Evo 2019 was a rollercoaster of emotions. Battles were waged. New titles were announced. Above all, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate made its event debut. However, this was the first year Melee was absent. Naturally, gamers were wondering: how popular is Ultimate going to be in its stead? There was no need to worry, as Ultimate set a viewership record last night.
These were not rookie viewership numbers and did not need to be pumped up
The Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament was the last event at Evo 2019, lasting well into the evening. Leonardo “MkLeo” Lopez emerged victoriously with the crown.
How many people watched the tense battles? According to esports insider, Rod “Slasher” Breslau, Smash Bros. Ultimate peaked with over 279,000 viewers on Twitch:
Smash Bros Ultimate has set the record for the highest peak viewership in EVO history for any game at over 279,000
Smash 4 lyfe #EVO19 pic.twitter.com/yTdc3PyrLu
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 5, 2019
This milestone beat last year’s numbers, where Dragon Ball FighterZ achieved 258,000 watchers.
I’m happy to see Smash Bros. Ultimate get some love on the Evo stage. Sure, Melee is an impressive technical fighter to watch, but the game is almost 20 years old. It is well past time to give some new blood a chance to shine. In addition, regardless of whatever Smash entry is on the ballot, I can rest assured I’ll never be as good as these gamers that compete. Next year, I’m going to travel to Evo 2020 and learn from the professionals!
Enthusiasts, were any of you watching the late-night brawls? Let us know in the comment section down below!
