METAGAME

Metagame is the 8 episode series followup to the 2013 documentary The Smash Brothers and picks up near where the first one left off.

It chronicles the epic “Era of the 5 Gods”, a unique period in the history of competitive Melee where 5 players emerged as distinctly dominant compared to all other competition.

Beginning near the low-point for the competitive scene in 2008, Metagame follows the sequential rise of the gods - Mew2King, Mango, Armada, Hungrybox and PPMD - as they battled for the right to be called the best in the world.

But with the return of the smash scene to eSports prominence in 2014, a new challenger arises to dethrone the gods and become the greatest himself - Leffen.

The brash Swedish god-slayer’s pursuit leads to a climactic finale at the largest tournament of all time - Apex 2015.

After being in production for over 5 years, Metagame was finally released in late 2020.

EPISODE 1: A BEAUTIFUL ACCIDENT

Our story begins in the misty far away days of the 1990s - the golden age of console gaming. It was in this rush to produce new and engaging multiplayer experiences that Nintendo created A Beautiful Accident - Super Smash Brothers Melee. The ostensibly casual and kid-oriented game would reveal itself to be far deeper than any fighting game in the world - and soon fostered a dedicated community of competitive players around it.

Yet in the year 2008, the game appears to be ending. A player named Mew2King seems to have cracked the code, solving the puzzle of how to play the game with a singular focus on perfection.

But after an upset loss to an unknown player from across the country, a question arises - who is this Mango kid?

Runtime: (49:17)

EPISODE 2: THE KID

Mango’s abilities confound his opponents, but his victories are undeniable. With a clear dominance of the game, Mango shifts the center of the Melee universe to the West Coast of the USA and his scrappy Norwalk neighborhood.

Across the Atlantic, a Peach player from Europe starts to make waves; some even say he is the best in the world. International tensions run high as the news breaks that he will be traveling to America for the first time.

When Armada pushes Mango to limits he’s never faced, will The Kid from Norwalk break?

Runtime: (50:07)

EPISODE 3: THE LIMITER

A shy kid from a small town, PPMD must discover who he is in a new competitive gaming world; desperate to overcome his regional nemesis Hungrybox, but also hoping to make friends and fit in.

When a half-retired Mango takes the young Falco player as a disciple, he grows in leaps and bounds - but struggles to move past The Limiter he has erected in his mind.

With Armada devising a secret weapon to unleash upon his return to America, PP emerges as America’s last best hope.

Runtime: (50:14)

EPISODE 4: FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN

Years of competition have taught Armada that you can’t get to your goal right away - you must earn it with hard work. But after constant defeats, Armada’s confidence in ever finding a victory in America begins to wane.

In his time of need, a little piece of high school wisdom on a forgotten mural reminds the Swede of the fire which drives him on.

With Mango making a return using the game’s fastest character and all eyes on a massive summer tournament, Armada sees his chance to finally seize the Fire on the Mountain top.

Runtime: (54:52)

EPISODE 5: THE TAO OF SMASH

After years of struggling against Mango both in-game and out of it, PPMD takes aim at his former teacher. Seeking to understand what makes the kid from Norwalk so different, PP begins a journey into The Tao of Smash with a new teacher - Cactuar.

Meanwhile, Armada seeks to stack up more victories in the coming tournaments; but as they come, he notices a growing emptiness within himself.

The times they are a changing…

Runtime: (52:37)

EPISODE 6: SUNDAY IN AMERICA

With a sudden explosion of popularity in streaming and a renewed interest in the game, it’s Sunday in America for the members of the Pantheon and the smash community.

But as Armada finds his fire again, he comes face to face with a player he betrayed. Leffen seeks his revenge on his former playing partner and aims to become the “One True God”.

Will the Pantheon fall to the brash “god slayer”?

Runtime: (55:15)

EPISODE 7: THE PANTHEON’S FALL PART 1

As hype builds for the largest tournament of all time at Apex 2015, the gods each prepare in their own ways. PPMD works to control his inner demons as Armada reveals a new secret weapon at the last Apex Qualifier.

Meanwhile, Leffen’s incessant trash talk leads old-school legend Chillindude to challenge him to a money match, slated for the Apex Salty Suite.

Tensions near the boiling point in The Pantheon’s Fall Part 1.

Runtime: (36:08)

EPISODE 8: THE PANTHEON’S FALL PART 2

The final showdown arrives for everyone in The Pantheon’s Fall Part 2. After nearly being canceled after the original venue falls through, Apex is saved in a massive volunteer effort by the players themselves.

In the hectic final days, the fate of the Pantheon, the god-slayer and the game itself all unfold in front of over a hundred thousand viewers watching live around the world.

Runtime: (1:05:13)