It’s over! Ten long rounds have eliminated almost 700 duelists from contention, and now a final sixteen remain. The dust has cleared and the sun went down hours ago; we have your Day 2 bracket.
Emon Ghaneian has triumphed here today, taking the first seed and devastating every single one of his opponents. Undefeated, he’s heading into Day 2 looking to redeem himself after his disappointing Top 8 performance last year. A victory tomorrow would be an incredible finish to an amazing year, but defeat would be unimaginably bitter. Armed with what he insists is an “E-Hero” deck (“The ‘E’ is for Emon!”), he’s a top prospect for the win tomorrow. His first round opponent, Alfonzo Yamakawa, has his work cut out for him.
But Emon isn’t the only duelist of note to make the Top 16. Returning Champion Max Suffridge has come back one more time to reclaim his title, and may very well match Canada’s Dexter Dalit as a two-time Champion. He and Emon are tied, sharing the honor of being the first duelist to make Day 2 at U.S. Nationals twice.
Other notables include Fili Luna, Kyle Hintze, Michael Bueno, and Adam Corn. More than half the field tomorrow is comprised of rising stars, and a National Championship win would be a spectacular springboard for any duelist’s career. As good as the veterans may be, there are ten other competitors who are hungry for the title and a chance in the spotlight. Last year, a then-unknown player made his name by capturing the title. We may be in for a similar situation tomorrow.
It all kicks off tomorrow morning as we bring you extended feature match coverage of the Top 16! Be here bright and early to see who will become the next U.S. National Champion!