Brawhalla's most prolific Player, Sandstrom, takes an indefinite break

In a move that will likely shake the foundation of the competitive Brawlhalla scene, Three-time champion Stephen "Sandstorm" Myers has announced that after the Winters 1v1 is over, he will be taking an indefinite leave from the scene in a series of tweets. In said tweets, he mentioned the current state of the competitive scene to being one of the major factors in his decision, as the staleness at the higher levels has demanded an ever higher commitment to what, for most players in the top ranks, feels like the same weapons, same characters, and same meta strategies of years prior.

Whether this means Sandstorm will focus his time and effort into his original entry in the competitive scene, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, or take a break from competing for more generally remains to be seen. Although his departure will immediately impact the composition of top 8s in most majors, it is also likely to have a range of consequences through most of the community thanks to his position of being, almost without argument, the best players in the competitive scene. 

The news also contrasts the grander narrative of the game's developers and esport organizers, which celebrates a larger than event global prize pool for the title at 1.3 million dollars spread across the entire year.