Professional Super Smash Bros. Project M player Jason ‘Waterfalls’ Treul has continued to progress on CBS’s Survivor 49, marking another milestone for competitive gaming’s crossover into mainstream entertainment.
The 32-year-old law clerk and former Google software engineer was called into action just 12 hours before filming began, replacing a disqualified contestant as an alternate alongside Michelle ‘MC’ Chukwujekwu.
During the premiere episode, Treul discussed his competitive gaming background with fellow contestants, mentioning his achievements in Super Smash Bros., specifically Project M, a community-created modification of Super Smash Bros. Brawl that emulates Melee’s competitive mechanics.
Treul’s journey to Survivor began with Super Smash Bros. Melee legend Ken Hoang, the champion who competed on Survivor: Gabon in 2008. As a teenager, Treul attended a tournament Hoang organised in Fullerton, California, which later inspired him to watch Hoang’s appearance on the reality series.
“I had no idea really what Survivor was,” Treul revealed in an interview with Parade. “I kind of knew, because it was a global phenomenon or whatever. But Ken was really what drew me in. And when I saw it, and I kind of saw it through that Smash lens, I’m like, ‘How does a gamer play this game?’”
Treul competed under the tag ‘Jason Waterfalls’ and was considered the world’s best Zero Suit Samus player in Project M, at one time ranking 38th globally and 5th on the SoCal Project M Power Rankings. His competitive achievements include notable tournament placements at major events like Low Tier City, Smash ‘N’ Splash, and Paragon Los Angeles.
Esports Strategy in Survivor
Treul’s casting continues the trend of esports athletes finding success in mainstream media. In addition to Ken, his appearance follows other gaming personalities crossing into traditional entertainment, reinforcing Smash esports’ reach to CBS’s millions of viewers.
Treul’s approach to Survivor draws heavily from his esports background. In pre-game preparation, he used a Game Boy to secretly categorise fellow contestants, naming Pokémon after them and organising them into boxes labelled ‘Ally,’ ‘Vote them off’ and ‘Unknown.’
“I’ve been trying to size up and present as, ‘Hey, I’m just some little kid playing his Game Boy,’” Treul explained. “I want them to think I’m a huge Poindexter, because they are not going to think of anything except that.”
His strategic philosophy mirrors competitive gaming principles. Treul believes advantages like ‘Steal-a-Vote’ are more powerful than idols due to their subtlety and mathematical impact in small tribe scenarios – a perspective informed by his experience calculating frame data and optimal strategies in fighting games.
