It’s nearly the eve of Port Priority 4, and all eyes (the ones that aren’t glued to Ultimate footage, at least) are on the PNW. With strong representatives from all across the West Coast gathered together this weekend, sparks are bound to fly. The brackets have been finalized--check them out here. For those looking for story lines, here are some points of interest to keep your eyes on:
Last WA Standing
PP4 is a very rare occasion: it's a regional bracket without Konga, KOSSismoss, or Cacogen, three Washington titans. WWA's rising stars--Pandarian (Meta Knight) and Pokepen (everything)--are determined to put on a show regardless, but with every other region bringing full rosters, they have their work cut out for them.
Reunions
You'll want to watch out for more than just the new guard--plenty of veterans and former PNW residents are coming home for PP4. We'll see the return of Oregon greats like Justice (Ike) and Kvothe (Robin), the player formerly known as K-Coon. Plus, Locus (Ryu) and SilentRain (Mario) are returning from afar for one last Smash 4 regional on their home turf. How much has the PNW changed while they've all been away? They'll find out soon.
Flying North for the Winter
Every Port Priority features a handful of visitors from outside the PNW, and PP4 is no different. We'll have Stroder (Greninja) from Arizona as well as Nicko (Shulk) and Slither2Hunter (Meta Knight) from SoCal. Las Vegas is bringing a whole fleet, with Urameshi (Meta Knight), Snoop (Yoshi), and ven (Zelda) leading the charge. Will the PNW have a home-field advantage this weekend, or will our travelers prove too powerful?
Event Modes
Singles is always the traditional focus, but there's plenty more in store.
In Doubles, Captain L (Pikachu) + Locus are definite frontrunners...but the bracket's full of unconventional teams. Will one knock them off guard?
Our Arcadian offers unranked players from all across the West Coast a chance to prove themselves against each other. Washington leads the pack with JTreezy (Luigi) and Slow Dancer (Bayonetta), but the event is chock full of sleeper threats. It's anyone's game, and it's sure to be an exciting one to watch.
Crews features a clash of the four central PNW regions: Western Washington, Eastern Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. There's $500 and loads of regional pride on the line, so be sure to tune in for this one.
And if you need a break from Smash, we'll even have a Rivals of Aether bracket running. PP4's a party with something for everyone!
If you want a sample of the action before the main event on Saturday, tune into https://twitch.tv/GameWorksSeattle this Friday at 6:30 PM for Orbitar 59. We'll have some travelers and plenty of quality Smash on display.
Best of luck to all our competitors this weekend--I'll be with you all in spirit!