16 talented Smash Bros. players, all duking it out for the number one spot: it's the Smash Bros. invitational, and you can watch it right here.
It might not be surprising to hear that thousands of people have lined up to watch the event—it's the first time we'll get to see how the game plays outside of pre-prepared footage.
Here's how the tournament will work, according to Nintendo:
Character Draft
On the morning of the tournament, each player will draw a number from a hat, ranging from 1 through 16. Players will then pick characters one by one based on their numerical order starting with 1. After a character is chosen, they are no longer selectable by any other player. Players must keep the same character throughout the entire event.
Super Smash Bros. Invitational Highlights
- Single-Elimination Tournament
- 4 players per match, 4 stock, 5 minute time limit
- Top 2 players determined by score advance from each match to the next round
- 2nd place scores have the following tiebreakers:
- Most KO's
- If the number of KO's are tied, 2nd place will be determined by fan vote
- Quarterfinals: Items on Medium
- Semifinals and Finals: Items on Low
- Grand Finals: Items off (1 vs 1)
- Stages will be unveiled at the tournament.
*Grand Finals is a 4-stock, 8-minute, 1-on-1 match on Battlefield as an homage to the competitive Smash Bros. community.
Fan Favorite Voting during the Tournament
We are also going to be running a concurrent Fan Favorite bracket during the event. This Fan Favorite bracket is completely separate from the Invitational Tournament. To gain entry into the Fan Favorite bracket, players from the Invitational need to be voted in by the audience as a Fan Favorite. At the end of each Quarterfinal and Semifinal match of the Invitational, members of the audience will be encouraged to hold up character cards provided by Nintendo to vote on the player they feel performed with the most heart, courage, creativity, and style. The player that gets the most votes from the crowd wins a spot in the Fan Favorite Bracket.
In the Fan Favorite bracket matches, the highest scoring winner will advance to the next round. A second player will advance based on a fan vote. The objective for the players in this bracket is not only to win, but to do their best to win the hearts and votes of the fans.
Fan Favorite Bracket Highlights
- Single-Elimination Bracket
- Up to 4 players per match, 5 minute time limit only
- Two players move on to the next round:
- 1 by Highest Score (KO's minus Falls)
- 1 decided by Fan Vote (the decibel level of the fans will decide a tied vote)
- All Rounds: Items on Medium
- Grand Finals: Winner is determined by score only
- Stages will be unveiled at the tournament.
Are you rooting for any characters in particular? I'm hoping Wii Fit Trainer takes home the gold, but only because Diddy Kong isn't available as a choice.