Team Liquid drops Melee legends Ken, Chudat and Chillindude

Over the weekend, Team Liquid announced that the organisation was letting go of three long-time Super Smash Bros. Melee competitors, Ken Hoang, Daniel ‘Chudat’ Rodriguez and Kashan ‘Chillindude’ Kahn.

Team Liquid called the three Melee veterans ‘legends of the game,’ noting these were their longest tenured players. The organisation stated: “These players did so much to shape Smash Bros and it was an honor to have them on board. We know they’ve done so much for Melee, Liquid, and esports.”

It was an emotional piece of news for the FGC, as Ken, Chudat and Chillindude are staples of the Melee scene. Team Liquid paid homage to the three pros by sharing a brief history of each player.

Ken is often referred to as the ‘King of Smash.’ He was huge during the early Melee scene back when the game was young. While he was eventually surpassed by other Melee pros, Ken is seen as someone who helped mold the Melee scene in Southern California and beyond.

ChuDat was an Ice Climbers player who dominated the MLG scene, pioneering plenty of techniques and finding ways to take on the top players, the Melee Gods. Chillindude was an early Fox main known for his trash talk and colorful commentary. I personally will never forget his diss tracks, which elevated heated rivalries that kept the Melee scene exciting.

“As a team, when you sign players to a roster, you can only hope that they provide the story, community, and the character that Ken, Chillin, and ChuDat provided,” Team Liquid wrote. “Each one of these three players helped shape Melee into what it is today, and in turn they helped define Team Liquid Smash.

“So, even as they have all stepped away from Smash in recent years, it is still hard to step away from them and say goodbye. From everyone at Team Liquid, thank you for everything!”

Some Melee players said that Team Liquid’s decision to drop the three icons was their final straw, threatening to leave the scene for good. Others, however, applauded Team Liquid for signing the players for so long, even when they were no longer actively competing. Still, it felt like the end of an era, making the news quite emotional overall.

Last week, Team Liquid announced the departure of Alan ‘Nephew’ Sun and Marquis ‘Shadow’ Jordan, two other fighting game pros. The organisation stated that it’s ‘stepping away’ from fighting games.

The only fighting game player left on Team Liquid is Juan ‘Hungrybox’ DeBiedma, a veteran Melee player who’s currently competing in and hosting tournaments. He is also a co-founder of Team Liquid.