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The Super Smash Bros. Melee scene just made history, and Zain was right at the centre of it.

Supernova 2025, held from 7–10 August at the Dulles Expo Centre in Chantilly, Virginia, has officially become the biggest Melee tournament of all time, pulling in more than 4,580 total entrants, with a staggering 2,422 signing up for Melee alone. That’s more than the legendary EVO 2016 record.

The turnout wasn’t just big, it was electric. And when the dust settled, hometown hero Zain “Zain” Naghmi stood tall, lifting the trophy in front of a roaring crowd just a few kilometres from where he grew up in Reston, Virginia.

A Grand Final for the Ages

Zain’s road to the title wasn’t without its drama. He faced long-time rival Cody Schwab in the Grand Final, a player who had recently knocked Zain off the top spot in the Melee world rankings.

The two traded blows all the way to Game 5, with Zain closing it out 3–2 and still holding two stocks in the final game. The win earned him USD $10,899, while Cody took home USD $6,055. Fan favourite Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma rounded out the top three.

Given the pair’s history, they practise together often, the final was as much about mind games as mechanics. Zain even admitted after the match that he knew when Cody could sense his nerves, and used that to his advantage.

Balancing Competition and Content

Leading up to Supernova, Zain had been having a bit of fun online. For two weeks, he played nothing but a green Kirby, which he named “Suck Tuah”, in ranked Melee matches on stream, calling it “The Suckathon.”

Critics thought it might hurt his performance, but Zain brushed it off:

“Everyone was saying because I played so much Kirby that I was going to be dogwater. But I think it helped a little… probably not, I don’t know. I just practised,” he laughed.

It’s part of his balancing act between competing and content creation, something he’s been leaning into since joining Shopify Rebellion, co-owned by streaming heavyweights Ludwig Ahgren and MoistCr1TiKaL. Ludwig, who helped hype up the tournament with a $0 registration fee for Melee, was co-streaming the event and congratulated Zain live after his win.

More Than Just Melee

While Zain’s win stole the spotlight, Supernova 2025 was a celebration of all things Smash. Smash Ultimate even edged Melee in total entries with 2,432 competitors, while the event also hosted Smash 64, Brawl, Wii U, and the first-ever Rivals of Aether 2 bracket.

From the yearly Smashies awards to chaotic side events run by community favourites like Coney, there was something happening every minute. For the Smash community, Supernova has become more than just another tournament, it’s a mid-season festival, a place where competition meets content and everyone from casuals to top pros get involved.

And for Zain, it was the perfect place to remind the world why he’s still one of Melee’s absolute best.