Nounsvitational announces Vote-In, top two Melee players to get invites

The highly anticipated Nounsvitational has opened its Voting Round, allowing the Super Smash Bros. Melee community to nominate their favourite players to attend the exclusive tournament.

The first stage of the Vote-In began on July 1st, giving fans until July 14th to submit their nominations — or nominate themselves. Then, the top 24 proposals will head to the next round on July 15th, with ultimately just two Melee players flying to Japan in December.

“In order to be eligible, submit a proposal explaining why you’d be an excellent addition to this competition. Tell us about yourself, your previous results and why our community should choose you,” Nouns Esports stated on the official Vote-In page.

In the end, the two winners will be flown out to Tokyo, Japan from December 1st through the 8th, with the travel and accommodations paid for by Nouns Esports. They will then be able to compete against the following invited pros:

There are a handful of spots remaining: One spot left for the winner of an upcoming Nouns-hosted tournament coming soon, one spot for whoever makes it through the Last Chance Qualifier in Japan and, of course, two spots for the players who get voted in by the community.

Joseph ‘Mang0’ Marquez was previously invited but is no longer attending as a competitor after he acted inappropriately at Ludwig Ahgren’s alcohol-fueled Mario Kart stream. This ensures that Cody can compete, as he previously stated that he wouldn’t be attending any tourneys where Mang0 is allowed. An extra Vote-In slot has been added in his place — Noun confirmed with Esports Insider that it was originally supposed to be just one.

Last year, Michael ‘Angel’ Annese and Joshua ‘Joshman’ Lyras won the vote and were flown out to the Nounsvitational. Held in Brooklyn, New York, the 2024 Nounsvitational saw Jmook, Zain, Moky, Aklo, and Joshman make up the Top 5.