With 100+ man melee tournaments happening seemingly every weekend, one may be found wondering why a tournament like Apex matters to competitors, or what makes it so special. There are a number of different factors that make this tournament one to watch out for, one to get excited for, and one to compete in.

For starters, Apex is the largest Smash Brothers tournament series in the world, bar none. Apex is the capital of tournament Smash Bros, holding every single official Smash Bros game at their tournaments. Whether your focus is on 64, Melee, Brawl, Smash 4, or some combination of these games, you can be rest assured that the game will be at Apex and that the rest of the high level competitors for your game will be at the tournament. The competitors are typically drawn in by a large venue reserved solely for Smash Bros, along with the opportunity to watch and enter multiple Smash games that one may be interested in. Apex is also a very good place to catch up and just hang out with a bunch of fellow Smashers.

Along with the huge variety of Smash Games and Smashers that are at Apex, there’s also the huge viewer count that Apex pulls in each year. Smash Bros is becoming a more popular spectator sport every day, and Apex gives competitors a chance to please these viewers, while proving themselves as the best player in the world. This allows me to transition to my next point, which is the huge amount of international talent that attends Apex each year. While competitive Smash Bros. is traditionally centered in the United States, other countries around the world have incredible amounts of hidden talent. Apex gives those competitors a chance to come and represent their countries and show the American Smash scenes that there exist legitimate players and scenes in other countries. Another factor that draws competitors in the fact that with more competitors almost guaranteed to attend the tournament, the prize pot grows due to the entry fees contributing to the pot.

One of the biggest drawing factors for competitors at Apex is the ultimate fight for the pride of being the best. Few can say that they have attended the biggest Smash Bros. tournament in history and won it. To win an event at an Apex is to say, “I’m currently the best player in the world, and nobody can take that from me until proven otherwise.” This sense of pride motivates competitors to come out and give it their all in order to claim themselves as the best. Knowing that so much is on the line has led to some incredibly amazing and intense Smash Bros games, such as Mango v Leffen at Apex 2014, Armada v Hungrybox at Apex 2013, Salem v Mew2King at Apex 2013, and countless other sets.

So, as a spectator sitting at home thinking about whether or not to watch Apex, you may be thinking, “That’s great for people at the event or people entering the event, but why should I even bother watching this Smash tourney?” If you’re a fan of Smash Bros, you won’t be disappointed by the stream itself. On stream for each event, some of the best commentators to ever do it will be commentating the events, from the first wave of pools to the end of Grand Finals. Experienced commentary is a great way for new players to come into the scene and understand what is happening in game, along with also adding an entertaining and informative soundtrack to the gameplay. Apex is also a great tournament to watch if you’d like to see what other Smash players look like and how they act, since there is a huge variety of players and people who attend the event.

Overall, Apex is the epitome of high level Smash Brothers play, and is a great tournament to watch whether or not you’re new to the tournament scene, a hardened veteran, or even someone who knows nothing about the tournament scene. With every game being represented by the best players, commentators, and streamers, you can be sure you’re going to see the best of the best of the Smash Community at Apex.