If you’ve been following the competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee scene for years, one thing is clear: Europe really dislikes Jake “Jmook” DiRado’s controllers. The French Melee major, Arcamelee, took place on Nov. 19 in Lyon, France, attracting top 50 players from around the world. However, this tournament will be remembered for a devastating incident that occurred during the losers finals.
This set was a rematch between Kurtis “moky” Pratt and Jmook, ranked No. 5 and No. 3 respectively in the Summer 2023 rankings. Jmook had previously defeated moky 3-0 in winners semis, so moky was determined to seek revenge. The losers finals set proved to be more competitive, with moky leading 2-1 in the set count. However, the momentum abruptly halted in game four.
Jmook had a comfortable stock lead, but when moky landed a back-throw at low percent, Jmook inexplicably fell to his death. It became evident that his controller had stopped working. Now at his last stock, moky could have easily thrown Jmook off the stage and secured a victory. However, he chose to stand still alongside Jmook, seeking guidance from tournament organizers on how to proceed. Ultimately, Jmook was granted time to obtain a new controller, while moky was left waiting for his opponent’s return.
When Jmook returned with a new controller, the audience rallied behind him, cheering loudly for every impressive move he made. Boosted by the crowd’s support, Jmook defeated moky and advanced to grand finals.
It is important to note that neither moky nor Jmook are to blame for this incident. Moky displayed commendable sportsmanship by choosing not to take advantage of the situation. Jmook, on the other hand, was given permission by the tournament organizers to acquire a replacement controller. He even stated on Twitter that he would have understood if the organizers had denied his request.
However, it is worth mentioning that Jmook should not have been given the opportunity in the first place. According to the current ruleset widely recognized in Smash Bros. tournaments, unplugging a controller midgame, even accidentally, results in forfeiting the game. While a controller breaking midgame may be different, there should be a rule in place. A suggestion would be that if a player does not have a spare controller readily available and cannot resume the game within a reasonable time frame determined by the organizers, they must forfeit the game. This aligns with Jmook’s tweet expressing the need for clarity in such situations.
This incident is not an isolated occurrence. On July 16, Jmook faced Zain, the world’s No. 1 player, in the grand finals at Fête 3 in the UK, when a similar situation unfolded. Although Zain ultimately won those sets, it was still a devastating incident for both players.
As long as players are responsible for enforcing these controversial rules, they face online backlash and community vilification for adhering to them. In moky’s case, he was severely disadvantaged for being the “bigger person” and allowing his opponent some leeway. Tournament organizers must intervene in such instances to ensure fairness and relieve players from making uncomfortable decisions on the grand stage.
Source: DOTESPORTS
