DreamHack Summer 2016 FGC Preview

Hailing from Japan, Momochi originally rose to prominence during the days of Street Fighter 3, but was never able to secure a 1st place finish at a major event. However, once SFIV hit the scene, Momochi found his stride. The Ken main quickly rose to the highest level of competition, with his name standing besides legends like Daigo and Infiltration. Momochi became one of the most feared Japanese players in 2014, when he took 1st place at Capcom Cup. In 2015, he closed out SFIV’s reign by winning it’s final EVO appearance.

Since the release of SFV, Momochi has largely been keeping to himself. A methodical player, his appearances on stream have generally been met with intense interest at the debut of new techniques. In early Japanese competition, Momochi played conservatively, sticking to safe combos and revealing little of the fruits of his experimentation. In truth, this is often all that Momochi needs to overcome an opponent. The EVO champion is renowned for his incredible spacing and footsie game, allowing him to chip away at an opponent before finding their weak point and devastating them with a string of attacks. However, last month Momochi left Japan to take on the world. At Stunfest in France, Momochi shocked fans not with victory but with just how easy his victory came. The EG fighter overcame a pack of the top SFV talent that Japan had to offer, including early SFV favorite Tokido and fellow lab researcher Fuudo.

Look for another dominant win this weekend!

Across the hall, Alliance’s Armada will be looking to reclaim his title as Dreamhack champion in Super Smash Brothers Melee. Like Momochi, Armada is the current reigning EVO champion for his game. The Swedish champ has a long history of being at the top of his game, with his first world championship win coming in 2011. Since then, Armada has held the title several times, with victories over Hungrybox, Mew2King, Leffen and Mango to defend the belt. Armada’s dominance goes beyond the gold. Since claiming the title in 2011, Armada has only lost sets to 5 players, the other “Five Gods of Smash,” all former world champions themselves.

The Fox/Peach dual main is known for his perfection. Seriously. Armada plays a style which can only be described by its apparent perfection. He exerts constant stage control with a combination of a strong neutral game and a wide variety of approaches to draw from. His punish game is relentless, with no mistake going without a severe punishment, often taking a whole stock off of a single flubbed attack. Armada’s intelligent, but ruthless, approach to the game makes him one of the most feared players in the world, and for good reason.

Look for an easy run into grand finals, where he’ll square off against arch rival Leffen, in what will surely be an exciting set!