Japan to Host the Biggest Smash Bros. Tournament Ever with a $0 Prize Pool
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- Saitama will host Kagaribi 13, the largest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament of 2025.
- Due to Japan’s strict gambling laws, which prohibit esports tournaments from offering cash rewards, the prize pool at Kagaribi 13 will be $0.
- The scale of the event has prompted LumiRank, the official Smash ranking service, to establish a new category and tournament tier.
Kagaribi 13, the largest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament, will be hosted in Saitama, Japan, on May 4-5, 2025, featuring a lineup of players from across the globe. Due to Japan’s strict gambling laws, which prohibit esports tournaments from offering cash rewards, the prize pool will be $0.
The scale of Kagaribi 13 has prompted LumiRank, the official Smash ranking service, to establish a new “Super Premier” category and tournament tier specifically for this event.
The tournament will feature 47 of the top 50 players from Lumirank 2024.2, tying with 2GGC: Civil War for the highest number of top 50 players ever present at a single Smash event. Kagaribi 13 will feature 85 of the top 100 Smash players.
It is worth noting that while a Smash tournament has no money on the line, an event like Capcom Cup 11 offered a million-dollar grand prize while being held in Japan, as well. The difference is that the Capcom Cup is an invitational event where every participant has their travel expenses covered and is guaranteed a share of the prize pool. On the other hand, Kagaribi operates with entry fees and an open bracket. It means that players have to pay to compete, which is perceived as gambling in Japan.
