Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v7: 10-1 #WWRv7

Upcomer is proud to partner with the Wi-Fi Warrior Rank team to present the WWRv7! The Wi-Fi Warrior Rank rates 50 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players based on their performances in online tournaments. Check out the Wi-Fi Warrior Rank Discord to find out more about Smash Ultimate’s competitive online scene.

Now, only the best of the best remain on the WWRv7. As the sun sets on Smash Ultimate’s quarantine era, these 10 players have established themselves as the best that online Ultimate has to offer. Going forward, all of them will likely make it their mission to match (or exceed) their online success at offline tournaments.

WWRv7: 10-1

“Gameing” is an art form, and while many Smash players prefer to stay within Nintendo’s beloved franchise, Michael “Riddles” Kim goes against the grain and isn’t afraid to share his love for fighting games as a whole. That doesn’t mean he’s not also a strong Smash player, however. On the contrary – he is the one opening this top 10 segment of the WWRv7.

Riddles held solid placements throughout multiple prestigious events. These included third at Collision Online 2021, fifth at the SWT NA Northeast Online Qualifier, ninth at Lunch Box + and 13th at The Airlock. In his rise to glory, he has amassed wins over the likes of Sparg0, ESAM, Jake, Mr. E and many more strong players. If you account for his generally low attendance this season, that impressive resume only further showcases how strong of a competitor he is.

His 7-7 record against the WWRv7 top 50 is more than respectable. In addition, he boasts a 2-5 record against the top 10 and only a singular loss against unranked players. While Riddles may have been one of the most vocal players regarding Ultimate’s online problems, that didn’t stop him from making his way to the top 10 this season. With Kazuya now in his arsenal, keep an eye out for this player as he continues to make strides in tournaments.

— Cyrus “Cagt” Gharakhanian

Returning to the rankings at No. 9 is one of Mexico’s finest, Santiago “Chag” Perez. A player who has made major strides in both the offline and online scenes, Chag’s career so far has been one of determination, willingness to grind and remarkable improvement. This can be seen within previous iterations of the WWR. He moved from No. 56 to No. 11, and finally to No. 9 over the past three seasons.

This season exemplified Chag’s skills and ability to improve. While he was very active this season, that activity did not hurt his results. Chag is the picture of consistency with a solid 25-26 record against the top 50 and only 11 unranked losses despite his high attendance. That attendance managed to net him impressive results, such as second place at The Box: Lunch Box #8, seventh place at Lunch Box + and third place at Maruchan Gaming Series. Throughout these events, Chag was able to pick up wins on most of the titans of the WWRv7 season. Among them were Dabuz, Scend, Maister and Sparg0.

Chag also sported a +2 X-factor, showing that he’s earned the respect of his fellow competitors and TOs throughout this season. With a fantastic season behind him, the 20-year-old Mexican breakout is poised to become a real bracket threat in the Ultimate community for years to come.

— Kyle “Grayola” Gray

The only thing sweeter than candy is victory. Our eighth place player is familiar with both. Tanner “SKITTLES!!” Jordan has landed his Young Link in the top 10 for the first time, continuing his reign as one of the best players in Smash Ultimate Wi-Fi history.

Appropriately for his name, your best bet to find SKITTLES!! this season was in a box: the Lunch Box series, to be specific. He earned his four best results at this tournament series. At A-Tier Lunch Box #8, the first of the season, he defeated Lui$, Tilde and Ravenking on his way to fifth place. Nothing could stop him a month later, as he took first place at Lunch Box #9, also an A-Tier. After delivering a massive upset to Sparg0 early in the bracket, he beat MVD, Kiyarash and Sonix. SKITTLES!! then vanquished a resurgent Sparg0 after two sets of grand finals. He kept it steady moving forward, placing fourth and fifth at Lunch Box #10 and Lunch Box +, respectively. In addition, he earned a victory at the SWT NA Northwest Online Qualifier over Pandarian and Middy.

Having risen in rank each season he was on, SKITTLES!! exits the quarantine era as one of the best. He also stands as the only Young Link to appear on the WWRv7. The Midwest is one of many hotbeds of Smash talent, and SKITTLES!! has what it takes to compete in it. He’s already taken offline sets from Cosmos and Ned, among others. There’s no telling how high he’ll rise, but it’ll certainly be a blast to watch him do it.

— Liam “Cloudhead” Estes

With three consecutive seasons ranked, and climbing closer to the top each season, Yezre’el “Yez” Askew makes his mark on the WWRv7’s top 10 at No. 7. Bringing his Ike to the spotlight once again, he has one of the strongest sets of wins of any player throughout the season. Additionally, he was a regular guest in top eight of practically every bracket he entered.

At his first WWR event of the season, Frame Perfect Series 4: Online, Yez placed second. There, he took set wins over Scend and Sparg0 before falling to Sparg0 in the grand finals. He notably placed seventh at the S-Tier The Airlock, defeating WebbJP, Wrath and Scend. Yez also secured two massive top eight finishes within the same week: fifth place at Collision Online and fourth place at Lunch Box +. Between them, Capitancito, naitosharp, Ned, Chag, Riddles and Skyjay were all quickly eliminated through the might of Ragnell. One final notable result was his performance at the SWT NA Southeast Online Qualifier. At the event, he took out some of the very best from Florida, Georgia and Louisiana in MuteAce, Kola and KirbyKid. This fourth place finish earned him a spot in the next offline phase of the circuit.

When looking at his head-to-heads, it becomes even more clear how Yez finished so strong. With 14 wins on other members of the top 10, he managed to take at least one set win on every one he played. Each of his bracket runs are astounding to imagine, with nearly every one of his top eight finishes requiring wins on multiple high-ranking WWR players. The graphic can only show a fraction of the wins that he scored throughout the season. His 46 wins against top 50 players rank third among the entire WWRv7. Despite his incredible peaks, though, he was held back from the top five by a sizable number of unranked losses throughout his many tournament runs.

The achievements of this Springfield native are only the beginning for the great player that he may blossom into moving forward. His offline spot in the Smash World Tour will give him yet another opportunity to prove himself as one of the best Ike players in the world.

— Sean “GME” Wilkinson

Few names are as synonymous with online as Gabriel “Epic_Gabriel” Romero. Whether you know him from his unique online interactions, his passion for R.O.B. or simply his impressive tournament runs, Epic_Gabriel is by far one of the most dedicated players the community has seen. Not only was his activity hard to match, but he was consistently able to make it to the podium of multiple major online events. In doing so, he maintained his status as one of the most feared R.O.B. players on the planet.

For starters, he took home the gold at three separate events this season: Smash The Router 4, Starlight’s Smash Bash! and RESET: Smash for RAINN. Following that, he placed third at Frame Perfect Series 5: Online, fourth at The Airlock and fifth at Collision Online 2021, all among the more stacked events this season. Epic_Gabriel’s laundry list of wins only further showcases his skill: Dabuz, Chag, ESAM, Jake, naitosharp, Ned and so forth.

His status as one of the most active online players has cost Epic_Gabriel in other areas, though. He does not have the cleanest record against the rest of the WWRv7. He holds a 32-30 record against the top 50 as a whole, but a 16-18 record against the top 20 and a 5-13 record against the top 10. However, he did have only eight unranked losses this season, a low amount considering his activity. Rest assured that Epic_Gabriel’s passion for the game is far from lacking. He maintains his drive for tournaments even offline, traveling where he can to compete against more players. Keep an eye out as he continues to make great runs at offline majors as well.

— Cagt

The WWRv7, and even its highest echelons, are full of rising stars. Players you may not have heard of before their first ranked season. Ones who have fought tooth and nail to become stronger, gain recognition and prove themselves on Wi-Fi. Ones who, now that the quarantine era is over, must prove themselves once again: this time offline, to show they’re the real deal.

This is not one of those players. This is Leonardo “MkLeo” Lopez Perez. You might know him from the grand finals of every offline supermajor ever. He slots in at No. 5, his highest-ever finish on the WWR, after a masterful season that reminded everyone why he’s the best in the world.

At his first event of the season, Frame Perfect Series 4: Online, he fell to seventh place, defeating Pokelam but being upset by Atomsk and Skyjay afterward. Following this, MkLeo didn’t miss grand finals for the rest of the season. One month later, at S-Tier The Airlock, he went on a tear through Scend, Middy, Myran and Maister, only bowing out to Sonix in winners finals and grand finals. A month after, it was silver again at the SWT Mexico Online Qualifier. He took out Maister again and beat Sparg0 3-0 in winners finals. Though Sparg0 got the last laugh in the grand finals, MkLeo still got a berth in the offline portion of the Smash World Tour. His last medal was gold at Frame Perfect Series 5: Online. There, he scored five WWRv7 wins, including one on Epic_Gabriel and two on Pelupelu.

So, again, the WWR is full of rising stars. Players who are leaving the quarantine era, venturing offline and striving to leave their marks on the scene. Ones who have already started getting wins on renowned offline players. Ones who, if all goes well, want to become the best in the world. And again: MkLeo is not one of those players. He’s the one standing tall in their way.

— Cloudhead

Despite a change in tag, our next player still proved to be the best Ness this season. A staple of the WWR’s top 10, Spencer “Scend” Garner ranks at No. 4 following nothing short of a solid season, as to be expected from a top player such as him.

Scend’s list of first place finishes alone is absolutely massive. Get Clipped #7, Mashfest #3, Climb 4 and Smashcade Online #19 are just some of the smaller events where he came out on top. Even more notable, however, were his first place finishes at two B-Tiers. At Super Galaxy Gambit x Collision, he double-eliminated Sonix while also defeating Grayclash and SassyFlygon. His run at the SWT NA Southwest Online Qualifier was similarly impressive. He bested Midnight, T3 DOM, MVD and Kiyarash twice in order to secure a top seed for the offline portion of the Smash World Tour.

Scend’s strong finishes certainly don’t end there, as he showed up big time at A-Tiers as well. He earned a win on Maister en route to a third place finish at Lunch Box +. Meanwhile, one of his four wins on Sonix for the season came at Starlight Smash Bash, where he also placed third. Another win on Sonix came at Mazer Gaming Gives Back 2, as did wins on Kiyarash and Epic_Gabriel. Ultimately, Scend finished in fourth place there.

The list of Scend’s names taken and tournaments dominated goes on and on. It’s a true testament to the talents one of the strongest online players across the past three seasons. In one of the most competitive WWR seasons to date, Scend was as capable as ever. With more and more majors opening for hungry competitors, he’ll be one of the strongest ones vying to climb to the top. But when it comes to the WWR, he’ll always be our best Ness.

— GME

The highest-ranked PGR player two seasons running, Enrique “Maister” Hernández Solís comes in at third place on the WWRv7. Though that’s one spot below his second place finish last season, his ranking is a bit deceptive. Maister’s overall score of 99.0 flat puts him closer to first place than he was last season. In fact, it’s closer to first place than any second place finisher has ever been on the WWR. Simply put, Maister was almost unmatched this season, and it’s clear why.

Like his fellow competitors in the top three, Maister’s placings were unreal this season. In fifteen tournaments, he placed below fourth only twice. Given that, it’s a bit hard to decide which of his runs to write about. But in a move his sponsor undoubtedly appreciated, he put in his best performances this season on home turf. At Spacestation Gaming’s The Airlock, he placed third, defeating Kiyarash, Peckham, Ravenking, Sparg0 and Epic_Gabriel. Only Sonix and MkLeo could best him that day. Three months later, at the SSG Airlock Charity Smash Tourney, Maister finished in first place. This time, he had his way with the Dominican Republic’s best, defeating 0mart and double-eliminating Sonix.

Maister’s head-to-heads are also to be admired. His 68.5% top 50 win rate is fourth on the ranking, and third among those with at least 20 sets. He only had a single unranked loss, good for a 5.5% ratio – the second best under the same conditions. And, his seven wins on Sonix are the most wins any one player had on another this season. About the only player who could solve him consistently was Sparg0, against whom he was 1-6. Otherwise, Maister was near-unstoppable this season.

The best Mr. Game & Watch in the world, and one of the best players in the world period, Maister got Wi-Fi down to a science over quarantine. He’ll now resume his quest to become the best in the world.

— Cloudhead

Zooming into the No. 2 spot is the iconic Sonic player, the Dominican Republic’s very best, Carlos “Sonix” Pérez . When it comes to quarantine era online Smash, there is arguably no name that represents the era better than Sonix. He has been a consistent threat in any bracket he enters, and more often than not stands as the first seed in the major events he attends. This has been well deserved, owing to his dynamic playstyle that can mix almost anyone up if they are not careful.

This playstyle, as well as Sonix’ general abilities as a player, have landed him a slew of remarkable results. He placed first at The Airlock, second at the SSG Airlock Charity Smash Tourney, first at The Pandemic Anniversary Series Finale and fourth at Collision Online 2021. In fact, across all 24 of his tournaments, he only missed top eight once. Every other time, he was a lock for the bracket’s final phase.

Throughout these performances, Sonix was able to pick up wins on just about everyone. He beat MkLeo twice, Maister twice and Epic_Gabriel three times. And though Maister proved to be a bit of a bracket demon for him, Sonix came away with a positive 4-3 record over Sparg0. Sonix also boasted an absurd 63-28 record against the top 50, with positive records against the top 20 and top 10 as well. All the while, he only incurred a single unranked loss. These statistics highlight how active and consistent Sonix was, and how difficult it was for anyone else to defeat him.

Sonix was an absolute powerhouse in the past season and has rightly regained the No. 2 spot on the WWRv7 as a result. This second place finish in particular was the closest ever on the WWR; Sonix finished less than a point away from this season’s No. 1. Though Sonix never settles for less than the best, there’s no doubt that he’s one of the best in the game himself. Only good things can come of it when he goes off to the races at offline majors once again.

— Grayola

The topic of prodigies has been brought up multiple times throughout the history of Smash. Many young talented players have risen and made their marks in the scene, but few have had the honor of that title. One player, however, has proven to be more than worthy of it. His name is Edgar “Sparg0” Valdez, the champion of the WWRv7. Having taken sets off of professional players since the age of 13, and as one of the youngest players on this list at only 15 years old, he’s truly deserving of the term. And, for the second consecutive season, Sparg0 is indisputably the king of Wi-Fi.

Over the course of the season, he entered a total of 20 tournaments, winning 12 of them. His victories included Collision Online 2021, Lunch Box + and Mazer Gaming Gives Back 2, all A-Tiers. Within these 20 events, he only fell below fourth place an astonishingly low four times. To put it into perspective, he has the same number of first place finishes as he does set losses to players outside of the top 10.

His records, for reference, are a staggering 79-19 against the top 50, 49-14 against the top 20 and 31-12 against the Top 10. All of these figures put him at the top among the entire WWRv7. He was consistent as well, with only five unranked losses to his name. Meanwhile, he accumulated wins over the best of the best: MkLeo, Maister, Sonix, Scend, Epic_Gabriel, Chag and Riddles, with multiple wins on each of them. In fact, Sparg0 has defeated every other North American member of the top 15 at least twice.

With such a resume to his name, there is little more that needs to be said regarding Sparg0’s prowess. Having recently won the first offline MSM back from COVID-19, and getting himself ready to travel around the world, Sparg0 is one of the favorites to make it into the top 10 of the PGRU itself. Whether he will achieve it or not, only time can tell. But, one thing’s for sure. Sparg0 has established himself as the undisputed No. 1 player of the WWRv7 season and one of the best players in the history of Wi-Fi competition.

— Cagt