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'Super Smash Bros. Melee' Tournament Ends With a Strange Moment That's Gone Viral
Polygon.com • • technology
Key Points:
- At the CEO tournament in Florida, a strange incident occurred during the grand finals match between Super Smash Bros. Melee players Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma and Cody Schwab, involving an unexpected pause in gameplay.
- Schwab appeared to recoil and stop playing after Hungrybox accidentally shook his chair, disrupting Schwab’s focus; Hungrybox then landed two hits mid-conversation, prompting Schwab to yell in confusion.
- Schwab later explained on social media that Hungrybox’s excitement caused the chair movement, which threw him off, and he requested a reset, though he admitted he likely would not have won regardless.
- The incident sparked controversy because pausing a match is generally frowned upon in competitive fighting games, where players are expected to forfeit if they stop playing, even due to external issues like controller problems.
- Schwab’s request for a position reset in this high-level competition drew criticism from the community, highlighting the strict norms around continuous play in esports tournaments.
