The grand finals were an entirely Swedish affair, with Armada’s magnificent pedigree heading off Leffen’s hungry challenge. Armada chose to run Fox against Leffen’s own Fox, a mirror match that frequently leads to stalemates due to the similarities in tools that each player can use. Unfortunately for Armada, Leffen had the upper-hand. The so-called god was forced to switch to his old standby, Peach, in an effort to stave off Fox’s relentless assault.

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It all came down to one final game on Final Destination, the flat, featureless stage that has become the most ubiquitous of Melee’s arenas. With the Evo title slipping from his grasp, Armada used every tool at his disposal to avoid Leffen’s rushdown, floating around the stage and surveying the landscape before committing to anything. But in the last few seconds, Leffen was able to catch Armada with a grab, throwing him into the air for one final attack and sending him sailing into the background.

The importance of this moment radiated from Leffen. He rose from his chair, looking as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. At long last, he had scaled the mountaintop, pulling the gods down to his level and securing one of the greatest titles in the fighting game community. Evo 2018 belonged to him.

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UPDATE - After the win, Leffen shared this statement on Twitter: