Between June 13–16, the 8th edition of Smash Summit was held in Los Angeles, California. The tournament brought together 16 top players, invited or qualified, and awarded a $30,000 prize pool. After three days of competition, Jeffrey "Axe" Williamson faced off against Justin "Wizzrobe" Hallett in the Grand Final (playing Pikachu against Captain Falcon), and emerged victorious.
It was the first time that a player has ever won a Major Melee title while playing Pikachu. The cute Pokémon has had a greater impact on the meta in these last few weeks, with an update buffing him and nerfing his main rivals — Olimar, Peach, and even Pichu. Axe definitely showed how powerful he is right now, winning 3-1 against Wizzrobe to be crowned champion.
Of course, this not the first title has Axe won in his pro player career, but it certainly is the biggest. He also finished second at GOML last month, but this tournament win sees him claim his first ever Major.
You can watch the final match of Smash Summit 8 here (starting at 33hrs).