Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, sometimes abbreviated as Smash 4, is a crossover fighting video game for the Wii U. Players control one of 58 characters drawn from Nintendo and third-party game franchises, and try to knock their opponents out of an arena. Each player has a percentage meter which rises as they take damage; characters become easier to knock into the air or out of bounds as the percentage increases.

While Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is in many ways the same game, the Nintendo 3DS being a handheld system severely limits its viability as both a competitive game and a spectator sport. While the game was played competitively for a few months before the Wii U version's release, there have been few if any serious competitions for it since.

Overview

Games in the Super Smash Bros. series have been played competitively since the early 2000s, but the inclusion of Super Smash Bros. Melee at the 2013 edition of Evolution Championship Series (EVO), a major multi-game tournament, was seen as a turning point; after EVO 2013, competitive Smash saw an increase in tournaments, media coverage, and attention from Nintendo. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is the fourth Smash Bros. title; all four have been played competitively, as has a fan-made mod of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Project M. While Smash for Wii U tournament rules initially varied, by 2016 they had standardized; the first player to knock their opponent out of the arena twice within a six-minute match timer wins the set. Matches are played as best-of-three sets in early rounds of the tournament and best-of-five sets in later rounds. Tournaments use the double-elimination format; after their first loss players are sent to a lower bracket to compete against other players on their first loss, and following their second loss players are eliminated from the competition.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U was released in North America and Europe in November 2014 and in Japan the following month. The game was both a critical and commercial success; it received strong reviews, and became the fastest-selling Wii U game in the United States, with almost half a million copies sold within its first three days. As of March 2020, it sold over 5.3 million copies. However, despite the game's popularity, prize pools for Smash tournaments were well below those of other esports. Unlike many other developers, Nintendo does not contribute to tournament prize pools. At EVO 2017, Smash for Wii U had 1,515 competitors and a prize pool of $15,150, funded entirely from entrance fees. At the same tournament, Injustice 2 had a prize pool of $50,000, despite having around half as many competitors, due to funding from its publisher, Warner Bros. Interactive. Gonzalo "ZeRo" Barrios, widely considered the greatest Smash for Wii U player of all time, stated in 2018 that one could earn more by working at McDonald's than by winning EVO, and that he had earned only $45,000 for winning a world record 56 consecutive tournaments across 2015 and 2016.

Smash Bros. tournaments are generally seeded so that the best players do not face off against each other until the later stages of an event. The most authoritative ranking of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U players is the Panda Global Rankings (PGR). Five editions of the PGR rankings were released, covering tournaments held between 2015 and 2018. The PGR 100, a ranking of the 100 best Smash for Wii U players of all time, was released after the last regular ranking, and factored six more major tournaments into the rankings. In late 2018 the next Super Smash Bros. title, Ultimate, was released, and the PGR shifted to cover that game. In the first two rankings, covering 2015 and 2016, the PGR designated a combined 13 tournaments as major events with increased influence on the rankings. Beginning with the third edition of the PGR, tournaments were grouped into one of four tiers – S, A, B, and C – based on the number of competitors with S being the most prestigious tier and C the least. In the fifth PGR, S was replaced with A+. This list contains all PGR majors, S-tier, A+-tier, and A-tier events from the release of Smash for Wii U through the end of the PGR in 2018.

PGR major tournaments

The following is a list of results from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tournaments in 2015 and 2016 considered major by the Panda Global Rankings.

List of major Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tournaments in 2015 and 2016

Tournament	Location	Date	Entrants	Prize pool	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Refs.
APEX 2015	Somerset, New Jersey, United States	January 30–February 1, 2015	734	$15,055	ZeRo	Dabuz	Mr. R	6WX
CEO 2015	Orlando, Florida, United States	June 26–28, 2015	512	Un­known	ZeRo	Nairo	Dabuz	Larry Lurr
EVO 2015	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	July 17–19, 2015	1,926	Un­known	ZeRo	Mr. R	Nairo	Abadango
Paragon Los Angeles 2015	Ontario, California, United States	September 5–6, 2015	505	Un­known	Nairo	Dabuz	MVD	Ally
The Big House 5	Dearborn, Michigan United States	October 2–4, 2015	512	$6,120	ZeRo	Nairo	Dabuz	ANTi
GENESIS 3	San Jose, California, United States	January 15–17, 2016	1,096	$13,930	ZeRo	Dabuz	Ranai	VoiD
Pound 2016	McLean, Virginia, United States	April 2–3, 2016	513	Un­known	Abadango	Ally	Marss	Mr. R
CEO 2016	Orlando, Florida, United States	June 24–26, 2016	906	Un­known	ANTi	Zinoto	Dabuz	Abadango
EVO 2016	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	July 15–17, 2016	2,662	$26,620	Ally	Kameme	ZeRo	VoiD
Super Smash Con 2016	Chantilly, Virginia, United States	August 11–14, 2016	1,272	Un­known	Nairo	Dabuz	Mr. R	VoiD
The Big House 6	Dearborn, Michigan, United States	October 7–9, 2016	777	Un­known	ZeRo	ANTi	Komorikiri	Mr. R
UGC Smash Open	Collinsville, Illinois, United States	December 2–4, 2016	205	$15,000+	ZeRo	Abadango	ESAM	Nairo
2GGT ZeRo Saga	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	December 16–18, 2016	361	$10,000+	MkLeo	Larry Lurr	VoiD	ZeRo

PGR S-tier and A+-tier tournaments

The following is a list of results from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tournaments considered S-tier or A+-tier by the Panda Global Rankings.

List of S-tier Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tournaments in 2017-2018

Tournament	Location	Date	Entrants	Prize pool	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Refs.
GENESIS 4	San Jose, California, United States	January 20–22, 2017	1,010	Un­known	MkLeo	Ally	ZeRo	CaptainZack
2GGC: Civil War	Santa Ana, California, United States	March 24–26, 2017	573	$15,000	Dabuz	Fatality	T	CaptainZack
2GGC: Nairo Saga	Santa Ana, California, United States	June 10–11, 2017	485	$20,000	ZeRo	Salem	MkLeo	Nairo
CEO 2017	Ontario, California, United States	June 16–18, 2017	611	Un­known	ZeRo	MkLeo	Larry Lurr	Nairo
EVO 2017	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	July 14–16, 2017	1,515	$15,150	Salem	ZeRo	Larry Lurr	Tweek
DreamHack Atlanta 2017	Atlanta, Georgia, United States	July 21–23, 2017	393	$10,000	Salem	VoiD	Tweek	Nairo
Super Smash Con 2017	Chantilly, Virginia, United States	August 10–13, 2017	1,531	Un­known	Nairo	ZeRo	MkLeo	Mr. R
2GGC: SCR Saga	Santa Ana, California, United States	August 19–20, 2017	301	$3,000+	ZeRo	MkLeo	Larry Lurr	Mistake
Shine 2017	Boston, Massachusetts, United States	August 25–27, 2017	659	Un­known	ZeRo	Tweek	Nairo	Salem
Game Tyrant Expo 2017	Salt Lake City, Utah, United States	September 29–October 1, 2017	332	$30,000	MkLeo	Elegant	ZeRo	Larry Lurr
The Big House 7	Detroit, Michigan, United States	October 6–8, 2017	512	Un­known	Dabuz	Marss	Cosmos	ZeRo
2GGC: Fire Emblem Saga	Santa Ana, California, United States	October 14–15, 2017	351	Un­known	Salem	Nairo	Komorikiri	Tweek
2GGC: MkLeo Saga	Santa Ana, California, United States	November 4, 2017	313	Un­known	Tweek	KEN	MkLeo	Nairo
2GG Championship	Santa Ana, California, United States	December 1–3, 2017	20	$50,000	MkLeo	ZeRo	Salem	Dabuz
2GG: Hyrule Saga	Long Beach, California, United States	June 23–24, 2018	780	Un­known	Tweek	Mr. R	Dabuz	ANTi
CEO 2018	Orlando, Florida, United States	June 29–July 1, 2018	679	Un­known	MkLeo	Tweek	Cosmos	CaptainZack
EVO 2018	Las Vegas, California, United States	August 3–5, 2018	1,358	Un­known	Lima	CaptainZack	Nietono	Mistake
Super Smash Con 2018	Chantilly, Virginia, United States	August 9–12, 2018	1,380	Un­known	MkLeo	Samsora	Tweek	Cosmos

PGR A-tier tournaments

The following is a list of results from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tournaments considered A-tier by the Panda Global Rankings.

List of A-tier Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tournaments in 2017-2018

Tournament	Location	Date	Entrants	Prize pool	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Refs.
2GGC: Genesis Saga	Santa Ana, California, United States	January 14, 2017	466	$2,000+	ZeRo	Komorikiri	VoiD	Tweek
2GGC: Midwest Mayhem Saga	Santa Ana, California, United States	February 11, 2017	331	$2,000+	ZeRo	Tweek	Komorikiri	Ned
Frostbite 2017	Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States	February 25–26, 2017	342	Un­known	ZeRo	Tsu	Nairo	Dabuz
Frame Perfect Series 2	Orlando, Florida, United States	March 18–19, 2017	208	$1,500+	Kirihara	ZeRo	MkLeo	Komorikiri
CEO Dreamland	Orlando, Florida, United States	April 14–16, 2017	376	Un­known	ZeRo	Mr. R	Nairo	Dabuz
DreamHack Austin 2017	Austin, Texas, United States	April 28–30, 2017	313	$10,000	ZeRo	MkLeo	Ally	Larry Lurr
Umebura Japan Major	Tokyo, Japan	May 6–8, 2017	478	Un­known	MkLeo	KEN	Choco	9B
Royal Flush 2017	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	May 12–14, 2017	146	$5,000	ZeRo	Mr. R	Tweek	VoiD
2GGC: Greninja Saga	Santa Ana, California, United States	May 20, 2017	350	$5,000+	Ally	Larry Lurr	Komorikiri	ANTi
MomoCon 2017	Atlanta, Georgia, United States	May 25–28, 2017	286	$5,000+	Nairo	Fatality	ZeRo	Larry Lurr
Smash'N'Splash 3	Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, United States	June 2–4, 2017	444	Un­known	ZeRo	Ally	Larry Lurr	Tweek
2GGC: Arms Saga	Santa Ana, California, United States	July 8–9, 2017	200	$1,500+	Dabuz	ZeRo	KEN	VoiD
PAX Arena at PAX West 2017	Seattle, Washington, United States	September 1–4, 2017	12	Un­known	ZeRo	Nairo	Salem	Ally
2GGC: West Side Saga	Santa Ana, California, United States	September 9, 2017	300	$2,000+	ZeRo	Tweek	Shuton	KEN
IBP Masters Showdown	Santa Ana, California, United States	November 11–12, 2017	131	$10,000	MkLeo	Larry Lurr	KEN	Komorikiri
Genesis 5	Oakland, California, United States	January 19–21, 2018	674	Un­known	MkLeo	Mistake	Salem	Nairo
Frostbite 2018	Dearborn, Michigan, United States	February 9–11, 2018	866	Un­known	Dabuz	Tweek	Mistake	Salem
SML: Battle for Vegas	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	March 24–27, 2018	154	$25,000	Nairo	MkLeo	Mistake	Fatality
SwitchFest	Long Beach, California, United States	April 21–22, 2018	162	Un­known	MkLeo	Nairo	Larry Lurr	Komorikiri
Get On My Level 2018	Mississauga, Ontario, Canada	May 18–20, 2018	446	Un­known	MkLeo	Nairo	Mistake	Komorikiri
MomoCon 2018	Atlanta, Georgia, United States	May 24–27, 2018	353	$5,000	Tweek	Salem	Komorikiri	Nairo
Smash'N'Splash 4	Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, United States	June 1–3, 2018	527	$5,000+	VoiD	Salem	MkLeo	Light
Smash Sounds	Brooklyn, New York, United States	July 7–8, 2018	261	Un­known	Dabuz	Abadango	Shuton	Light
Shine 2018	Boston, Massachusetts, United States	August 24–26, 2018	472	Un­known	Salem	Mistake	Tweek	Light
The Big House 8	Detroit, Michigan, United States	October 5–7, 2018	281	Un­known	Cosmos	ESAM	Tweek	yeti
DreamHack Atlanta 2018	Atlanta, Georgia, United States	November 16–18, 2018	280	Un­known	Tweek	Dabuz	VoiD	Wrath