Alpharad, Cr1TiKaL launch Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Quarantine Series

A pair of content creators are trying to fill the void of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournaments left behind by the coronavirus pandemic.

Alpharad and Cr1TiKaL (better known as penguinz0 on YouTube) are hosting five online tournaments called the Quarantine Series, a direct follow-up to the Soaked Series Invitational, which the pair hosted a few weeks ago.

Instead of a single tournament, the Quarantine Series will feature one Minor and Major tournament each month, each with their own prize pools. Minor tournaments will have prizes averaging around $5,000 while Majors will pay out no less than $10,000.

These events will begin in April and go into July, with a Quarantine Series Finals set at the end of the circuit, which will have a much larger prize pool and feature the best players from each tournament.

“We are going to try to bring in big sponsors to put money back in the scene,” Alpharad said. “The global pandemic has added a huge burden to pro players, but primarily, casters, and TOs. This circuit is an attempt to put money back in the scene so everyone can continue doing what they love.”

There will also be a Quarantine Series Invitational that will begin on March 29, featuring the top 32 players in the Ultimate community and several fan favorites from the Soaked Series Invitational, too. 

That event will be streamed on Cr1tikal’s Twitch channel and Alpharad’s YouTube channel. GFuel and Twitch are both sponsoring the Quarantine Series, with Cr1tikal teasing that more sponsors might be contributing to the circuit soon depending on how the series is received by the community at the start. 

Anyone can compete in the Minor tournaments, but in order to compete in the Majors, you must place well at a Minor tournament and earn points through the circuit’s point system. Only top professional players approved beforehand will be allowed to directly enter the Majors. 

Likewise, only the players that have performed well throughout the Quarantine Series will be invited to the Finale. 

More details can be found on the Quarantine Series Smash.gg page, and information about full brackets, times, and competitors for the Quarantine Series Invitational will be made available throughout the week.