It's been more than a year since fans got to see Evil Geniuses' Kevin "PPMD" Nanney compete, but the "Super Smash Bros. Melee" player has confirmed via a Facebook post that he will be playing at next month's Bad Moon Rising 2, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, albeit in doubles only.
The post, which was on the private North Carolina Melee group, stated that he would be making a reappearance to see Adam "LoZR" Jones off with one final doubles hurrah.
"I decided to compete in doubles only because my very long time friend and early rival, LoZR, is having his last ever major tournament appearance here and we had a great teams run back in the day," PPMD said in a statement to ESPN.
PPMD is considered one of the best Melee players of all time, dubbed one of the five "gods" of the game. But in 2016 PPMD took an extended hiatus from the game citing depression. PPMD has been open with his fans about his depression and ongoing recovery.
"It's going pretty well now that I found something that seems to really be working," PPMD said without wanting to go into specifics about his treatment.
PPMD's doubles appearance at Bad Moon Rising 2 gives fans hope that there's a possibility for him to return to singles this year.
"It is possible the return won't be this year. However, it looks like odds are definitely in my favor to return this year, especially with how great the past five weeks of the new program have been for my progress," PPMD said.
It will be a treat for fans to see one of the most talented and cerebral players grace the game once again. PPMD will also play friendlies and interact with fans while at the tournament.
"It gives me great joy that people are still willing to stick by me despite my struggles. However, interacting with fans can also be very tiring if done too long, so it can sort of help and hurt in a way, I suppose," PPMD said.
PPMD did caution that if he begins to feel tired, he might exit the venue early and retire for the evening.
Other notable attendees include Panda Global's Justin "Plup" McGrath, Renegades' James "Swedish Delight" Liu, and Team Allegiance's Edgard "n0ne" Sheleby. Bad Moon Rising 2 will take place on July 1.