PPMD (Super Smash Bros. player)

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PPMD
Kevin Nanney
Status Active
Date of birth (1990-09-25) September 25, 1990
Hometown Raleigh, North Carolina
Current team Evil Geniuses
League Major League Gaming
Evolution Championship Series
Games Super Smash Bros. Melee
Project M
Championships Apex 2014
Apex 2015
Nickname(s) PPMD
Dr. PeePee
Professional career
2014–present Evil Geniuses
2013–2014 VGBootCamp

Kevin Nanney (born September 25, 1990), known by his tag PPMD (previously Dr. PeePee), is an American professional Super Smash Bros. Melee player who uses Falco and Marth; he is widely considered to be one of the best with both characters. He is known as the two time champion of Apex and widely regarded as one of the top Super Smash Bros. Melee players in the world along with Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman, Joseph "Mango" Marquez, Adam "Armada" Lindgren and Juan "Hungrybox" Debiedma who are commonly known as "The Five Gods of Melee".[1]

Gaming career

PPMD garnered attention in 2009 after placing higher than Mango at Revival of Melee 2 and finishing runner up to Hungrybox. Nanney won the tournament's next incarnation in 2010. He placed 5th at Apex 2012 after losing to eventual 4th place Javier "Javi" Ruiz. Next year at Apex 2013 he placed 2nd after losing to Armada in the Grand Finals. On July 16 Nanney became sponsored by Twitch streaming channel VGBootCamp.

In 2014, Nanney won Apex 2014, the second largest tournament at the time. In June Dr. Pee Pee won SKTAR 3 beating Mew2King in the finals and automatically qualifying for MLG Anaheim 2014. He finished 4th at MLG Anaheim despite being the favorite to win.[2] Nanney was invited to the Nintendo organized Super Smash Bros. Invitational at the E3 2014 to play Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, pre-release, and received the Fan-Favorite Award.[3]

In May 2014 he left VGBootCamp and became a member of Evil Geniuses as their first Super Smash Bros. player.[4][5][6] In 2015 PPMD became a repeat Apex champion when he beat Armada after Armada forced a bracket reset.[7][8] He placed third at EVO 2015, only his second singles tournament of the year. He was sent to losers in a rematch with Armada and then eliminated by Hungrybox in loser's finals.[9]

Nanney trains an hour a day on average.[10] Nanney has cited one of the reasons for his success as a player due to his ability to outplay his opponents psychologically by forcing them to make bad decisions.[11] Nanney currently has no plans to play Super Smash Bros. for Wii U competitively.[12]

Personal life

Kevin Nanney was born in 1990.[13][14] Nanney has struggled with depression over the years, which has limited his ability to travel to events and at times he has found motivation in the game difficult.[15][16] Nanney is a 2009 graduate of Crest High School in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.[17] He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.[5] PPMD currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. His younger brother Alex "Twitch" Nanney is also a competitive Smash player.[18]

Nanney has expressed interest in playing competitive Melee for a living.[19]

PPMD is commonly associated with the Twitch.tv emote Kreygasm, after fellow Smash Bros. player MaNg0 welcomed him into his chat by saying "PPMD Kreygasm".

Notable tournament placements

Melee

Tournament [20]Date1v1 Placement2v2 PlacementPartner
Revival of Melee 2November 21–22, 20092nd13thtag$
Pound 4January 16–18, 20109th3rdLoZR
Apex 2010August 6–8, 20104th5theverlasting yayuhzz
Revival of Melee 3November 20–21, 20101st3rdeverlasting yayuhzz
Winter Game Fest VIJanuary 22–24, 20111st1stMew2King
Pound VFebruary 19–21, 20111st4thLoZR
GENESIS 2July 15–17, 20117th2ndMew2King
Revival of Melee 4November 19–20, 20112nd5theverlasting yayuhzz
Apex 2012January 6–8, 20125th3rdLoZR
Zenith 2012May 26–27, 20121st2ndeverlasting yayuhzz
IMPULSEJune 30–July 1, 20122nd1stMang0
Smashers' Reunion: Melee GrandeJuly 13–15, 20122nd2ndLeffen
Kings of CaliNovember 10, 20121st3rdKen
Apex 2013January 11–13, 20132nd7thLoZR
Zenith 2013June 1–2, 20134th3rdUnknown522
EVO 2013July 12–14, 20135th——
The Big House 3October 12–13, 20133rd2ndHax
Apex 2014January 17–19, 20141st9thLeffen
Civil War VIApril 12–13, 20141st——
SKTAR 3May 31 – June 1, 20141st2ndMang0
MLG Anaheim 2014June 20–22, 20144th——
EVO 2014July 11–13, 20144th——
Apex 2015January 30 – February 1, 20151st——
EVO 2015July 17–19, 20153rd——
GENESIS 3January 15-17, 20165th——

References

  1. ↑ Joe Cribari (2014-07-10). "Who Will Be Crowned Greatest Smash Player Alive at EVO 2014? "5 Gods" vs "3 Underdogs"". Nintendo Enthusiast. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  2. ↑ Jared Wynne (2014-06-23). "'Super Smash Bros.' triumphantly returns to the MLG stage". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  3. ↑ Jonathon Dornbush (2014-06-10). "Nintendo holds first Super Smash Bros. Invitational at E3 2014". Polygon. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  4. ↑ Julius Vissing (2014-05-09). "Kevin "PPMD" Nanney Chosen to Lead Evil Geniuses’ New Super Smash Bros. Division". Shoryuken. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  5. 1 2 "PPMD Biography". Evil Geniuses. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  6. ↑ Ian J. Barker (2014-06-19). "With MLG Anaheim, the resurgence of competitive 'Smash Bros.' is in full swing". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  7. ↑ "apex-series-2015-final-results-and-prize-money-for-super-smash-bros-event". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  8. ↑ Zamora, Alonso (February 2, 2015). "PPMD se corona campeón del Apex 2015 en Super Smash Bros. Melee". LevelUp. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  9. ↑ Womack, Barrett (July 20, 2015). "Melee at Evo 2015: Armada Is the Champion". Red Bull Esports. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ Kevin, Nanney. "What's up guys! EG | PPMD here. Winner of Apex and player of bird dude and sword guy. Ask me anything!". Reddit. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  11. ↑ Nanney, Kevin. "What's up guys! EG | PPMD here. Winner of Apex and player of bird dude and sword guy. Ask me anything!". Reddit. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  12. ↑ Nanney, Kevin. "What's up guys! EG | PPMD here. Winner of Apex and player of bird dude and sword guy. Ask me anything!". Reddit. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  13. ↑ "PPMD". Team Liquid. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  14. ↑ http://www.esportsearnings.com/players/3921-ppmd-kevin-nanney
  15. ↑ Rod Breslau (2014-01-23). "Apex 2014 Smash Melee Champion PPMD: "Melee is a journey that's tied to myself"". onGamers. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  16. ↑ http://evilgeniuses.gg/Read/437,Where-I-Have-Been-and-Where-I-am-Going/
  17. ↑ "Shelby Star". June 9, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  18. ↑ Womack, Barrett (April 22, 2015). "Friendlies: PPMD, the Good Doctor". Red Bull Esports. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  19. ↑ Kevin Nanney (February 6, 2015). Apex 2015 - EG | PPMD Interview: "I'm thinking of speedrunning Super Mario 64.". Event occurs at 6min 30sec. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Melee". SmashBoards. Retrieved February 2, 2015.

External links

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