This weekend at Genesis 7, the Smash Ultimate community came together at the pinnacle of the game’s competitive stage in Oakland, CA. These are the 7 best sets from the tournament.

Winners Round of 64 – MkLeo vs. Larry Lurr

Prior to Genesis 7, Larry “Larry Lurr” Holland had only beaten Leonardo “MkLeo” Lopez once. It was at a local, and Leo was using Marth. This time around, the stakes were a bit higher. Coming out of the gate, however, Larry Lurr was on a different level. He took the first two games with ease and maintained a strong lead throughout nearly the entirety of Game 3. However, at that pivotal turning point, MkLeo managed to take Larry’s 3rd stock in a matter of 16 seconds, promptly closing out the game and completing the download. From there, Leo would go on to win the next two games in convincing fashion, shutting down any chance of a major upset. If anything, this set showed exactly how good Leo is at adapting to the challenges thrown before him – while simultaneously showing that one of the strongest players from a time gone by might have some juice left in the tank.

6. Winners Quarter-Finals – Marss vs. Maister

Tyler “Marss” Martins was definitely the most dominant player at the tournament all weekend. He refused to bleed at any point of his bracket run, even having the ability to sweep MkLeo in the Grand Final, capping off a seriously impressive run to the top. However, if there was any one moment where the eventual champion showed shades of doubt, it was against Enrique “Maister” Hernandez. The two traded blows for 5 straight games – the only time where Marss was pushed to the brink of elimination the entire tournament. Eventually, Marss prevented a reverse sweep when he two-stocked Maister in the set’s final game. Despite a ridiculously effective tournament out of the recently-ranked #5 player in the world, this set showcased how every top player in the game can push their contemporaries to the limit any given weekend.

5. Winners Quarter-Finals – Tweek vs. Samsora

Perhaps the most surprising part about this set is that Ezra “Samsora” Morris and Gavin “Tweek” Dempsey had only played 4 times prior to Genesis. The set record leaned 3-1 in favor of Tweek, but that wasn’t going to stop Samsora from jumping out to a hot start in this top 8 qualifier. He took an early 2-0 lead, forcing Tweek’s hand off of Wario and onto Wolf. And while desperate character swaps usually mark an unceremonious end for a set, Tweek took his Wolf pick all the way to the finish line and forced a game 5 against an utterly baffled Samsora. Throughout the course of that final contest, the game was incredibly tight all the way until the end – both players were playing in another dimension. Regardless, Samsora was able to take his first set off his fellow top-5 compatriot since Super Smash Con.

4. Losers Semis – ESAM vs. MkLeo

If there’s anything Eric “ESAM” Lew is good at, it’s creating the most out of dire situations. And any time a player finds themselves backed into a corner by MkLeo, be sure that the situation is desperate. In this set, however, the best Pikachu player in the world certainly made sure to take the most out of every scenario and actually turn the tables on Leo, throwing him into a corner at a 2-1 deficit. However, this set reaffirmed the notion, once again, that MkLeo is never out of a set, and to doubt him, even – no, especially – when he’s down a game, would be incredibly foolish. He proved time and time again this tournament that he can overcome any challenge, and this comeback proved that claim almost entirely.

3. Losers Top 8 Qualifier – Nairo vs. Gluttony

For one of the final sets of Saturday’s schedule of madness, Nairoby “Nairo” Quezada and William “Glutonny” Belaid put on a performance that will go down in the history books as one of the most pivotal and head-turning matchups in recent memory. After getting beaten convincingly by Dakota “Dakpo” Goode in a massive upset earlier in the day, Glutonny was sent to losers before the Round of 64 even kicked off. By the time he even reached Nairo, he was already on his 9th set of the day. With his back against the wall going into game 4, down 2-1, Gluto nearly 3-stocked his opponent to force a game 5. In that contest on Final Destination, Nairo had seemingly built a lead that could propel him all the way into the top 8, but after being taken down to his final stock, Glutonny put together one of the most technical combo strings competitive Smash Ultimate has ever seen. Dragging Nairo completely across the stage, he racked up 69% worth of damage in just over 4 seconds, capping off the combo with a Waft that sent Nairo straight out of the tournament. Throughout the day, Glutonny had made one of the best losers runs in the history of modern Smash, taking out players such as Alexis “Goblin” Stennett and Antony “MuteAce” Hoo, capping it off with the comeback of a lifetime.

2. Grand Finals – Marss vs. MkLeo

Never has a 3-0 sweep been so satisfying. Despite this bout doing the minimum in terms of games played, the effort and intensity from both competitors was certainly there. Every game went into a last-stock-last-hit situation, with MkLeo experiencing multiple false finishes over the course of multiple games. However, what made this set truly stand out was the fact that it only took Marss 3 games to create a lengthy highlight reel against the best player in the world. From Flip Kick spikes to ladder combos, Marss utilized Zero Suit Samus to her utmost potential, playing the character in a way we had yet to see in the Ultimate era.

1. Losers Quarters – Dark Wizzy vs. ESAM

The set of the weekend belonged to two players fighting for their tournament lives in one of the most high-intensity settings the game had ever seen. Perhaps the theme of Genesis 7 was that no lead is safe – especially those where a player is up 2 games to 1. This set between ESAM and Rasheen “Dark Wizzy” Rose was a certified example of how top players can adapt and capitalize on any given opportunity., subsequently shifting the tides of any series at the drop of a hat. After playing poorly against the best Mario in the world just a week earlier at Glitch 8, ESAM revitalized himself in this matchup, gaining steam throughout the course of the set. Throughout the weekend, ESAM made it a point to take a mile whenever he was given an inch. He found his opening when Wizzy SD’d his second stock of game 4 and never looked back. ESAM held onto a stock lead throughout the entirety of the 5th game, and busted things wide open with a legendary loop that finished in a Thunder to send Wizzy straight to the blast zone and himself straight into the top 4.

Photo Credit: Nintendo, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Genesis, BTSSmash