Smash Summit is one of Melee most's watched events of the year. In addition to featuring the best Melee talent in the world, Beyond the Summit's signature event uniquely channels the chill of a friendly kick-back with side events and the notorious Mafia matches after hours. It's the sitcom staple of Melee heads.

As Smash Summit 12's Decem 9-12th start day grows nearer, the final list of invited players has been confirmed.

11 invited and qualified players at Smash Summit 12

Hungrybox - Jigglypuff
Pipsqueak - Fox
Wizzrobe - Captain Falcon
SFAT - Fox
iBDW - Fox
KoDoRiN - Marth
Ginger - Falco
aMSa - Yoshi
Mang0 - Falco / Fox
Leffen - Fox
Zain - Main

Among the invited players are the faces you'd expect to see. Mang0, Zain, iBDW, and aMSa have been in top form and are popular favorites to win. However, Wizzrobe, Pipsqueak, SFAT, and Ginger are known to pull off incredible runs with the right momentum. 

Leading up to the event, top players are even finding the time to practice rare player matchups.

5 voted-in players at Smash Summit 12

Null - Fox
Tyler Swift - Pikachu
Free Palestine - Shiek
Magi - Falco
Sora/ Joshman - Fox

Part of the unique draw to Smash Summit is the community vote and five players were invited after an intense social campaign. The break-away vote winner was the 12th ranked SoCal Power Rankings player, Null. The last spot was hotly contested and ultimately won by Anees "Free Palestine" Assaf, a Sheik Main last ranked 78th.

The players that were almost voted in to Smash Summit 12 and what it means for the Melee meta

EddyMexico - Luigi
TheSWOOPER - Samus 
Ringler - Donkey Kong
Slug - Ice Climbers
Ben - Shiek

Ever since Nick Yinling's remarkable social media campaign and the virality it achieved, Summit nomination spots have taken on a meta of their own. Trending hashtags and meme-worthy nomination videos gathered thousands of votes from the community and mid-tier specialists in particular saw waves of momentum throughout voting after making the top eight in a stacked Verdugo wested event before mainstage.

Donkey Kong (Ringler), Samus (TheSWOOPER), Ice Climbers (Slug), and Luigi (EddyMexico) mains each had a real shot of making The Summit 12 bracket — a dash of hope for mid-tier mains looking for more top-player representatives. Yoshi and Pikachu continue to make the cut via aMSa and Tyler
Swift.

Tyler Swift, is a Pikachu player with Axe-like lethality and is a big fan favorite as a result. Is it a Melee law that mid-tier mains must also be huge fans of their character? The Melee community has endured more Donkey Kong and Samus propaganda in the past two weeks than they have in the last year, but the oldhead in me loves to see it.

Smash Summit has a history of defining the meta; the high-profile nature makes matches feel definitive and, in many ways, they are. When Mang0 defeated Zain Fox vs. Marth on Final Destination at Smash Summit 11, it felt like a moment in meta-history because it gave people a different approach to the matchup.

When Axe won Smash Summit 8 with Pikachu, it was a meta-defining moment that may evolve into a trend if Tyler Swift performs as well as fans hope for. Although we won't see the Donkey Kong or Samus revolution low-tier hopefuls were praying for, Smash Summit may reveal more nuanced meta evolutions.

After all, the new faces and old veterans in attendance have been grinding online intensively – they all know Smash Summit 11 is the place to bring their A-game Melee.