MIHAJA
Event Overview
Building on of the first Charity Tournament at the start of January, where €705 was raised for the Malta Trust Foundation, City of Fighters expanded the second iteration of the event to include Mortal Kombat and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate alongside the ever-popular Tekken 8.
The event was a major success, featuring 70 unique players across the three games, while also setting a national record for Tekken with 50 players competing in the same event at the same time. This record is even more impressive than it seems, as the Tekken National Cup was taking place at the same time.
The Malta Trust Foundation
The Malta Trust Foundation was set up in 2015 to fight against poverty and social exclusion and focuses on four main thematic areas:
- Disability
- Mental Health and well-being
- Formal and Non-Formal Education
- Youth Participation and Empowerment
Committed to innovation and creativity through its various programs, the Foundation ensures that its funding is used efficiently and appropriately by monitoring processes, implementing tangible initiatives, and evaluating impact. For more details on the Foundation’s initiatives and work, check out their website!
Mortal Kombat 1
The Mortal Kombat tournament took on a Challenge the Champion format. Unfortunately, the champion went AWOL after losing a warmup set, and the tournament could not take place. While it was a disappointing end to a promising format, the players wouldn’t let that spoil the fun for them, with 10 of the 13 signups for Mortal Kombat also taking part in either the Tekken or Super Smash Bros. tournaments!
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
With a recent resurgence in the local Super Smash Bros. scene, this tournament marked an important milestone as 30 players battled it out for the top spot. Featuring a double-elimination bracket format, it would be Jack3413 to clinch the top spot. Fighting back from the lower bracket, Jack would get revenge on ZSD14 after losing the Winners’ Match to him by winning both the Grand Final and the resulting Grand Final Reset.
Standings for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate:
- 1st – Jack3413
- 2nd – ZSD14
- 3rd – Crafting
- 4th – NerfGanon
The tournament page and full bracket link.
With such a large turnout, things are looking bright for the Super Smash Bros. community in Malta! With a season of Smash Casuals starting on the 11th of April, Smash fans have lots to look forward to.
Tekken 8
The Tekken community once again came out in full force with 50 players fighting it out for the top spot. Players were split into four different groups and would play against every other player in the group. The top four from each group would then progress to the knockouts. After hundreds of matches of Tekken, the top 16 players were seeded into an upper and lower bracket format.
Even with a good number of players attending the Tekken National Cup, we would still see many familiar faces seizing the top spots in the knockouts. After a grueling 16 matches of Tekken without dropping a set, it was Kaneo who took home first place, winning the grand finals against his Project EVERSIO teammate AddictTekken!
Standings for Tekken 8:
- 1st – Kaneo (Project EVERSIO)
- 2nd – AddictTekken (Project EVERSIO)
- 3rd – Fratellu
- 4th – Weather Report
Tournament page and full bracket link.
The Tekken community continues to grow in Malta. Just a week after this standout tournament, the first Junior Division event took place. The event featured 30 players, seven of whom were Junior players (under 14s). This marks a significant milestone as Tekken becomes one of the first games in Malta to support a nursery structure.
Conclusion
The second City of Fighters Charity Tournament was a testament to the passion of the local fighting game community. From setting a national record in Tekken to a resurgence of Super Smash Bros, the event delivered on all fronts!
Most importantly, the event raised an impressive €1000 for the Malta Trust Foundation! With such momentum behind it, the future looks incredibly bright for the community, and we can’t wait to see what comes next!
Zelli0n
