Ken Hoang

Ken
Ken Hoang

Ken Hoang at the Survivor Finale showing, at CBS Studios, Los Angeles, California
Status Active
Born (1985-10-10) October 10, 1985
Hometown Westminster, California
Current team Team Liquid
League Major League Gaming
Evolution Championship Series
Games Super Smash Bros. Melee
Project M
Championships EVO World 2007
MLG New York 2005
Nickname(s) SephirothKen
LiquidKen

Ken Hoang (born October 10, 1985), usually known simply as Ken, SephirothKen or Liquid`Ken is an American professional Super Smash Bros. Melee player. Ken plays Marth in Melee and is known for his comparatively aggressive style of play. His dominance with the character has led to his becoming the namesake of the "Ken Combo", an effective combo used in gameplay. He also largely brought about the implementation and popularization of "dashdancing", a movement technique involving rapid side-to-side dashing that has since become integral to all levels of competitive Melee.[1] Ken is also known by the nickname, the King of Smash.[1]

Hoang was the 2004-2005 national champion of Major League Gaming, the 2007 international champion of Evolution Championship Series (EVO) World Finals,[2][3] and was the highest ranked Super Smash Bros. Melee player in the United States. He was also the world champion for several years, having defeated reputable players from around the globe, including top Japanese players.

Hoang possesses the highest major tournament win-to-loss ratio of any Super Smash Bros. Melee player from 2003 to 2007.[4] His three years of dominance earned him the nickname "The King of Smash" within the community.[3] His primary character in the game is Marth, and his secondary is Fox. He received minor television coverage in MTV's True Life: I'm a Professional Gamer.[5] Ken retired in 2006. In 2012, he officially returned to the Melee scene. In 2014 he and fellow Melee veteran Daniel "KoreanDJ" Jung joined Team Liquid as the team's first Smash Bros. players.[6]

Hoang was a contestant on Survivor: Gabon, which aired in the fall of 2008. He was the fifth-place finisher, and sixth member of the jury.

Smash Bros. career

Hoang started playing Super Smash Bros. when it was released for the Nintendo 64, but never competed in an organized tournament for the game. When Super Smash Bros. Melee was released for the Nintendo GameCube, Ken initially did not enjoy it, but the game grew on him after a period of a few months. By the time he attended his first tournament, he already built up a reputation in his town as the best Smash player. This tournament differed from most later Super Smash Bros. Melee tournaments in that matches were free-for-all matches between four players rather than a 1 vs 1 match. The other players teamed up against Hoang to eliminate him.[7]

In 2003, he competed in his first major tournament, part of the Tournament Go (TG) series, one of the first major Melee tournament series.[8] In this, the fourth installment of the tournament series, Hoang won the singles (1 vs 1) tournament and lost in the doubles (2 vs 2) tournament to the winners of the first two TG tournaments.[7][9]

Seven months later, in August 2003, Hoang attended and won TG5. This was the first tournament where he partnered with Joel Isai "Isaiah" Alvarado (otherwise known as "Malva00") for doubles in a team known as El Chocolate Diablo. Their victory in the doubles tournament started a two-and-a-half year winning streak. They won every doubles tournament they entered until MLG Chicago in July 2006, where they were defeated by Azen and Chillindude829 in the finals and received second place. However, they reclaimed their title later that year in August at MLG Orlando where they defeated Azen and Chillindude829 6-3 in the finals.[10]

For the next two years, he continued to win nearly every competition he entered. The worst loss he ever garnered in his competitive career was in August 2004 at TG6 where he placed 9th out of approximately 128 competitors. He traveled to Japan several times and defeated top players such as Aniki, Captain Jack, Masashi, Bombsoldier, Korius, and Mikael in the summer of 2005 and 2006.[11]

Ken retired from competitive play in 2008. Although retired, he was regarded as one of the top players long after his departure from the tournament scene.[2] In September 2006, Ken was nominated in "The Dangerous Five" as one of "The World's Most Dangerous Gamers" by Electronic Gaming Monthly, in which he was called "The Duper" for his fast, smart, and aggressive play.[12]

Hoang returned to the game in 2012 after a five-year hiatus and placed 33rd in Kings of Cali. He has since attended several additional tournaments, including EVO 2013, where he placed 49th out of 696 participants, then the Smash tournament with the largest number of entrants in history.

In 2013, Hoang's career was profiled in the documentary series The Smash Brothers.[1][13] At the end of the year, Ken was ranked in the final spot at 100th in Melee it on Me's 2013 SSBMRank listing of the best Melee players.[14]

On March 18, 2014, Team Liquid announced that Hoang and KDJ would be joining their new Super Smash Bros. team.[15] Ken rose to 58th in the 2014 SSBMRank.[16]

At Apex 2015 Ken finished 81st. At Apex he also played PC Chris in a Salty Suite exhibition match and lost 3-2.[17]

At EVO 2015 Ken finished 13th, his highest placing at a major since Super Champ Combo in 2007.

Notable tournament placings

Melee

Tournament[18]Date1v1 Placement2v2 PlacementPartner
Tournament Go 4January 19, 20031st2ndManacloud
Tournament Go 5August 2–3, 20031st1stIsai
Game OverJanuary 10, 20041st1st Isai
MELEE-FC1July 9–10, 20041st1stIsai
Tournament Go 6August 21–22, 20049th1stIsai
MLG New York 2004October 24, 20041st1stIsai
MOAST 3January 16, 20052nd1stIsai
MLG DC 2005January 29–30, 20051st1stIsai
MLG San Francisco 2005February 26–27, 20051st1stIsai
Gettin' Schooled 2June 25, 20051st1stIsai
MELEE-FC3July 10–12, 20051st1stIsai
Jack Garden TournamentAugust 20, 20051st——
MLG Los Angeles 2005October 14–16, 20052nd
MLG Atlanta 2005November 25–27, 20051st1stIsai
MLG Chicago 2005December 16–18, 20051st
MLG New York 2005February 24–26, 20061st1stIsai
MLG New York Opener 2006April 21–23, 20062nd1stIsai
MLG Dallas 2006May 19–21, 20061st1stIsai
MLG Anaheim 2006June 23–25, 20061st1stIsai
MLG Chicago 2006July 21–23, 20061st2ndIsai
Zero Challenge 2August 15–17, 20061st7thRob$
MLG Orlando 2006August 25–27, 20065th1stIsai
MLG New York Playoffs 2006October 13–15, 20067th3rdIsai
MLG Las Vegas 2006November 17–19, 20063rd1stIsai
Comrades 2June 9, 20071st1stCAOTIC
Zero Challenge 3July 20–22, 20074th2ndBombsoldier
EVO World 2007August 24–26, 20071st——
Super Champ ComboSeptember 29–30, 20077th7thIsai
Kings of CaliNovember 10, 201233rd3rdDr. PeePee
Kings of Cali 2April 13–14, 2013—17thHairynipples
EVO 2013July 12–14, 201349th——
Kings of Cali 3December 14–15, 201325th5thHugS
Pat's House 2May 24–25, 201417th9thHugS
SKTAR 3May 31-June 1, 201425th9thKoreanDJ
SSS Lock-InJune 14–15, 20149th5thKoreanDJ
MLG Anaheim 2014June 20–22, 201421st9thKoreanDJ
CEO 2014June 27–29, 201433rd7thKoreanDJ
Kings of Cali 4July 5–6, 201413th4thDEHF
EVO 2014July 11–13, 201433rd——
Super Smash Sundays 29December 7, 20149th5thDEHF
Apex 2015January 30-February 1, 201581st25thKoreanDJ
I'm Not Yelling!April 11–12, 201525th5thLil Fumi
MVG SandstormApril 18–19, 201517th9thOkamiBW
Press StartMay 9–10, 201525th7thKira
EVO 2015July 17–19, 201513th——
Paragon Los Angeles 2015September 4–6, 201533rd——
HTC ThrowdownSeptember 19, 201517th5thAxe
GENESIS 3January 15–17, 201633rd17thSantiago
DreamHack Austin 2016May 6–8, 201617th——
EVO 2016July 15–17, 201649th——

Project M

Tournament[19]Date1v1 Placement2v2 PlacementPartner
SKTAR 3 May 31, 2014 193rd — —
CEO 2014June 27–29, 2014 25th 7th KoreanDJ

Personal life

Hoang's family is Vietnamese.[1] Ken attended California State University, Long Beach where he completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration.[20] He credits his earnings from playing Super Smash Bros Melee for financing him through college.

Survivor: Gabon

In August 2008 it was announced that Hoang would be appearing on Survivor on the American television network CBS.[21][22] He stated that he believed he was the underdog but hoped that it would garner him popular support.[21]

Hoang was chosen to join the Fang tribe in the first episode when Danny "GC" Brown picked him. Fang was weaker than the opposing Kota tribe in challenges, losing five of the first six immunity challenges, and Hoang was in danger of elimination several times during the pre-merge stage of the game. He formed an early bond with fellow Fang castaway Michelle Chase,[23] who ended up being the first person voted off. During the second Tribal Council, he was a target for elimination by Gillian Larson, but was spared as the rest of the tribe saw Larson as the weaker player. Hoang won the first immunity challenge for Fang, in which his puzzle-solving skills were pitted against physics teacher Bob Crowley of the Kota tribe. Though Kota was in the lead at the end of the first section of the challenge, which allowed Crowley a head start in solving his puzzle, Hoang solved the puzzle first and saved his tribe from Tribal Council.

Hoang made the merge and was in the merged tribe, named Nobag, a phrase he coined himself.[24] He was the fifth-place finisher, and sixth member of the jury. He voted for Susie Smith in the final Tribal Council, who placed second.[25]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Beauchamp, Travis (2013). The Smash Brothers: Episode 4 - The King of Smash. EastPointPictures.
  2. 1 2 "MLG Interview with Ken". Major League Gaming. 2007-09-05. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
  3. 1 2 Campbell, Sean (2006-05-29). "Are they worth fighting for?". Got Frag. Archived from the original on 2012-02-10.
  4. ↑ CAMILLE DODERO (2006-11-21). "The next action sport". The Phoenix. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  5. ↑ Pro video gaming comes to cable TV
  6. ↑ http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/211b15/were_team_liquids_ken_and_kdj_and_weve_been/
  7. 1 2 "The King of Smash: MLG Interviews Ken". Major League Gaming. 2006-01-04. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
  8. ↑ http://www.redbull.com/us/en/esports/stories/1331758930879/friendlies-ken-the-king-of-smash
  9. ↑ KishPrime (May 2005). "MELEE-FC: Where it all began". MELEE-FC. Archived from the original on 2007-03-15. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  10. ↑ "MLG Chicago Smash Wrap-Up". Major League Gaming. 2006-07-31. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
  11. ↑ Alphazealot (2007-11-22). "Smash Pro Profiles from 2006". Major League Gaming. Archived from the original on 2008-04-16. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  12. ↑ "The World's Most Dangerous Gamers". Electronic Gaming Monthly (208). October 2006. pp. 52–53.
  13. ↑ Hernandez, Patricia (2013-10-16). "A Fascinating Look At The World's Best Super Smash Bros. Players". Kotaku. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  14. ↑ Lee, Daniel (December 9, 2013). "2013 SSBM Player Rankings: 91-100". Melee it on Me. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Liquid Smash Brothers Melee". Team Liquid. 2014-03-18. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  16. ↑ Lee, Daniel (December 5, 2014). "SSBM Rank 2014 (60-51)". Melee it on Me. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  17. ↑ Apex 2015. February 1, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Melee". SmashBoards. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Project M". SmashBoards. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  20. ↑ Larsen, Peter (September 22, 2008). "It's 'game on' for Westminster 'Survivor' contestant". The Orange County Register. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  21. 1 2 "CBS.com, Ken Hoang bio". Retrieved 2012-05-19.
  22. ↑ "What We’re Watching This Fall". AsianWeek. Retrieved on 2008-09-15.
  23. ↑ "Want to See the Elephant Dung?". Survivor: Gabon. 2008-09-25. CBS.
  24. ↑ "The Brains Behind Everything". Survivor: Gabon. 2008-11-13. CBS.
  25. ↑ "Reunion". Survivor: Gabon. 2008-12-14. CBS.
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