Ludwig to host $30,001 Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament following Genesis 8 delay

Following the delay of Genesis 8 from later this month to April 15, Ludwig announced he would be hosting an online event to try and keep the spotlight on the Super Smash Bros. community during the now-vacant timeframe. 

This unnamed online tournament will run on Jan. 29 and 30 with a prize pool of $30,001, taking up the main dates when G8 would have happened if the team behind the event didn’t postpone it due to health, safety, and operational concerns surrounding COVID. 

Details surrounding the event are still in the works, but along with the date and $30,001 prize pool, Ludwig confirmed entries would only cost $1. As of now, the tournament is only set to feature a bracket for Super Smash Bros. Melee since it will be run entirely online and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has notoriously poor online features—though that doesn’t mean it won’t end up featured in some way or having its own similar event around the same time. 

Ludwig, who began his content creation career in the Super Smash Bros. competitive scene, has hosted several tournaments in the past, including the LACS Series 3, where the Melee community helped raise more than $300,000 for Gamers for Love and Direct Relief.

The only reason Ludwig and his team are tacking on that extra dollar on the end of the total is to break into the top 10 Melee tournaments of all-time in payout, since the Ludwig Ahgren Championship Series (LACS) 3 was bumped out of position earlier this year by Smash Summit 11 and the Smash World Tour 2021 Championship. 

Full details on the event, including how to register, a stream schedule, and if there is going to be a tieback to Genesis in any way to help support the postponed event, should surface in the coming weeks.