitch: Infinite | September 19th-20th, 2020 | MD/VA | Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | Postponed to an unknown date. SWT Gold prior to postponement | [82] |
October 2020
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Big House 10 | October 2020 | Michigan | N/A | N/A | Cancelled | Scheduled for October prior to cancellation. It was then replaced by The Big House Online. The Big House Online was then canceled by Nintendo of America, due to the usage of Project Slippi. This caused heavy backlash towards the cease and desist from Nintendo, with the trending use of #FreeMelee. | [83][84] |
Ultimate Fighting Arena 2020 | October 4th-6th, 2020 | France | Ultimate | N/A | Cancelled | [85] | |
Phoenix Revengeance | October 10th-11th, 2020 | Chile | Ultimate | 40 | Postponed | Postponed to October 9th-10th, 2021, SWT Silver prior to postponement | [86] |
The Script Trilogy | October 10th-11th, 2020 | Maryland | Melee | N/A | Postponed | Postponed indefintely, SWT Gold prior to postponement | [87] |
DreamHack Rotterdam 2020 | October 16th-18th, 2020 | Netherlands | Melee, Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | Postponed to 2021 | [88] |
Overlords of Orlando: OCTOBERLORDS 2 | October 16th-18th, 2020 | Florida | Melee, Ultimate | N/A | Cancelled | [89] | |
Blacklisted 6 | October 17th-18th, 2020 | Massachusetts | Project+ | N/A | Postponed | Postponed to April 24th-25th, 2021; then to November 6th-7th, 2021. | [90][91] |
Revival: A SmashUK Invitational | October 17th-18th, 2020 | United Kingdom | Ultimate | 16 | Postponed | The tournament, which was to feature some of the United Kingdom's best players, was announced hours before the United Kingdom government restricted social gatherings to 6 people. The decision to postpone indefinitely was announced the next day. | [92] |
Mainstage 2 | October 23rd-25th, 2020 | SoCal | Melee, Ultimate | N/A | Cancelled | [93] | |
United LAN 2020 | October 23rd-27th, 2020 | Germany | Ultimate | 52 | Postponed | Postponed to Summer 2021. | [94] |
First Attack 2020 | Octoer 24th-25th, 2020 | Puerto Rico | Ultimate | N/A | Cancelled | Replaced by Online event of the same name. | [95] |
Port Priority 6 | October 31st-November 1st, 2020 | Washington | Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | Postponed to October 2nd-3rd, 2021, later to October 30th-31st. SWT Gold prior to postponement | [96][97] |
November 2020
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DreamHack Atlanta 2020 | November 13th-15th, 2020 | Georgia | Melee, Ultimate | N/A | Cancelled | 2020 iteration cancelled and moved to 2021 | |
Apex 2020 | November 20th-22nd, 2020 | New Jersey | Melee, Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | Postponed to 2021. SWT Gold prior to postponement. | [99] |
December 2020
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2GG 5th Anniversary Saga | December 5th-6th, 2020 | SoCal | Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | Postponed to an unknown date. | [100] |
Crossover Summit | December 10th-13th, 2020 | SoCal | Melee, Ultimate | 32 | Cancelled | [101] |
January 2021
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sumabato SP 17 | January 9th, 2021 | Japan | Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | Initially cancelled due to a state of emergency from a surge of infections. Later held on March 7th. | [102] |
Kagaribi 1.5 | January 10th, 2021 | Japan | Ultimate | N/A | Cancelled | Cancelled due to a state of emergency from a surge of infections. | [103] |
Kagaribi 2 | January 24th, 2021 | Japan | Ultimate | N/A | Cancelled | Cancelled due to a state of emergency from a surge of infections. | [104] |
February 2021
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maesuma TOP 5 | February 23rd, 2021 | Japan | Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | Delayed repeatedly, finally set to take place on July 3rd-4th, 2021. | [105][106][107][108][109] |
April 2021
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sumabato SP 18 | April 24th, 2021 | Japan | Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | First postponed to May 29th, then postponed until further notice. The final date was announced to be July 23rd, 2021, with Sumabato SP 19 to be held the very next day. | [110][111][112] |
Kagaribi 4 | April 25th, 2021 | Japan | Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | First postponed to May 22nd, then postponed to June 26th-27th. | [113][114] |
May 2021
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15th Kanto | May 2nd, 2021 | Japan | 64 | N/A | Cancelled | Cancelled due to an emergency declaration in Tokyo. Now planned to be held in summer or autumn. | [115] |
Temple: Hermès Edition | May 29th-30th, 2021 | France | Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | Postponed to September 4th-5th, 2021. |
June 2021
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SWT: Oceania Melee & Ultimate Regional Finals | June 25th-27th, 2021 | Australia | Melee, Ultimate | 32 | Postponed | Postponed to August 27th-29th, 2021, then postponed to November 12th-14th. | [116][117] |
July 2021
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SWT: East Asia Ultimate Regional Finals | July 3rd-4th, 2021 | Japan | Ultimate | 16 | Postponed | Postponed to September 25th-26th, 2021, then postponed to November 6th-7th, 2021. | [118][119] |
SWT: East Asia Melee Regional Finals | July 10th-11th, 2021 | Japan | Melee | 16 | Postponed | Postponed to October 2nd-3rd, 2021, then postponed to November 23rd-24th, 2021. | [120][121] |
SWT: Europe Ultimate Regional Finals | July 17th-18th, 2021 | Europe | Ultimate | 16 | Postponed | Postponed to September 18th-19th, 2021. | [122] |
SWT: South America Melee & Ultimate Regional Finals | July 30th-August 1st, 2021 | South America | Melee, Ultimate | 32 | Cancelled | Cancelled due to severe COVID-19 transmission in South America. Ultimate finals to be held online on August 1st. Melee finals cancelled, Chape and HP selected as the finalists by the Melee panel. | [123] |
Kagaribi 5 | July 31st, 2021 | Japan | Ultimate | N/A | Postponed | Postponed to August 29th, 2021, then postponed to October 31st, 2021. | [124][125] |
August 2021
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SWT: Europe Melee Regional Finals | August 7th-8th, 2021 | Europe | Melee | 16 | Postponed | Postponed to August 14th-15th, then to October 23-24th. | [126][127] |
September 2021
Tournament | Original Dates | Region | Games | Tentative Attendance | Status | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SWT: Central America Melee Regional Finals | September 4th-5th, 2021 | Central America | Ultimate | 16 | Anticipated | Anticipated to August 28th-29th, 2021 due to the rescheduling of other tournaments. | [128] |
SWT: NA West Ultimate Regional Finals | September 25th-26th, 2021 | United States | Ultimate | 16 | Postponed | Postponed to October 9th-10th, 2021. | [129] |
References
Significant events in competitive Smash history | |
---|---|
2000s | Wombo Combo |
2010s | Release of The Smash Brothers · Leffen vs. Chillin (Apex 2015) · Super Pichu cheating scandal |
2020s | COVID-19 pandemic · Sexual misconduct allegations · Cancellation of The Big House Online · Cancellation of Smash World Tour 2022 · Nintendo Community Tournament Guidelines |