Disclaimer: The author of this article is part of the Smash Ultimate UK&IE Circuit team running the event
The date and location for the New Era 3 Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) and finale of the UK & Ireland Smash Ultimate Circuit has been revealed.
Team Regen, a grassroots tournament organiser that have been running events in Birmingham and Leicester for Smash Ultimate since 2017, will be taking charge of the Last Chance Qualifier bracket.
The Super Smash Brothers Ultimate finale will take place in Birmingham’s The Studio venue on the weekend of January 14th and 15th 2023, with the LCQ happening on the Saturday and the finale on the Sunday.
(Update: The tournament was won by UK player Bloom4eva)
CONGRATLUATIONS TO BLOOM4EVA FOR WINNING THE SMASHUK/IE CIRCUIT FINALE!!! pic.twitter.com/wVeHEYSLC5
— SmashUK/IE Tournament Hub (@SmashUltimateUK) January 15, 2023
90 Circuit eligible events – tournaments run by other organisers – took place all year between January 8th and December 11th 2022.
And this will be the first time the finale has run since its first edition in 2019 due to covid and lockdowns.
Whilst the 2019 Circuit had 2,392 unique entrants over the year, this year’s circuit boasted a unique entrant count of over 3,000 players.
The finale will have 15 invited players, who have accrued points from eligible events throughout the year, with the 2019 champion also being invited. Four more players will have the chance to make it to the finale through the Last Chance Qualifier, hosted by Team Regen under their Arcadian brand – New Era. (Arcadian is an FGC – fighting game community – tournament format where ranked players from a specific region are banned from participating, so that unranked players get the chance to win instead).
Whilst the circuit is still ongoing with some events still to occur, several players have gained enough points to already qualify for the finale, such as MazeBeans, Luugi and Peli to name a few.
One of the invited players is the UK’s Bloom4Eva, who won a Platinum Smash World Tour event and European Major, VCA 2022, earlier this year, before Bloom4Eva joined French team BMS.
“Team Regen are top class organisers and I’m thrilled to work with them for the finale – no doubt this will not be one to miss out on!”
Tom ‘Tigerton’ Dalton, UK & IE Circuit
The last big event of the season, Den of Dragons, will see multiple contenders travel to Wales to secure one of the final places in the Circuit Finale.
New Era, Regen’s Arcadian series, has a cap of 256 for the Singles bracket and 16 Team cap for Doubles. On top of a pre-event Meet and Greet and After Party, there is also an LGBTQ+ meetup planned for members of the Smash Community.
Whilst this is not the first New Era event held by Team Regen, it is potentially the biggest. The first was held back in June 2018, for Super Smash Brothers for Wii U with a total entrant count of 102 and the second one held in January of 2020 with a total entrant count of 192.
“The time and effort our team are investing into hosting New Era 3 & UKIE Finale will be no different from the expected standard we’ve established from our flagship Regen & Invasion series,” said Will ‘Willz’ Savage, head organiser of Team Regen.
“With the circuit supported by several talented individuals and teams over the past year, it’s our responsibility to ensure New Era 3 & UKIE Finale deliver on what they’ve helped build.
“The weekend event will be an exhibition of the exceptional talent we as a region have, from our players, commentators and organisers. We will showcase to everyone just what makes all of this special: the incredible Smash UKIE community.”
Tickets are still available for the event until January 6th 2023, with Competitor Passes being £30, with a £10 bracket fee on top. Spectator passes are also available – £15 for a Day Pass or £30 for Weekend Pass – with both available for purchase until January 12th 2023.
Full New Era 3 schedule and prizing can be found at start.gg/new-era-3, and full details of the Smash Ultimate UK & IE Circuit, as well as standings, can be found at start.gg/smashukcircuit
Wade White is a Tournament Organiser for Super Smash Brothers Ultimate in London and Essex.
Writing for Esports News UK about Smash and other FGC events
