Unknown player hammers Smash Bros. hot favorite at Frostbite 2017

While fans watched in disbelief, a previously unknown player rose to the top and destroyed one of the game’s best players. The newcomer, known only as Komota, eliminated Elliot “Ally” Carroza-Oyarce, one of Smash Bros. highest ranked players.

New kid devours Ally’s Mario with ease

In the Smash Bros. ranking, the same players are always showing as the top dogs, with one or two newcomers occasionally making a name in a competition and then fading into obscurity again. Players like ZeRo and MKLeo are the ones you will always see in the news. However, a new kid on the block has shown his face, and it was a face with a very surprised look.

Komota, as he is known, was matched against Ally in the pool play events, and everyone expected Ally to take the newbie apart quickly. However, to everyone’s surprise, including Komota’s, Ally lost in a best-of-three match to the newcomer. Using “Kirby”, a character rarely used in competition gaming, Komota was able to come back from a 1–1 tie to deliver a surprise, match-ending blow to Ally’s Mario, who was blown out of the arena, leaving Ally down in the loser’s bracket. And the newcomer was just as amazed as everyone else at his win. His incredulity was clear on his face, as he was heard to utter, “That was a hard game…wait…I won?”

Kirby has never been used in competition before

In Smash 4, characters like Kirby are low-tier, and never used for competition play as they normally do not have what it takes to battle in the arena. Kirby normally baits his enemies and punishes them with a series of devastating blows. While this can be a very effective tactic against an unprepared opponent, it is rarely able to be used against a pro player.

Ally can still make a comeback in the tournament

Ally will still have the chance to make something of a comeback in the singles pools, albeit in the lower brackets. He is currently sitting in the bottom few of the top 48 players, and has been matched against Ranai — 5th at Evo 2016 and 3rd at Genesis 3 — in his next match. His ability with his Mario character has seen him take game after game, and took him to the Frostbite Doubles Grand Final, with Mexican star, MKLeo. The pair took out top teams, ZeRo/Nairo and Kameme/Abadango, in the early rounds easily. In the finals, they took on the dangerous combination of Salem and Ryuga and sent them home defeated after a clean sweep 3–0 win.

Komota could still win the Pool Play Singles

Komota continued to move through the top bracket following his surprise win. Despite losing his next match to top player, Joseph “Seagull” Raucher — who plays a dangerous Sonic — he is still in the running. However, with the rules of double-elimination used in the pools play, one more loss and he could be going home. But this youngster has definitely made the Smash 4 tournament something to watch again.