• Interview

Scott Robertson II (Tantalus) talks Smash World Tour and working with VGBootcamp

The Smash World Tour Championships kicked off yesterday, and the international Melee and Ultimate tournament is still going. We caught up with Scott Robertson II to chat about SWT and working with VGBC.

Rodney Conyers Jr.

December 18, 2021 10:30 AM

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Over the last decade VGBootcamp has produced some of the finest and long-running events Super Smash Bros. has to offer. Between two Glitch events a year, *POUND*, Super Smash Con (SSC), and The Smash World Tour (SWT), the sky is really seems to be the limit for this MD/VA-based esports organization.

Now you may find yourself asking "How do they consistently keep capturing historic moments in MD/VA Smash?” During *POUND* 2019 Team Liquid's HungryBox had a crab thrown at him in the midst of Top 8 after defeating Mang0. ESAM defeating “Game 4 MkLeo” at Glitch 8.5. served as a huge moment for the newly reborn offline era of Smash. Not to mention hilrious moments like TKBreezy throwing his tie in the air during the Blastzone Tricast at Super Smash Con only for it to land on fellow commentator Coney's head.

These moments are created and defined by the organizing on the backend of the tournament. That is where VGBootcamp's very own Scott "Tantalus" Robertson II's work comes into play. We had the opportunity to sit down with Tantalus and gather his thoughts on his time organizing Smash events, the Smash World Tour, the future of Smash esports, and what it means to be a father in the community.

Shacknews: Tell us about yourself and your role at VGBootcamp?

Scott Robertson II (Tantalus): My Name is Scott Robertson AKA Tantalus, and i've been in the Smash Bros. scene since 2008. Since 2013 I've worked closely with VGBootcamp as staff and a contractor for a plethora of things related to event organization and talent management.

Shacknews: You're one of the few fathers in this community. How do you juggle family life and your role as a tournament organizer for 5 Smash majors a year? (2 Glitches, POUND, SSC, and SWT)

Roberston: It isn't easy, that's for sure. Prioritizing family always comes first, and that's why my output and appearances aren't as common as they used to be in the past. The trick is to never take on more than you can handle and try not to work on more than one event at the same time. I am able to segment off time to handle events and have a pretty good workflow when I'm going through event prep. It helps when you have other folks handling some of the major aspects of the event such as theming/venue prep and you can just focus on the tournament side of things.

Shacknews: How did the idea to do the Smash World Tour (SWT) come about?

Robertson: SWT is certainly not my idea but I can speak frankly here, the Loftons (VGBootcamp's founders) have wanted to do something like this for Smash for over 10 years. In 2009, several MD/VA [players, TOs, and casters] got called to a large meeting in a player called Yo'ster's basement to meet about setting up the first ever national circuit for Smash. We all pretty much told them that the idea was novel but there is no way they could do it. They tried in 2010 to run a circuit for Brawl and Melee, but it didn't really take off the way they wanted to. Now, finally, in 2021 they are in a place where they can live their dream, and it's exciting to see them prove everyone in the basement wrong some 11 years later.

Shacknews: What has been the most difficult part about helping run SWT?

Robertson: One of the most challenging pieces for me is balancing everything fairly and evenly. For many years I've been a Brawl/Wii U/Ult T.O. and haven't had a huge melee presence, but making sure Melee and [Ultimate] are equally balanced and well represented is very important to me. Additionally, the SWT Finals is something I'm helping out with entirely remotely, which is really a first for me. I'm used to working remotely but it's still an adjustment. 

Shacknews: In your opinion what does the Smash World Tour mean to the community?

Robertson: I think it shows what we're capable of when we're all working together in the same direction. With everything that has happened over the 13 years I've been involved in the scene, it's easy to come up with a million reasons why the community should be at odds with each other, but here we are all joining worldwide for the first Smash World Tour Championships.

Shacknews: Given the success of the tour is it safe to assume we can expect a Smash World Tour 2022?

Roberston: I'm personally not privy to these details, but I think it's safe to say you should probably watch the SWT Finals on December 19th if you want a clue.

The Smash World Tour has brought the community a piece of history at a level many of us never imagined we could ever achieve. With Tantalus, GimR, Aposl and many others leading the charge, the future of Smash esports feels more vibrant than ever! The SWT Championships are being held from December 17-19, 2021, so be sure to follow Scott Robertson on Twitter @TheTantalus, and Smash World Tour on twitter to stay up to date with the latest and greatest. For an even more in-depth look at all the events that led up to this point head over to the official Smash World Tour website.

Rodney Conyers Jr.

Host

Rodney is the current co-host of Wide World of Electronic Sports as well as an interviewer and journalist.

His fiery passion for all things gaming was initially sparked by his father –who at the time worked the electronics section at Walmart– purchased him and his younger siblings Pokémon Gold and Silver for the Gameboy Color.

As a natural performer you can find the majority of Rodney's work in gaming in front of the camera in esports. He's worked in commentary, interviewing, and hosting positions for various companies such as AT&T, Red Bull, Amazon Prime Video, CEO Gaming, and NXNE! When Rodney isn't doing something gaming related you can find him writing theatre music, hosting sneaker conventions, and much more!

Rodney can be reached at rodneyconyersjr@shacknews.com and on Twitter @rodneyconyersjr.