Over the past 3 years, Kevin Nanney, a.k.a, EG|PPMD has largely been on a hiatus from competitive Melee. Although, this is not a hiatus in the traditional sense. He practices. He has not withheld himself from the game and he is seemingly still in top form. Instead, PP really just doesn’t attend tournaments nowadays and when he does, they’re essentially just the cream-of-the-crop majors. In 2013, PP attended 5 notable tournaments, 4 of which were majors (Apex, Zenith, Evo, and TBH3). In 2014, he attended 6, 4 of which were majors (Apex, SKTAR3, Evo, and MLG). This year PP has only a lone tournament entry under his belt, the aforementioned annual Apex, which he won. The amazing thing throughout his pseudo absence is that he doesn’t seem to have lost any steam and might even be gathering a competitive edge against his opponents by way of his lack of presence.

Since 2013 rolled into the record books, PP has attended just 9 majors and won 3 of them (Apex ’14/15, SKTAR3). In that same stretch he managed to finish top 3 in 2 more majors (Apex ’13, TBH3) and has never finished lower than 5th (Evo 2k13). Even while competing against top players far less than his peers he has still managed to make himself a top contender. Apex 2015, his first tournament since a disappointing summer of 2014, serves as a perfect example of his persistence – he managed to win against the then biggest and toughest field of all time, allowing him to shake off his demons and assert his dominance

A True Student of the Game

Over time, PP has proven that his old moniker of “Dr” was more than just a gamertag. Throughout the years, people have spoken about how much PP studies the game. He studies it for hitboxes. He studies it for percentages. He studies it to learn and discover new tech. He also studies the stiff competition to gather any information he can on their differing playstyles. The more the other players compete, the more footage PPMD has to study and break down. Conversely, the less PP plays, the less the other top players get to study him

Mr. Consistency
Since his double elimination by Armada at Apex 2013, PP has only lost to one person not considered in the top 5, Wobbles, in the bracket format (he lost to Leffen in pools at MLG). While this doesn’t not allow for the explicit dismissal of other players, it does illustrate how strong of a player PP is. He’s had some close calls over that same stretch, including matches against PPU, S2J, and Reno, in which he managed to adjust in time and become the victor. His slick movement, combos, and razor-sharp wit all add to his overall mystique. His transition from a Falco main to a dual Marth/Falco has certainly aided in his journey, allowing him new counterpick options and forcing players to approach him with different gameplans. The same great tech skill and solid combos we’ve come to know and love from his Falco have been adapted to his Marth, helping to shine more light on a character that dominated the early years of the game

The Ghost of PPMD Past
Struggling with his personal life over much of the past year, PPMD has seemingly turned over a new leaf, triumphing over his battle with depression. After bouncing back with a huge win at Apex 2015, PP opted to sit out of any other tournaments this year, allowing him to reflect on himself as a player and to also watch from the sidelines and study for his next tournament, Evo 2015. Although he will have a tall order with just the other original 5 Gods to worry about, PP has placed his sights on Leffen, aiming to beat the Swede that has taken the Melee scene by storm since PP’s short absence. Given that mindset seems to be a huge part of his game, it’s important to note that PP seemingly has a positive outlook on not only Smash as a whole but it seems as though he is confident. Confidence can be very crucial when last stock hits or a 0-death combo can separate the winner from the loser. Shaking the dust off his controller and jumping head first with his new mindset at Evo could prove to be just what the doctor ordered.