Super Smash Bros. Melee absent from Evo 2019 line-up Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Super Smash Bros. Melee absent from Evo 2019 line-up Kicked to the Kirby. News by Emma Kent Contributor Updated on 27 Feb 2019 17 comments For the first time in six years, Super Smash Bros. Melee will not be gracing the main stage of this year's Evo, as the game has been dropped from the tournament's line-up. A game Nintendo amusingly described as "too difficult", Super Smash Bros. Melee has been a staple of fighting game tournaments since its release on GameCube nearly 18 years ago. Last night Evo's organisers revealed the 2019 line-up in a livestream, along with a thank you video for Melee to honour its contributions to the tournament over the years. Judging by this farewell eulogy, it sounds like Melee's exclusion may be pretty final. EVO's thank you video for Super Smash Bros. Melee pic.twitter.com/OG8DzW7R8c- Wario64 (@Wario64) February 27, 2019 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings So, what's replacing this bastion of the fighting game community? The Smash contingent is now represented by Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, while big names like Soul Calibur 6 and Mortal Kombat 11 will also be present. But Evo has also selected a couple of more unusual choices, such as Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st]. Alongside having a weird name, this title is also a relatively obscure 2D fighter made by Ecole Software and French-Bread. Samurai Shodown, another surprise inclusion, is due to release sometime in summer 2019. That's leaving a pretty short window for any competitors to get used to the game, potentially making it a rather exciting contest. Despite its absence from Evo 2019, it's still not game over for Melee's competitive community, as the title will still feature at tournaments such as CEO 2019 and Super Smash Con. This removal from the world's largest fighting game tournament, however, does raise questions as to exactly how long it will survive. If you're interested in watching Evo 2019 - even without Melee - you can catch it from 2nd to 4th August. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 5 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store