Tremendous Smash Bros. Melee has such a deep pool of recent expertise that it isn’t a assure to see names like Leffen on the high of the standings anymore. Whereas TSM’s Swedish star is splitting his focus between a number of video games, he overcame his underdog standing to drag off a $15,000 Main win after beating Zain twice on the Ludwig Ahgren Championship Sequence 5.
Hosted by Ludwig and his group, LACS5 was the newest within the streamer’s invitational sequence, that includes lots of the high names in Melee like Cody Schwab, Zain, aMSa, and Hungrybox. Leffen got here in having solely competed in two different Majors this 12 months however walked away together with his first title at that stage since Battle of BC 4 in June 2023.
Again at that occasion, Leffen additionally needed to greatest Zain to boost the trophy, pulling out the Sheik he was engaged on as an alternative of the signature Fox to take an edge over Marth. Historical past repeated itself at LACS5 with that Shiek making an look to take a detailed 3-2 win within the grand finals as Zain deserted the pocket Ice Climbers that he threw out within the semifinals.
Leffen additionally notched large wins over Cody and Hbox throughout his winner’s run.
Since Smash Summit 9 in February 2020, proper earlier than occasions principally shifted on-line on account of COVID, Leffen has traveled to 12 Majors and received a Nationwide at DreamHack Rotterdam 2022. That’s largely as a result of residing in Sweden limits his entry to nearly all of massive occasions and likewise hampers his capacity to get dependable follow towards high expertise on account of spotty netplay.
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Leffen will skip an upcoming Melee Main, GOML, to relaxation and follow for his FGC competitions, although he doesn’t assume he can sustain the steadiness ceaselessly. Throughout his post-game interview, Ludwig requested if Leffen would end up choosing to leave Melee, to which the Swedish participant couldn’t decide to answering.
“There are some occasions you may simply carry out amazingly regardless of not doing the fitting factor,” Leffen said. “Enjoying three video games will not be sustainable, and even when it was for me, it wouldn’t be for my girlfriend, my canine, and my precise physique. On the finish of the day I’ve to decide, and I advised myself I wouldn’t till after Evo.”
Leffen joked that there had been “one other Swedish man” who received an occasion and left Melee, referencing Armada’s retirement, although he did say that he desires to proceed constructing on these clutch wins and are available again to win some tournaments as the favourite once more, relatively than remaining an underdog.
It feels like Melee continues to be going to be a precedence shifting ahead for Massive Leff, however for now, he’ll take the following few weeks to concentrate on GGST heading into Evo—the place he additionally plans to enter what ought to be the biggest Street Fighter event of all time too.
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