Zanya, SassyFlygon crowned at Smash’s 2024 King of Upstate [Photo Gallery]
Kicking off the summer, King of Upstate crowned two dominant figures as King and Queen in the scene for Ultimate and Melee, as smash joined the FGC celebration for the first time.
The tournament was the first big smash event for the Salt City in a long time not centered around RetroGameCon, allowing it to breathe and celebrate its players more than on the tight and intense convention grounds.
Pre-pandemic, KoU was the area’s Tekken regional, before growing last year into an FGC variety event.
This year, smash and other games being introduced turned it into Attack from All Sides’ celebration of all things fighting game in Upstate NY.
With just under 35 people in each bracket, it was a top-heavy event on both sides with heartbreakers and dominance alike as players gathered at Syracuse’s Atrium events venue on June 8.
Just outside the downtown venue, the competitors were able to try out a wide variety of the city’s food thanks to the Taste of Syracuse event.
Thanks to Kahn, Naga, NicelyDressedDad, Eclipse and the other TOs for the fun event!
Photo Gallery
Photos from Birdie, Swoggles & Smash TOs:
FGC and other photos from Ash:
Results
Melee saw an experimental event to help kick off the crews-focused summer of the region, with four teams of five-member draft crews duking it out before the singles bracket. Making it past the ICs menace in other teams of Swebby and DarkGenex, and clutching it against Team X, the MonkHB led-team of Poseidon, Zam, and Birdie took the event over teams led by SwebBy, Cakebutts and Stooby-Gacks.
Then in singles, Zanya swept bracket without losing a single game to anyone – except SwebBy, who took her fox to the brink before a reverse 3-0.
In Ultimate Doubles, Draxsel and Naga defended Syracuse over challenging teams.
In Ultimate singles, Rochester’s SassyFlygon took the event handily without losing a set, taking it over Draxsel and Liyrex.
Full results can be found on the Start.gg page.
In the redemption brakets, Cakebutts took it over Swoggles and BboP for a nice small pot bonus for Melee provided by MonkHB, while Ultimate’s redemption bracket saw a sLuGG victory after a series of late bracket DQs.
VODs
Event VODs can be found on the Attack from All Sides YouTube channel and the Salt City Smash YouTube channel for permanent viewing once uploads are completed.
Event highlights
- Longtime Syracuse community member and TO Poseidon, after upsetting ayeGiohh in bracket, made it all the way to 2nd place in the Mortal Kombat 1 bracket
- Notable runs for lumor and NICK PRIONBOIL
- Tristate challengers of Den and le trollface. problem? coming up, along with DarkGenex helping with commentary
- BING putting a good showing with Falco, but letting out a loud “FUCK” after losing 3-0 to Zanya in grand finals
- Liyerex making the runback against Draxsel in losers after being beaten in a game 5 in Ultimate winners
- A brief attempt at a Kirby ditto from Liyrex against Oats
Other Winners
- Tekken 8: Mak (84 entrants)
- Street Fighter 6: Blue (64 entrants)
- Guilty Gear: Strive: Samba (20 entrants)
- Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes: SSSWS: LuFL (14 entrants)
- Mortal Kombat 1: BFGC | Ludi (13 entrants)
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising: Beesu (9 entrants)
- King of Fighters XV: dinotail (8 entrants)
- DNF Duel: Goldeneye161 (7 entrants)
- Tekken Ball: BFGC | ChaCha (7 entrants)
- BlazBlue: Central Fiction: AGN | The Spine (6 entrants)