Two major Super Smash Bros. tournaments concluded on November 9th: FAST FALL$ for Melee and Port Priority 9 for Ultimate.
The events crowned Duncan ‘SDJ’ Meara and Carlos ‘Sonix’ Pérez of Luminosity Gaming as their respective champions, marking another strong weekend for the North American and international competitive scenes.
FAST FALL$ Winner
SDJ claimed the Super Smash Bros. Melee singles title at FAST FALL$, defeating Spain’s Álvaro ‘Trif’ García Moral 3–2 in a Peach vs. Jigglypuff Grand Final. The Houston-based player also took first in doubles alongside Aly ‘MOF’ Oquendo.
“Got 1st in singles and 1st in dubs at FAST FALL$ (shoutout MOF),” SDJ posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Lowkey probs my best tourney win ever.”
Both SDJ and Trif qualified for Nounsvitational Tokyo 2025, an invitational event set to feature Melee’s top global players later this year.
The victory continues SDJ’s strong 2025 season, which has included top-three finishes at Québecup 2025, Get On My Level: Forever, and Steinway Melee 13.
Port Priority 9 Winner
Sonix captured the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate championship at Port Priority 9 in Seattle, Washington, overcoming Salvatore ‘Zomba’ DeSena and his R.O.B. in the Grand Final.
The Dominican Republic player — widely regarded as one of the world’s strongest Sonic mains — earned $2,619.75 (~£2,025) for the victory. Japan’s Carmelo finished third with Steve, followed by Paris ‘Light’ Ramirez Garcia of Shopify Rebellion in fourth using Fox.
Rounding out the top eight were Luis ‘Lui$’ Oceguera Ramos (Palutena), Japan’s Toriguri (Banjo & Kazooie), Mild na H.O (Donkey Kong/Mii Brawler/Bowser), and Alex ‘Lammers44’ Lammers (Mii Gunner).
“I won Port Priority 9!!! Words cannot describe how content I am with my performance,” Sonix posted on X. “Thank you all for your support… There’s still a lot of work to be done so I’ll keep on grinding.”
The win ends a streak of second-place finishes for Pérez in 2025, including Luminosity Makes Moves Miami, EugeneBound: Summers and Blink Respawn 2025.
Elsewhere, Leonardo ‘MkLeo’ López Pérez, considered one of the greatest Ultimate players of all time, experienced a shocking early exit after losses to Timur ‘Yeast’ Bahadirov and Renton ‘rm8’ McGlashan, finishing 65th — his lowest major placement to date.
