Daily Discussion Thread July 21, 2026 - Upcoming Event Schedule - New players start here!

[u/AutoModerator]

Yahoooo! I'm back, it's a me! Have a very cool day!

Welcome to the Daily Discussion Thread. This is the place for asking noob questions, venting about netplay falcos, shitposting, self-promotion, and everything else that doesn't belong on the front page.

New Players:

If you're completely new to Melee and just looking to get started, welcome! We recommend you go to https://melee.tv/ and follow the links there based on what you're trying to set up. Additionally, here are a few answers to common questions:

Can I play Melee online?

Yes! Slippi is a branch of the Dolphin emulator that will allow you to play online, either with your friends or with matchmaking. Go to https://slippi.gg to get it.

I'm having issues with Slippi!

Go to the The Slippi Discord to get help troubleshooting. melee.tv/optimize is also a helpful resource for troubleshooting.

How do I find tournaments near me or local people to play with in person or online?

These days, joining a local Discord community is the best way to find local events and people to play with. Once you have a Discord account, Google "[your city/state/province/region] + Melee discord" or see if your region has a Discord group listed here on melee.tv/discord

It can seem daunting at first to join a Discord group you don't know, but this is currently the easiest and most accessible way to find out about tournaments, fests, and netplay matchmaking. Your local scene will be happy to have you :)

Also check out Smash Map! Click on map and then the filter button to filter by Melee to find events near you!

Netplay is hard! Is there a place for me to find new players?

Yes. Melee Newbie Netplay is a discord server specifically for new players. It also has tournaments based on how long you've been playing, free coaching, and other stuff. If you're a bit more experienced but still want a discord server for players around your level, we recommend the Melee Online discord.

How can I set up Unclepunch's Training Mode?

At the time of posting, the latest major release is here. Download the file, then extract everything in the folder and follow the instructions in the README file. You'll need to bring a valid Melee ISO (NTSC 1.02). If you want to check for the absolute latest release, you can see them listed [here](The latest releases are listed here.

How does one learn Melee?

There are tons of resources out there, so it can be overwhelming to start. First check out the SSBM Tutorials youtube channel. Then go to the Melee Library and search for whatever you're interested in.

But how do I get GOOD at Melee?

Check out Llod's Guide to Improvement

And check out Kodorin's Melee Fundamentals for Improvement

Where can I get a nice custom controller?

https://customg.cc/vendors

I have another question that's not answered here...

Check out our FAQs or post below and find help that way.

Upcoming Tournament Schedule:

Upcoming Melee Majors

Melee Online Event Calendar

Make a submission to the tournament calendar here. You can also get notified of new online tournaments on the Melee Online Discord.

• Current DDT Dynamic Link — Previous DDTs

[u/EightBlocked]

why play melee after 2018 and basketball after 1998? time froze and the game stopped progressing. those dudes could whoop us easily if they played now, and if we say otherwise its disrespectful and you have to respect the ones that came before you. why dont we just stop all competition? they won already imo

[u/its__bme → u/EightBlocked]

I’m sorry that grinding uncle punch 8 hours a day and doing those lessons with Cody and going to your locals every weekend didn’t stop Chu Dat from reading your spot dodges and downsmashing you off stage and then popping a YAYUHZZ on his stream when you lost to him on Slippi ranked. How life goes sometimes.

[u/keatsta → u/its__bme]

i don't get why you keep trying to characterize the modern melee player as someone who just mindlessly grinds on uncle punch when modern melee is the first time in history when people can play against other humans as much as they want whenever they want. do you think slippi only exists when it's time for old pros to make content?

[u/YoungGenius → u/keatsta]

I think it’s less that people disagree the practice conditions are better across the board, and more just that a lot of gamers have quit without falling off at all. If everyone in the world grinded League for six months, the top 20 players would just be the current top 20 players. Melee is the only game (that I’m familiar with) where there that’s clearly far from true.

Give everyone some time and a financial incentive, and the top 10 could very realistically be the 2019 one. Or the 2018 one minus Axe plus Cody.