The brackets are finally out for Smash Ultimate’s first Supermajor, the 6th installment of the ever-prestigious Genesis tournament series. For the first time, players from around the world will come together to test their skill against each other. Such a stacked tournament means that all kinds of new interesting matchups will take place before we even reach Top 64. This article aims to highlight just a few of those that may have upset potential, or simply high entertainment value.

TSM|Leffen vs BestNess – Top 192 Winners Bracket

TSM|Leffen (MPGR #4) has been looking to prove himself in yet another Smash game after becoming an EVO Champion in Melee. He’s made good progress on that goal, placing 7th at the European major Valhalla II and generally displaying a lot of skill with Pokemon Trainer. His first big challenge at Genesis will be against BestNess (Utah #1), who he’s seeded to lose to. In Ultimate, he’s coming off of a dominant win on Xzax to place 5th at Super Splat Bros., and he also boasts a long list of Smash 4 accomplishments. This match will be Leffen’s first real test, and we’ll surely see if he’s done his research before coming to Oakland.

To top it all off, the winner of the set will likely face tamim in their next round. Either one of them could conceivably upset the Bayonetta player, so this section of bracket is a must-see.

CaptainZack vs Captain L – Top 96 Winners Bracket

CaptainZack (PGR100 #15) has struggled to find success with Bayonetta in Smash Ultimate, notably falling at a miserable 49th at Glitch 6. He has stated he will focus on Peach from now on, which puts how well he’ll do at Genesis up in the air. His match with Captain L (PGR100 #79) in Pools is sure to be interesting. The rising Pichu main from the Pacific Northwest has lots to prove, and is trying to carry his upwards momentum from Smash 4 into this new game.

Elegant vs DA|Sinji – Top 96 Winners Bracket

After falling to a surprising 25th at a recent regional he was seeded to win, SoCal’s finest Luigi player Elegant (PGR100 #27) is seeded lower than one might expect. He’s projected to lose before top 64 to Tristate’s Pac-Man extraordinaire DA|Sinji (PGR100 #85). Elegant bested Sinji last year at Genesis 5 in a tight 3-1 victory, but the low tier hero has made strides since then. Will he continue his rise with this set, or will Elegant get back on the right track in Ultimate?

Whoever loses the set will likely be unlucky enough to face PG|Plup (MPGR #2) in loser’s bracket, a big wildcard in this game.

DNG|Nietono vs Cacaw|Big D – Top 96 Winners Bracket

Nietono (PGR100 #33) has always put up inspiring performances in his few trips to the United States, including an incredible run to 3rd place at EVO 2018. At Genesis 6 however, one player may be the one to put a stop to this record of excellence, and that player is the Vancouver legend Big D (Canada #8). While his tag is as amusing as ever, Big D is a force to be reckoned with nonetheless, using a combination of Captain Falcon, Peach, and his signature King Dedede in this new game so far. While his regional results have always been strong, Big D wasn’t really able to perform in majors in Smash 4 – a harsh contrast to Nietono, who always seemed to step it up when it was time for a more prestigious event. In fact, their first and only match in Smash 4 was actually at Genesis 3 in 2016, with Big D coming up just one stock short of upsetting him in Winners Bracket. Will Big D reverse his luck and clinch it out this time?

PG|ESAM vs FOW – Top 96 Winners Bracket

The battle of the capital letters will be fought between ESAM (PGR100 #17), the Pikachu player who has consistently been in the upper echelon of competitors, and FOW (PGR100 #56), a popular Ness user who dropped off the map after a strong first season of Smash 4. FOW is back in full force for Ultimate, quietly winning 13 locals in a row in his region without dropping a single one. ESAM will be the toughest opponent he’s faced in bracket yet. ESAM has been his usual self in Ultimate so far, appearing at larger tournaments and putting up 2nd at Don’t Park on the Grass and 13th at Glitch 6. This match has plenty of upset potential, and could be a turning point for FOW.

IMT|ANTi vs Nicko – Top 96 Winners Bracket

ANTi (PGR100 #14) ended Smash 4 as one of the game’s greatest all-time players, but his career wasn’t free of stumbles. One of those stumbles came at 2GGC: Civil War, the most stacked Smash tournament of all time. In one of his Pools matches, ANTi was stunned by SoCal’s best Shulk, Nicko (SoCal #8) in two rather dominant games.

Genesis 6 finally promises a rematch between these two, if both can make it through their projected brackets. Nicko is going to be eager to prove not only himself, but also a character who many believe could be a secret top tier in this game.

Other Interesting Matches

Marss (PGR100 #16) vs Shogun (PGR100 #82) – Top 96 Winners Bracket: New England’s top ZSS/Ike has plenty of experience in the Fox matchup from his frequent bouts with his regionmate Light (PGR100 #43), but is definitely vulnerable as seen from his recent lost to ZD (MD/VA #2). The Japanese star Shogun will look to score a big upset here.

NRG|Nairo (PGR100 #2) vs False – Top 96 Winners Bracket: Nairo looks incredibly solid in Smash Ultimate so far, but False’s deep pocket of characters can give anyone trouble. If Nairo slips here, he may find himself in Losers Bracket surprisingly early.

Glutonny (PGR100 #70) vs MuteAce (SFL #5) – Top 96 Winners Bracket: Europe’s breakout Wario hasn’t lost a tournament in Smash Ultimate yet. Meanwhile, the Floridian Peach MuteAce has an upset over ZeRo (PGR100 #1) under his belt already, and is clearly a tournament threat.

MattyG (NER #4) vs KJS|Maister (PGR100 #81) – Top 96 Winners Bracket: This match is interesting because neither win would really feel like an upset. MattyG is a contender for best solo Chrom in the world right now, winning a regional over Marss and Light in late December. Maister is looking like the world’s best Mr. Game & Watch, and notably took 1st at an Ignition, the Midwest’s premier weekly tournament. Both of these players are rising stars, and the match is sure to be a fun one.