Shaun Lucas
Staff Writer

On Saturday, August 31, Senior Daniel “DanTheMan” Silva participated in a Super Smash Brothers Ultimate tournament in La Mirada, California. Silva flew to California after receiving over $600 through the “2GG Compendium,” marketing himself through his peers met through previous tournaments. “Switchfest 2019,” as the tournament was named, marks the first time Silva’s traveled to the American East Coast in his five year Smash Bros. career.

Silva is both a renowned competitor and tournament organizer within the Central Pennsylvania Smash Bros. scene. In the official Central Pennsylvania Rankings for Ultimate, Silva is ranked first based on tournament results across York, Harrisburg, and Lancaster. President of the Smash Bros. Club at Millersville University, one of the most popular clubs on campus, Silva runs tournaments for students every Friday at 6:30 p.m., along with monthly and regional events.

“My first tournament was at some comic book shop in a mall,” Silva says. “After that, I got to know the local scene at more events. Eventually, I got to MU, and won my first tournament up here. After that I said, ‘Hey, this is really fun,’ and then kept going to events and playing more and more.”

The “2GG Compendium” was a fundraising effort for players who couldn’t afford to pay for tournament flights and expenses out of pocket. People could purchase items through the website or send monetary donations. The efforts expanded past North America, as multiple players from Japan were funded to attend. To qualify for donations, Silva received enough Twitter mentions as a notable player of his character, Pokemon Trainer. One donation exceeded $100 from a former MU student. 

“It was a lot of fun,” Silva said in regards to “SwitchFest.” “The competition was tough, as players from around the world were there. I met and hung out with a lot of new players. I would say placing Top-64 at an A-tier (category based on player participation) isn’t too bad.”

Silva is a member of “Double Helix,” an esports organization with teams across multiple games such as Fortnite and League of Legends.

Silva competes often in the local area, playing around twelve to fifteen tournaments per month. “Glitch 7” in Laurel Park, Maryland is Silva’s next planned major event. Regarding hosting, the Smash Club committee is planning for “King of the ‘Ville 3” sometime in November.