Carry2College, the esports industry's leading online collegiate recruiting event held its final weekend of festivities just last week. Among the titles being hosted for our student athletes was Super Smash Bros. Ultimate™, one of the most recognizable and played household games in the world.
High school aged competitors seeking esports scholarship opportunities among some of the top colleges and universities in the US showed up to compete in front of our esports recruiters. These students also had the chance to chat with these recruiters in a voice call to ask questions and discover colleges that fit their needs from an academic and competitive standpoint.
With nearly 100 student athletes across two regions registered for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate™, we've got a lot of action to cover. Let's reflect on the competition side, and highlight some standout players and results in this special C2C edition of the BearLight breakdown.
STORYLINES
A unique format was used for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate™ to better highlight student athletes.
The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate™ competitive scene is one of the few that features one player battling for a team at a time. Since performances tend to be more individualistic in nature, Stay Plugged In implemented a double elimination bracket both for seeding on Day 1, and for the Final Bracket on Day 2.
Not only does this format allow for equal and fair opportunity in competition, it also matches the universal standard for how Super Smash Bros. Ultimate™ players prefer to compete in tournaments around the world.
In addition, the field was split into two regions, Central and East, in order to support full connectivity for our players.
This format is quite different from the other titles offered this Carry2College for the reason above. The idea as always is to maximize the student and college experience first and foremost.
Day 1 Seeding - East - plantfan17 edges out d0g3 in Pool B, Spickles dominates in Pool A.
The incredible performances of the weekend by Spickles started on Day 1, as he tore through the upper side of the bracket.
Spickles delivered a perfect 12-0 record in games played to reach the Grand Finals of the East Pool A seeding bracket, and when the Grand Finals match was generated, he put up another 3-0 to secure the perfect Day 1, and a top seed in the Final Bracket for the East Region.
Meanwhile in Pool B, both plantfan17 and d0g3 had also built perfect records up until the Grand Final of seeding, but the clash between these two dominant players would become a rivalry by the time Day 1 was over.
It was d0g3 that won the exchange in the Upper Final 3-1, forcing plantfan17 to fight an extra battle to re-emerge from the Lower Finals for a rematch for the top seed of the Pool.
This time around, despite d0g3 not missing a step in the Grand Finals, plantfan17 squeezes out a 3-2 match win to reset the bracket, and would win the reset to take the top seed for Pool B
Day 1 Seeding - Central - particlesploshe holds on against woffle_dude in Pool A, jd_neon needs rest to top Pool B.
The Upper Final of Pool A featured particlesploshe, whose perfect run to this point looked a lot stronger than the relatively tougher road for woffle_dude. Although these seeding brackets could have very easily dealt woffle_dude a tougher hand, particle looked strong and was still the favorite to win the pool to this point.
It was indeed particlesploshe to advance through the top side with a 3-1 match win over woffle, but woffle was ready for their next exchange in the Grand Final of Pool A seeding. The match was forced to Game 5 by woffle_dude, but the effort fell just a bit short, and particlesploshe would take top seed from Pool A in the Central Final Bracket.
Pool B of the Central Region was quite an interesting one. Senior "Chinanese" made quick work of jd_neon in the Upper Finals to play for the top seed of the Pool from the upper side.
That narrative quickly shifted when fellow Senior, jd_neon, rose from the lower side for the Grand Finals and returned the favor, defeating Chinanese 3-0 to reset the bracket, and again to take the top seed from Central's Pool B.
East Region's Final Bracket features both Pool winners in the Grand Finals.
With the best of the Region advancing to the Final bracket, matches were tougher for our Pool winners along the way. Pool B's plantfan17 dropped a couple of games in the run to the Upper Finals, and Spickles perfect weekend ended in the Upper Semifinals.
Plantfan17 was able to manage a 3-0 victory in the Upper Finals against Spickles, but as we've seen in a majority of the Pools during seeding, that doesn't necessarily guarantee victory.
Spickles turned the dial to 10 at the exact right time, putting up massive play after massive play, including the #1 play on C2C's Top 5 Plays for all of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate™. Spickles wins by sweep to reset the bracket, and then sweeps the next floor as well, going a perfect 6-0 in games played in the Grand Finals to become your 2024 C2C Super Smash Bros. Ultimate™ East Region Champion. Congratulations!
Both Pool winners fall to the Lower Bracket, particlesploshe makes a run but comes up short.
In one of the biggest surprises of the Weekend in any title, Pool B winner fell in the second round of the bracket courtesy of Sophomore standout, zebrasharkbbb. One round later, in the Upper Semifinals, winner of Pool A, particlesploshe dropped a close match to omletgod.
The aftermath of the early bracket chaos left us with an Upper Finals and what our team is calling "The Battle of the Breakfast". Omletgod and woffle_dude cooked up a pretty close match, but woffle_dude would advance to the Grand Finals wit a 3-1 victory.
Meanwhile, particlesploshe was heating up as the omlet was cooling down a bit. Particle bounced back with a 3-0 win in the Lower Finals to challenge woffle_dude in the Grand Finals.
The last time these two met was exactly 24 hours prior in the Grand Finals for Pool A seeding. It was woffle_dude who came up short in Game 5 before, but this time around, woffle_dude flipped the script, and won 3-0 to claim victory this C2C. Congratulations to woffle_dude for becoming the 2024 C2C Super Smash Bros. Ultimate™ Central Region Champion!
FINAL THOUGHTS
A big thank you goes out to all of the college representatives, players, parents, and staff for attending and making this event truly outstanding.
The next chance to compete in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate™ in front of college recruiters will be the Stay Plugged In Showcase in mid-March. You don't want to miss it!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Improve your approach with college esports recruiters during esports recruiting events, and learn how to construct and execute your elevator pitch.
To learn more about our upcoming esports recruiting events, check out our article with all the information you need to compete in front of college esports teams.