Japan’s first platinum event of the 2022 Smash World Tour will take place this week at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center. Kagaribi 7 will feature a bracket of 768 people vying for the top spot in one of the strongest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate regions in the world.
The event will largely be devoid of major international talent. Even so, with most of the best Japanese competitors registered to attend, it will likely show off some of the best Ultimate that any region has to offer. Here’s everything fans should know about the tournament before it begins later this week.
The first Japanese Platinum #SmashWorldTour event is THIS WEEK!
Kagaribi#7 will feature players like @ProtoBanhamSSBU, @syu_tolimar, @chibiT2169, @Gackt_N, @acola_Lui, and tons of other top Japanese talent!
📆 May 4th – 5th
🌏 Tokyo, Japan
🏆 https://t.co/cZdBe4OZWY pic.twitter.com/6cuq0pOClw— Smash World Tour 2022 (@SmashWorldTour) May 2, 2022
Players to watch
In his last international appearance, Naoto “ProtoBanham” Tsuji defeated the likes of Samuel “Dabuz” Buzby, Gavin “Tweek” Dempsey and Leonardo “MkLeo” López Pérez to place third at Smash Ultimate Summit 4. However, he has recently been slumping at in-region events.
Though he was considered Japan’s best player in 2021, ProtoBanham missed top eight at his last two Japanese events. He placed ninth at Kagaribi 6 and 17th at Maesuma TOP 7. As a result, ProtoBanham will aim to prove he still has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the best in Japan at Kagaribi 7.
Given his recent performances, it’s hard to pick anyone other than acola as the favorite to win Kagaribi 7. The 15-year-old Steve main began competing online in January of 2021 and entered his first offline tournament in November. Since then, he has won every tournament he has entered except for one: Maesuma Offline, an invitational where he placed second.
Across the nine tournaments he has entered, acola has dropped only five sets. In addition, he boasts winning or even records against every player he has faced. On Sunday, he attended his first ever major, Maesuma TOP 7. There, acola beat Yutaro “Paseriman” Nagumo, Jogibu, Hero, Takuma “Tea” Hirooka, Yoshidora and Shuto “Shuton” Moriya en route to first place. If he’s successful, Kagaribi could mark the continuation of the streak of dominance for Japan’s Ultimate prodigy.
a 15-year old Steve from Japan
who has only been playing offline for 2 months
just won a major over Shuton, Yoshidora, Tea, Kameme, KEN, Kome and many more
his name is あcola (acola)
potentially next god of ultimate
keep your eyes on it pic.twitter.com/xxwRoeD7wb— hungrybox (@LiquidHbox) May 2, 2022
How to watch Kagaribi 7
East Geek Smash will provide the primary broadcasts for Kagaribi 7 on both YouTube and Twitch. In addition, English-speaking Smash fans will be able to watch a restream courtesy of VGBootCamp on Twitch.
The tournament will kick off with Smash Ultimate Singles pools at 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday. By the end of the first day of competition, the bracket will have been whittled down to the top 96. There will also be a “B class tournament” on Day 1, which attendees who are eliminated in round one pools will have the option to enter.
Then, top 96 will begin at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Top eight is scheduled to run from 1 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. ET. As a result, any international viewers interested in checking out the action are in for a long night.
Published: May 2, 2022 05:11 pm