If it weren't for that annoying tripping mechanic, I would have completely forgotten that Super Smash Bros. Brawl existed. What is the point of the characters falling and sitting prone? I don't know. But it has clearly scarred me for years.

How many people play Super Smash Bros. Brawl?

Super Smash Bros. Brawl came out in January of 2008 for the Wii. Over 13.3 million copies were sold. That has put Brawl as the third-most-popular fighting game of all time. But how many of these Brawl buyers are still active? 

It's unfortunately impossible to know how many people are playing Brawl or any of the other Smash titles. Nintendo doesn't publicly share this information. Many people play Brawl offline with friends or still consider themselves Space Embassy enjoyers — and nobody has access to these numbers. 

But it's no secret that Super Smash Bros. Brawl isn't as popular as it was when it was first released. Smash players quickly switched over to Smash 4 (another game I forgot existed) and then Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Another portion of Smash players refused to switch off of Melee when Brawl was announced. This sort of left Brawl in a middle area where it's not very popular to play competitively or watch. 

Is Super Smash Bros. Brawl dying?

As of writing this article, there are a whopping four viewers in the Super Smash Bros. Brawl category on Twitch. There are only two streamers playing the game live. 

If the question was, "Is Super Smash Bros. Brawl dying on Twitch" I'd say yes. In fact, I'd say it's completely dead. 

But again, there are definitely people playing the game for fun on their Wii. No lie. But that's it — for fun. There are not many people playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl for views on Twitch or in the esports scene. 

While you'll find some side events at major Smash tournaments or find people playing Project M Remix, it's sort of a cult thing at this point. It's being kept alive by a passionate group of Brawl fans who don't mind traveling around to meet up with other fans at Smash events. But it's most definitely not a main event and no esports teams or TOs are putting any money behind Brawl. 

Why do Smash players hate Super Smash Bros. Brawl? 

If someone loves or hates Brawl is all a matter of opinion. But oh boy, the Smash community is full of opinion.

Brawl is often disliked due to its unbalanced roster. Meta Knight was grossly overpowered. It made Melee's roster of "eight to 10 viable characters" seem gloriously varied. 

And the tripping. Losing neutral at random due to a sudden trip is clearly not desirable for serious players. Even people who get competitive with friends at a party don't want to lose due to a trip. Getting punished by lower-level players is clearly a deal-breaker for many players. 

When it came to watching it competitively, Brawl was sometimes called boring. It was slower than Melee. It was not as technical. Hitstun canceling made it possible to live up to 200%. 

Brawl has been considered a popular party game and it's definitely fun. But it's nowhere near as popular as Melee and Ultimate right now. It will never be dead. But, yeah, it's not the most alive either.