PPMD (gamer)

Kevin Nanney (born September 25, 1990), also known by his gamer tag of PPMD and formerly known as Dr. PeePee, is an inactive American professional Super Smash Bros. Melee player. Nanney has been historically considered one of the dominant "Five Gods" of Melee, alongside Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman, Joseph "Mango" Marquez, Adam "Armada" Lindgren, and Juan "Hungrybox" Debiedma.[1] He is a two-time champion of the Apex tournament series and was ranked as one of the top six players in the world from 2013-2015, after which he was removed from rankings due to inactivity. Nanney uses Falco and Marth and is known for his intelligent and patient playstyle.[2]

PPMD
Kevin Nanney
Personal information
Born (1990-09-25) September 25, 1990
HometownShelby, North Carolina
Nickname(s)PPMD, Dr. PeePee
Career information
StatusOn hiatus
LeagueMajor League Gaming
Evolution Championship Series
GamesSuper Smash Bros. Melee
Project M
Career history
2013–2014VGBootCamp
2014–2021Evil Geniuses
Career highlights and awards
Twitch information
Channel
Followers72.1 thousand
Total views666 thousand
Follower and view counts updated as of January 2021.

Nanney entered into a hiatus from professional competition in 2016, citing health issues, and has not entered a singles tournament since. However, Nanney has remained active on social media and Twitch and has insisted that he has not retired from competition. [3]

Gaming career

PPMD garnered attention in 2009 after placing higher than Mango at Revival of Melee 2 and finishing runner up to Hungrybox. Nanney won the tournament's next incarnation in 2010. He placed 5th at Apex 2012 after losing to eventual 4th place Javier "Javi" Ruiz. Next year at Apex 2013 he placed 2nd after losing to Armada in the Grand Finals. On July 16 Nanney became sponsored by Twitch streaming channel VGBootCamp.

In 2014, Nanney won Apex 2014, the second largest tournament at the time. In June Dr. Pee Pee won SKTAR 3 beating Mew2King in the finals and automatically qualifying for MLG Anaheim 2014. He finished 4th at MLG Anaheim despite being the favorite to win.[4] Nanney was invited to the Nintendo organized Super Smash Bros. Invitational at the E3 2014 to play Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, pre-release, and received the Fan-Favorite Award.[5]

In May 2014 he left VGBootCamp and became a member of Evil Geniuses as their first Super Smash Bros. player.[6][7][8] In 2015 PPMD became a repeat Apex champion when he beat Armada after Armada forced a bracket reset.[9][10] Nanney then placed 5th in doubles at Bad Moon Rising on March 14–15, 2015, with his good friend and former rival Adam "L0zR" Jones. Nanney and Jones performed very well as a team in doubles tournaments earlier in Melee's life. Nanney competed only in doubles, and not singles, at this event.[11] He placed third at EVO 2015, only his second singles tournament of the year. He was sent to losers in a rematch with Armada and then eliminated by Hungrybox in the Losers Final.[12] Nanney won Canada Cup 2015 on October 30-November 1, 2015, over notable Samus player James "Duck" Ma.[13] He placed 5th at Smash Summit on November 5–8, 2015. On January 15–17, 2016 he got 6th at GENESIS 3.[14]

Nanney trains an hour a day on average.[15] Nanney has cited one of the reasons for his success as a player due to his ability to outplay his opponents psychologically by forcing them to make bad decisions.[16] Nanney did not play the fourth game in the Smash series competitively, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.[17]

At the Battle of the Five Gods tournament on March 17–19, 2016, Nanney won two sets and lost one in Group B of the Group Stage, qualifying for the Playoffs Group. There, Nanney won no sets and lost four, leading him to not qualify for the Finals Bracket, and finish in 10th place.[18] At this event, Nanney also participated in a recorded panel where the rest of the "Five Gods" besides Hungrybox, who was not available for the session, discussed their thoughts about each other.[19]

Nanney announced he would not be attending EVO 2016 citing health issues as the reason for this decision.[20]

On July 1, 2017, Nanney participated in the doubles tournament at Bad Moon Rising 2, competing only in doubles and teaming up with Adam "L0zR" Jones once again. Nanney decided to enter this tournament to support his friend in Jones' decidedly final tournament appearance.[21] The duo eventually finished at 4th place in the tournament, including a remarkable come-from-behind victory over Team Liquid's team of Hungrybox and Hungrybox's coach, Luis "Crunch" Rosias, in the Losers Quarterfinal.[22] This doubles participation at Bad Moon Rising 2 was Nanney's first tournament entered in over a year, and it has been his last to date.

Personal life

Kevin Nanney was born in 1990.[23][24] Nanney struggled with depression over the years, which has limited his ability to travel to events and at times he has found motivation in the game difficult.[25][26] However, he is currently undergoing treatment. Nanney is a 2009 graduate of Crest High School in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.[27] He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.[7] PPMD currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. His younger brother Alex "Twitch" Nanney is also a competitive Smash player.[28]

Nanney has expressed interest in playing competitive Melee for a living.[29]

Nanney is commonly associated with the Twitch emote Kreygasm, after fellow Super Smash Bros. player Joseph "Mango" Marquez once welcomed him into his Twitch chat by saying "PPMD Kreygasm". Nanney also has his own version of the Kreygasm emote available as a subscriber-only emote on his Twitch channel, known as ppmdKreygasm, which involves Nanney personally making a Kreygasm-like expression.[30]

Nanney posted a video update on his Twitter page on December 18, 2017.[31] His next update to the public was not until December 27, 2018, in which he was interviewed by reputable Melee community leader Daniel "Tafokints" Lee.[32] Nanney then posted a new update on his Twitter page on January 18, 2019, in which he discusses his plan to return to streaming sometime between March and May 2019.[33] In this update, Nanney also discusses his plans to return to competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee sometime during 2019, hopefully close to the time he returns to streaming.[34]

Nanney began streaming on his Twitch channel once again on April 23, 2019.[35] Nanney streams most weekday afternoons, primarily of him playing Melee, practicing Melee, or analyzing recent matches between top Melee players at recent major tournaments. As of this point, Nanney has yet to enter any tournament since his return to streaming.

Notable tournament placements

Melee

Tournament[36]Date1v1 Placement2v2 PlacementPartner
Revival of Melee 2November 21–22, 20092nd13thtag$
Pound 4January 16–18, 20109th3rdL0zR
Apex 2010August 6–8, 20104th5theverlasting yayuhzz
Revival of Melee 3November 20–21, 20101st3rdeverlasting yayuhzz
Winter Game Fest VIJanuary 22–24, 20111st1stMew2King
Pound VFebruary 19–21, 20111st4thL0zR
GENESIS 2July 15–17, 20117th2ndMew2King
Revival of Melee 4November 19–20, 20112nd5theverlasting yayuhzz
Apex 2012January 6–8, 20125th3rdL0zR
Zenith 2012May 26–27, 20121st2ndeverlasting yayuhzz
IMPULSEJune 30 – July 1, 20122nd1stMang0
Smashers' Reunion: Melee GrandeJuly 13–15, 20122nd2ndLeffen
Kings of CaliNovember 10, 20121st3rdKen
Apex 2013January 11–13, 20132nd7thL0zR
Zenith 2013June 1–2, 20134th3rdUnknown522
EVO 2013July 12–14, 20135th
The Big House 3October 12–13, 20133rd2ndHax
Apex 2014January 17–19, 20141st9thLeffen
Civil War VIApril 12–13, 20141st
SKTAR 3May 31 – June 1, 20141st2ndMang0
MLG Anaheim 2014June 20–22, 20144th
EVO 2014July 11–13, 20144th
Apex 2015January 30 – February 1, 20151st
Bad Moon RisingMarch 14–15, 20155thL0zR
EVO 2015July 17–19, 20153rd
Canda Cup 2015October 30-November 1, 20151st
Smash SummitNovember 5–8, 20155th5thPlup
GENESIS 3January 15–17, 20166th
Battle of the Five GodsMarch 17–19, 201610th
Bad Moon Rising 2July 1, 20174thL0zR

References

  1. Joe Cribari (2014-07-10). "Who Will Be Crowned Greatest Smash Player Alive at EVO 2014? "5 Gods" vs "3 Underdogs"". Nintendo Enthusiast. Archived from the original on 2015-01-29. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  2. "Ultimate SSBM rank". 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2017-07-25.
  3. Jacob Wolf (2014-07-10). "WMelee 'God' PPMD preparing for comeback amid health struggles". Nintendo Enthusiast. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
  4. Jared Wynne (2014-06-23). "'Super Smash Bros.' triumphantly returns to the MLG stage". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  5. Jonathon Dornbush (2014-06-10). "Nintendo holds first Super Smash Bros. Invitational at E3 2014". Polygon. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  6. Julius Vissing (2014-05-09). "Kevin "PPMD" Nanney Chosen to Lead Evil Geniuses' New Super Smash Bros. Division". Shoryuken. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  7. "PPMD Biography". Evil Geniuses. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  8. Ian J. Barker (2014-06-19). "With MLG Anaheim, the resurgence of competitive 'Smash Bros.' is in full swing". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on 2015-10-03. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  9. "Apex Series 2015: Final Results and Prize Money for Super Smash Bros. Event". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  10. Zamora, Alonso (February 2, 2015). "PPMD se corona campeón del Apex 2015 en Super Smash Bros. Melee". LevelUp. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  11. "Bad Moon Rising: Results (220 Entrants!!!!) Ft. Hbox, Plup, Twitch, ColBol, Nintendude, and more!!!!". SmashBoards. March 18, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  12. Womack, Barrett (July 20, 2015). "Melee at Evo 2015: Armada Is the Champion". Red Bull Esports. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  13. "Congratulations to the Winner of Canada Cup 2015 Melee Singles!". Reddit. November 1, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  14. Smith, Wynton (February 19, 2016). "The battle in and out - Kevin "PPMD" Nanney". ESPN Esports. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  15. Nanney, Kevin. "What's up guys! EG | PPMD here. Winner of Apex and player of bird dude and sword guy. Ask me anything!". Reddit. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  16. Nanney, Kevin. "What's up guys! EG | PPMD here. Winner of Apex and player of bird dude and sword guy. Ask me anything!". Reddit. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  17. Nanney, Kevin. "What's up guys! EG | PPMD here. Winner of Apex and player of bird dude and sword guy. Ask me anything!". Reddit. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  18. Walker, Ian (March 19, 2016). "Battle of the Five Gods Smash Invitational Results". Shoryuken.com. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  19. Nanney, Kevin; Zimmerman, Jason; Lindgren, Adam; Marquez, Joseph; Maingrette, D'Ron (March 20, 2016). All Five Gods Interviews Edit [Re-Upload]. YouTube. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  20. Dozsa, Preston. "PPMD will not attend EVO 2016 due to health issues". The Score eSports. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  21. Khan, Imad (June 23, 2017). "Kevin 'PPMD' Nanney to return to 'Super Smash Bros. Melee' in doubles". ESPN Esports. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  22. Ripple, Jason (July 3, 2017). "PPMD Lived up to the Hype at Bad Moon Rising 2". DBLTAP. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  23. "PPMD". Team Liquid. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  24. "Kevin "PPMD" Nanney – Smash Player Profile :: e-Sports Earnings".
  25. Rod Breslau (2014-01-23). "Apex 2014 Smash Melee Champion PPMD: "Melee is a journey that's tied to myself"". onGamers. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
  26. "Evil Geniuses – News – Where I Have Been and Where I am Going". Archived from the original on 2014-09-27.
  27. "Shelby Star". June 9, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  28. Womack, Barrett (April 22, 2015). "Friendlies: PPMD, the Good Doctor". Red Bull Esports. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  29. Nanney, Kevin (February 6, 2015). Apex 2015 – EG | PPMD Interview: "I'm thinking of speedrunning Super Mario 64.". Event occurs at 6min 30sec. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  30. Nanney, Kevin. "ppmdKreygasm - Twitch Emotes - Bringing a little Kappa to you everyday". Twitch Emotes. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  31. Nanney, Kevin (December 18, 2017). "Hey". Twitter. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  32. Nanney, Kevin (December 27, 2018). Tafo Talks: Interview with PPMD. YouTube. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  33. Nanney, Kevin (January 18, 2019). "2019". Twitter. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  34. Michael, Cale (January 19, 2019). "Super Smash Bros. legend PPMD plans his return to competitive Melee: With one all-star gone, another is making a comeback". Dot Esports. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  35. Nanney, Kevin (April 22, 2019). "Hey everyone, I have decided it's time to stream again. I will go live tomorrow at 2:30PM EST, and will have a speech 30 minutes later, with Melee after that. I think it will be pretty fun. See you in chat =)". Twitter. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  36. "Melee". SmashBoards. Archived from the original on January 31, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
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