Stronghold article for BEEP (#2519)

content/articles/hypernova-roster-shuffle.md

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+---
+title: Hypernova Roster Shuffle
+date: 2025-09-09
+author:
+  - name: Ckk
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/115690432351961095
+  - name: Samino
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/samino
+---
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="hypernova-roster-shuffle" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/98f23a98-aadf-4f40-804f-37b7708206d8" />
+
+Article ported from the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/a-dying-scene-stronghold-and-splatoon-4) website
+
+[Hypernova](https://sendou.ink/t/hypernova) has moved [Datkid](https://sendou.ink/u/763548554538254346) to the bench and parted ways with [Lexi](https://sendou.ink/u/lexi) as per a text interview with the captain of the team, [Synapse](https://sendou.ink/u/sighnaps). The team has moved forward with [Fishyyism](https://sendou.ink/u/fishyy) and [Captain Happy](https://sendou.ink/u/891117921642876948) as new members of the team to fill the starting positions.
+
+[Synapse stated](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wgVOOMwMhFLngFOCvMc1aF_79c4F3gBCwA5yI76caWQ/edit?usp=drivesdk) that Lexi was planning to cease competing in Splatoon for the foreseeable future. This was also backed by a now deleted post on X by Lexi stating that after [Splat World Series](http://play.iplabs.ink/sws-finals) and [Riptide](https://www.start.gg/tournament/riptide-2025-4/event/splatoon-3/overview) she will no longer be competing. As for Datkid, he plans to continue competing in Splatoon and for Hypernova, but he will be taking a step-back to focus on his academics and extracurricular activities. He will take Hypernova’s fifth spot as a substitute player.
+
+This team was [founded recently](http://x.com/hypernova_spl) in March of this year. It seeks to be a spiritual successor to previous Splatoon team Sonder. The original roster played weekly events as a pickup with varying members until they decided to form as a team to compete in top-level events under the name Hypernova. Since then, they have competed in and qualified for major events such as [SendouQ Season 7 Finale](https://sendou.ink/to/1277/brackets), [SuperJump 5](https://www.start.gg/tournament/superjump-5-1/details), and Splat World Series. They placed 5th, 4th, and 13th in each event respectively.
+
+The team was looking to continue competing for major events such as [SendouQ Season 8 Finale](https://sendou.ink/to/2091/brackets). They were able to find Fishyyism and Captain Happy in the Plus server who were also looking for a group to qualify for the event. Fishy has been a free agent that has been playing with pick-up groups and consistently placing top 16 in open level monthlies and top 4 in open level weeklies. Fishy’s last consistent team was KRiSPy/FRiKPy for [LUTI Season 16 Div X](https://sendou.ink/to/1241/brackets) and SendouQ Season 6 Finale. Captain Happy has a similar history of playing in open level events and playing with Fishy in pick-up groups. His last consistent team was Facade during LUTI Season 16 Div X.
+
+They began playing as a group [publicly in SendouQ](https://sendou.ink/q/match/87618) starting August 12th and were able to secure their spot on the [SendouQ Season 8 Leaderboard](https://sendou.ink/q/match/87618) in 10th place at the end of the season. They also competed in [Megalodon Monday NA 34](https://sendou.ink/to/1960/brackets) where they placed 2nd in the event. Synapse states that after these successes, they were invited to play long-term with the team.
+
+The team has found continuous success after the roster changes. They placed 5th in SendouQ Season 8 Finale and continue to increase their lead on their lifetime head-to-head score against [Moonlight](http://sendou.ink/t/Moonlight). The team is now up 5-1 in tournament sets against Moonlight since the team’s inception in March.
+
+The team also continues to innovate interesting compositions focused around the player’s unique weapon pools. Datkid added a very unique aspect to this team being an Inkbrush main. With him stepping back, Fishy plans to push a different niche main weapon. Planetz Big Swig is Fishy’s weapon of choice according to Synapse and his best mechanical weapon. It was seen during the [SendouQ Season 8 Finale on Urchin](https://www.youtube.com/live/iztMH-FFfj4?si=W1RhHiW-IL7OROdH&t=783), but Synapse says that Fishy plans to bring the weapon to more map modes when he is not needed on a specific weapon. Synapse himself is also planning to push Dapple Dualies and double Dapple compositions. He used to primarily play shooters such as the Gals and Splattershot Pro FRZ-N, but now plans to focus primarily on playing Dapple Dualies.
+
+Hypernova’s coach, [Kbot](http://sendou.ink/u/kbot273), has been a huge help in the team solidifying their identity and finding weapon compositions that incorporate their unique weapon choices while still being well-rounded. Having a substitute on the roster also allows them to practice more consistently with their coach as they have more members to rely on. Synapse states that Kbot has been a great help in understanding the game and refocusing on improvement. In Synapse’s words, 
+
+“Honestly, we were a team that did not take VOD reviewing seriously. In fact, we never did it. We had no planning, goals, or vision each time we played. Kbot has given us these to follow. He has given us the knowledge to greatly improve both individually and collectively. I have been very thankful for him being willing to work with us so far. It has been such a great feeling to not only be on a team (in the state of comp mainly being team-less for some time now), but also having one of the best coaches… in the scene.”
+
+Hypernova plans to continue competing in top-level events and perform even better. They will be playing in Riptide this weekend with Lexi where that will be her final event with the team for the time being. The team’s stated goals are to make the top cut in the SendouQ Season 9 Finale and play in the [Splatoon NA League](http://x.com/NintendoVS/status/1962909394133213589). Synapse leaves this last message to fans of Hypernova,
+
+“I am glad of the support we have gotten from others\! To Hypernova’s fans, I just want to thank you for believing in us and that we are just getting started not only for the unorthodox comps but also our presence in the high level scene. For our goals, getting to \[the\] top cut in the next \[SendouQ Season\] Finale is definitely one of them. I think another goal is the \[Splatoon 3 North American League\] that is going to be announced soon. For a more general goal, it is to find/play consistent comps to continue our way up to the top.”
+
+Hypernova’s Current Roster is:
+* 🇺🇸 Synapse (Support) (Captain)  
+* 🇺🇸 Henlo (Frontline)  
+* 🇺🇸 Fishy (Flex/Frontline)  
+* 🇺🇸 Captain Happy (Backline)  
+* 🇺🇸 Datkid (Frontline) (Substitute)  
+* 🇺🇸 Kbot (Coach)
+
+[Full Transcript of Synapse Interview](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wgVOOMwMhFLngFOCvMc1aF_79c4F3gBCwA5yI76caWQ/edit?usp=drivesdk)
+
+Written by: [Ckk](https://bsky.app/profile/ckk312.xyz). Published by: [Broadcasting Esports, Every Play](https://bsky.app/profile/broadcastbeep.com). Formatted by: [Samino](https://bsky.app/profile/saminospl.splstrong.com).
+Original Posting Date: September 9, 2025

content/articles/sendouq-season8-finale-recap.md

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+---
+title: SendouQ Season 8 Finale Recap
+date: 2025-09-04
+author:
+  - name: Ckk
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/115690432351961095
+  - name: Fern
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/759473187598762014
+  - name: Samino
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/samino
+---
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="ARTICLE_BANNER" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3cc38497-8e27-4d86-8818-20cea7b234d3" />
+
+Article originally posted on the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/sendouq-season-8-finale-recap) website.
+
+SendouQ Season 8 Finale Recap  
+SendouQ seasons always end with a bang. This one was no exception. All of your favorite teams faced off this past weekend for the title of [SendouQ Season 8](https://sendou.ink/to/2091) Winner and $500.
+
+The qualifying teams can be found on the [SendouQ leaderboards](https://sendou.ink/leaderboards?type=TEAM&season=8). Here were the teams and their placements on the leaderboard:
+
+1. Voie Lactée—1st Place  
+   *(Grey, Jared, Bran, .q)*  
+2. [FTWin](https://sendou.ink/t/ftwin)—3rd Place  
+   *(Kyo, Biscuit, Burstie, Samacado, Xenith)*  
+3. La Vacca—4th Place  
+   *(Gos, Soulja, Yu\_liter, Raiki)*  
+4. [6am](https://sendou.ink/t/6am)—5th Place  
+   *(Fantarr, KITKAT, pouleyy, acer)*  
+5. [Paris Saint-Glufus](https://sendou.ink/t/paris-saint-glufus)—6th Place  
+   *(Lidl, Eliasmo, Glash, dragib, magnolia)*  
+6. [Healthy Diet Food Groups](https://sendou.ink/t/healthy-diet-food-groups)—7th Place  
+   *(Zyf, Blopwher, Ev, Stans)*  
+7. [BlankZ](https://sendou.ink/t/blankz)—8th Place  
+   *(Yushi4Ever, GoldA, piiiro, Devil, Pancake)*  
+8. [Fruittella](https://sendou.ink/t/fruittella)—9th Place  
+   *(Punchy, Crowny, Slurpcat, Aaron, TommiEcho)*  
+9. [Hypernova](https://sendou.ink/t/hypernova)—10th Place  
+   *(Synapse, Henlo, Fishyyism, Capt. Happy, Datkid)*  
+10. [Moonlight](https://sendou.ink/t/moonlight)—12th Place  
+    *(Shadowind, Omega, Basil, SSNolan)*  
+11. [ezmd](https://sendou.ink/t/ezmd)—13th Place  
+    *(SebDark, kiki, Silver, Devin4k)*  
+12. [Zipcat](https://sendou.ink/t/zipcat)—15th Place  
+    *(eli, NomNom, Frook, Tame, Nami)*
+
+*/ Honorable mentions that could not attend or declined their invitation: [Pathway](https://sendou.ink/t/pathway) (2nd Place), [Heavy Metal](https://sendou.ink/t/heavy-metal) (11th Place), [Parasail](https://sendou.ink/t/parasail) (14th Place).
+
+### Group A
+The groups for this edition were practically divided by region. In Group A, there was a diverse range of European talent across the board, and it showcased everything Europe had to offer.
+
+BlankZ had their first appearance in a SendouQ Finale. This group has been striving to stand out amidst other more notable German teams, such as Black Lotus. While their team’s performance at this event was not stellar, their attendance marked a milestone for this team.
+
+Paris Saint-Glufus is a team of old and new players proving that they deserve to keep their spot in an event like this. They were seeded last, but exceeded their expected placement in the event and in their group.
+
+Fruittella came in hot off the heels of the Splat World Series, where they not only qualified for the finals but also upset one of the best Western teams, Milky Way. According to the seeding, they were expected to exit groups into the top cut, but they did not meet those expectations on the day. They lost uncharacteristically to regional teams and fell outside of top cut qualification.
+
+Ezmd and 6am are extremely similar, both being European teams that are known for frequenting podiums in European weekly tournaments. They are no strangers to meeting each other in the latter parts of these weekly brackets and were very familiar with not only the competition but also each other. Both teams breezed through their group by winning decisive 3-0 matches against everyone in the group besides Voie Lactée and each other. They faced off in the first round of the tournament, and they were not yet aware that this encounter would determine who would qualify out of the group. It went to a tense game five where ezmd took the first two games in the set. Then, 6 am broke the momentum and forced a fifth game. In that fifth game, ezmd took control of the set back from the clutches of 6 am and earned themselves their first set win. Both teams had a similar map win/loss ratio at the end of the group, and this set gave ezmd the slight edge they needed to move on in the bracket.
+
+Last but not least, Voie Lactée was the expected top seed of this group and the entire tournament. This mostly North American group, consisting of star players from Jackpot, Starburst, and Sayonara, with a French guest appearance from [Grey](https://sendou.ink/u/grey), was formed to practice for Riptide this weekend and has been terrorizing tournaments for the past two weeks. They proved their dominance by losing only one map in the entire group stage to Paris Saint-Glufus. 
+
+### Group B  
+This side of the bracket carried North America’s fan favorites, featuring teams such as FTWin (shy guy fans), Hypernova, Moonlight, and Healthy Diet Food Groups.
+
+Zipcat is the other team making their SendouQ Season Finale debut. They were also the only fully European team in this group. This team has consistently sat outside of the top 12 leaderboard for multiple SendouQ seasons, and this season was the perfect opportunity for them to participate in the event. They were not able to secure any set wins, but took a game off Healthy Diet Food Groups before the group stage concluded.
+
+Healthy Diet Food Groups are a staple of SendouQ finales. They had their first breakout performance back in Season 6 with a top 4 finish that garnered attention because of their unique playstyle and weapon compositions. Since that performance, healthy diet food groups have not reached the highs they once accomplished. They did not go down without a fight in their sets with a decent map record to end off the event.
+
+Moonlight, North America’s sweethearts, continue their streak of SendouQ season appearances after a brief scare. They ended the season in 13th place on the leaderboard, missing the top 12 by six points. Due to bugs, delayed SendouQ points allocation, and declined invitations, Moonlight was able to show up. Their performance in the tournament was standard according to their previous standings in prior SendouQ events. Moonlight still needs a push to make grands in a SendouQ Finale, and it may require the toppling of their biggest adversary in Hypernova.
+
+Hypernova is a team that is not shy of bringing up young North American talent guided by their coach [Kbot](https://sendou.ink/u/kbot273), and their veteran captain, [Synapse](https://sendou.ink/u/sighnaps). Their identity lies in playing with weapons that feel comfortable to them in a style that suits each player individually. This version of Hypernova was unveiled at this event and started two brand new players in [Fishy](https://sendou.ink/u/fishyy) and [Captain Happy](https://sendou.ink/u/891117921642876948), two very talented North American F/As. These two players have been grinding tournaments and placing highly in the SendouQ User Leaderboards, but haven’t proved their worth on a team. The question of the tournament was whether Hypernova was going to retain their identity and perform like they had before. After this tournament, it was solidified that Hypernova had not skipped a beat. They continued their winning record against Moonlight, putting them at 4-1 since the last SendouQ season finale. They continued to play weapons that fit their unique playstyles, including Fishy’s Planetz Big Swig Roller, which shocked audiences during this tournament run. Despite not qualifying for top cut, Hypernova proved that they are here to stay regardless of roster changes.
+
+FTWin and La Vacca were the two teams expected to leave this group unscathed. Both teams had alterations to their typical roster. [Xenith](https://sendou.ink/u/xenith) was on FTWin, substituting for [Samacado](https://sendou.ink/u/sam), and [Raiki](https://sendou.ink/u/raiki) took Grey’s place in the PxG core while he was grinding with Voie Lactee for Riptide. These changes did not stop either team from dominating their groups. FTWin has consistently been runner-up to the winners of events in recent months, but their performance in this group looked phenomenal. In the head-to-head match, FTWin took La Vacca, consisting of the PxG core, to a game five and closed it out to leave the group 5-0.
+
+### Top Cut
+The first semi-finals match would be the grand finals of any other tournament, La Vacca vs Voie Lactée. Historically, these two teams have met up in events such as ITZ grand finals, with Voie Lactée taking the set. This would change with this event, where Voie Lactée would fall 1-3 to La Vacca. This was a tough loss for Grey in particular, as this was the group that he frequently played with aside from Voie Lactée. This leaves the team with their second 3rd/4th placing this month, leading into Riptide, and this event broke Grey’s streak of winning SendouQ Season Finales.
+
+In the other round, we had FTWin vs ezmd. Ezmd had a very tough match ahead of them that left them losing 0-3 to FTWin. This loss was not devastating for them as they were able to celebrate the accomplishment of making top cut in a SendouQ Season Finale. For FTWin, this was a real opportunity to take home a win in this event.
+
+In the grand finals, FTWin opened strong against La Vacca on Urchin Underpass. They took the first game and were hoping to build momentum into this set. La Vacca counter-picked Lemuria Hub and spelled doom for FTWin for the rest of the set. The set ended 4-1 in favor of La Vacca and was a stark difference from their match-up in the group stage, where their set was close. FTWin failed to secure the top spot, but had an amazing showing in this event. As for La Vacca, they continue to showcase why this core of players is the best in the West. [Yu\_liter](https://sendou.ink/u/yu) secures the three-peat, being the first player to ever win three consecutive SendouQ Season Finales. Yu is not the only repeat winner. [Jordan](https://sendou.ink/u/855150114238234645) has won two consecutive SendouQ Season Finales, and [Gos](https://sendou.ink/gosgosu) secures his third SendouQ Season Finale title, tied with Yu.
+
+### Final Standings  
+La Vacca—1st Place  
+FTWin—2nd Place  
+Voie Lactée—3rd Place  
+ezmd—3rd Place  
+6am—5th Place  
+Hypernova—5th Place  
+Fruittella—7th Place  
+Moonlight—7th Place  
+Paris Saint-Glufus—9th Place  
+Healthy Diet Food Groups—9th Place  
+BlankZ—11th Place  
+Zipcat—11th Place
+ 
+Written by: [Ckk](https://bsky.app/profile/ckk312.xyz) & [RemixedFern](https://bsky.app/profile/remixedfern.bsky.social). Published by: [Broadcasting Esports, Every Play](https://bsky.app/profile/broadcastbeep.com). Formatted by: [Samino](https://bsky.app/profile/saminospl.splstrong.com).