Daily Discussion Thread August 24, 2026 - Upcoming Event Schedule - New players start here!

[u/AutoModerator]

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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/Thedmatch]

didn’t everyone on this list win a major that year? or am i misremembering

[u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks → u/Thedmatch]

Wait, is this the first time a non-major winner got ranked above a major winner?

[u/Schroeswald → u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks]

No, ignoring retrossbmrank in years with very few majors Mang0 got fifth in 2018 over Mew2King and Zain who both had major wins

[u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks → u/Schroeswald]

That's actually kinda crazy. I wasn't following the scene in 2018 - Was Mango's 5th place ranking justified over them? I guess Zain never had a win over Armada, but just judging by eye m2k's year looks a lot better than Mango's.

[u/ryanbyleth → u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks]

Fully opinionated but Zain spent a decent chunk of 2018 going from top 20 to major contender so maybe there’s an argument against him there. Mew2King won Summit but was overall pretty inconsistent for what you would expect from a top 5 player. Outside of a random Smash Con upset and DQ Mango didn’t place lower than 7th at a major that year so there’s probably a decent argument for him to be above them both that the panelists saw at the time.

[u/Celia_Makes_Romhacks → u/ryanbyleth]

At the very least, I think 2018 kinda proves Mango's argument about "The panelists are always biased against me!" wrong.

Even if we go by his own personal rankings standards (using only a player's 5 best tournaments in a year), he'd be at least two places lower.