How do I earn a bounty?
Okay, here's the fine print. You earn a bounty by:
- Playing an underdog character,
- in every match of a major tournament,
- until you have secured a particular placement.
The following stipulations also apply:
- You must win at least one set.
- Placements secured via DQ or other technicality do not count.
Earning a bounty automatically earns you all lesser bounties. If you make Top 16 with Ness, for example, you get three bounties, not one.
How do I claim a bounty?
Unless otherwise directed, please email bounty at [this domain] after the tournament, and we'll work together to verify your placement and get you your bounty.
Please provide video evidence of your sets. This is the cleanest way to prove that you played the same character in every match. You don't need video for every set, but at minimum, I'll want to see your deepest win, plus your previous win or following loss as the same character. For sets that were streamed, a link to the VOD is sufficient. But if you're not playing on the main stage, don't risk it; ask someone to record your sets on their phone.
Do I have to solo-main the whole tournament?
You can chicken out at any time, but doing so ends your run for bounty purposes.
For example: You make it into Top 32 Winners with solo Dr. Mario, guaranteeing a minimum placement of 13th. But when your next set goes to game 5, you get cold feet and switch to Fox. Despite your cowardice, you proved that Doc can make it to Top 16, so you earn that bounty.
What about tournaments with fewer than 64 players, like invitationals?
Just like larger tournaments, you earn a bounty by securing a minimum placement. Remember, you must win at least one set; you don't earn a Top 16 bounty just for showing up.
And yes, you can still earn lesser bounties. If ScorpionMaster94 wins a single set at a 16-player invitational, he earns both the Top 32 and Top 16 bounties.
Can multiple players earn the same bounty?
In general, a bounty can only be earned once. However, if multiple players earn the same bounty at the same tournament, that bounty is divided equally among them.
For example, if Alice and Bob both main Young Link, and Alice places 7th while Bob places 13th, then Alice earns the Top 8 bounty and splits the Top 16 bounty with Bob.
What makes a character an underdog?
My completely arbitrary definition is "they haven't won a major in at least five years," i.e. everyone except Fox, Falco, Marth, Jigglypuff, Sheik, Captain Falcon, and Yoshi.
Will these bounties be available indefinitely?
I don't see why not, but let's run it for the rest of 2026 and decide after that.
How were the tier groupings and payout amounts chosen?
Vibes.