UltRank 2022: 40–31
The teams behind OrionRank, ΩRank, and EchoRank are proud to present UltRank 2022! The UltRank 2022 ranking period spans from June 16th to December 18th, 2022.
After voting to use an algorithm, three algorithmic rankings were compiled together to create a top 100 based on results at tournaments. For those interested in the tournament breakdown, here is a link to the tournament tiering sheet: https://bit.ly/UltRank2022TTS
Hailing from the relatively isolated region of Shikoku, “Yaura” charges in at 40th on the inaugural UltRank. Being one of two top representatives from his island, Yaura often flies more under the radar compared to the flashier Asimo, but nonetheless has amassed an extremely impressive string of results over the past 18 months. His current season started explosive with a victory at regional event Mamebura SP 7, where he defeated Asimo and HIKARU twice. Over the rest of the season he would continue to perform, having a high quality in losses between his rare appearances.
However, Yaura’s crowning achievement came at october major event MaesumaTOP #10. Here, after using his trusty King K. Rool secondary in pools followed by picking up a Munekin win, he would fall early to ProtoBanham. This however would only be the start of one of his strongest losers runs to date. He defeated Horkeu, Umeki, Taikei, Atelier, Sigma, Kameme and ProtoBanham in the runback before finally falling to Miya for 4th place. Unlike Asimo, Yaura is yet to travel overseas. However, everything indicates that when he finally gets the opportunity, which his new sponsor iXA may be able to provide, he will be just as impressive.
- Alice “Alice” Len
When Antony “MuteAce” Hoo, is on, he’s a threat to beat anyone on earth; wins on acola, Riddles, Anathema and Marss prove that. Though hand issues kept MuteAce from being the consistent force that we’ve seen in the past, he was still able to show his potential with top six finishes at The Big House 10, Let’s Make Moves Miami and L’Odyssée.
MuteAce’s defensive movement is second to none. His utilization of Peach’s float along with her hard-hitting aerials make MuteAce an explosive, impregnable wall, and when he gets a hit, you’re going on a ride.
If MuteAce is healthy and able to travel in 2023, he could be a serious threat to win major tournaments and take down top ten players at whatever tournament he attends.
- Jack “Trash Day!” Clifton
Sota “zackray” Okada is one of the only players in the world that can win a major and still have a “down” season. Despite all of the drama surrounding his foray into competitive Pokemon Unite, we finally got to see Smash’s Biggest Wildcard compete at top level again, and it was just like it used to be. At ULTIMATE WANTED 4, his first major back, he flattened his competition, only dropping three games before Grand Finals where he won a game 10 slobberknocker against Shuton. His Joker and ROB looked just as polished and chaotic as ever.
But that was his only real “zackray” result this season. He has regional wins, but at the two supermajors he went to after UW4 he finished 49th and 23rd.
He’s still worth believing in though. Despite the underperformances, it’s still zackray — and every game is better with a good wild card.
- Jack “Trash Day!” Clifton
Chicago’s Sephiroth specialist, Nicholas “Ned” Doval (did you know Ned’s not his name, but rather, his initials?) has finally found his post-quarantine major top 8. After seventeen majors since 2021, Ned placed seventh at Let’s Make Moves Miami, finding wins on Capitancito, goblin deez, EKING, Grape, and Jake. That’s an impressive run, but it’s not his only relevant performance; he also managed to take two very important B-tier tournament wins this season.
Firstly, he took down Onin to defend Chicago at Warp Zone, at a time when Onin looked unstoppable. Secondly, he slew the West Coast’s best to win Back in Blood V, with wins on JDV, H4, Scend, Dark Wizzy, and Monte. Though Ned may have had a few dud brackets this season, one thing’s for sure — whether you’re queuing Midwestern 3AM Elite Smash or playing in a major top 8, Ned is a player to watch out for.
- Hugh-Jay “trade war” Yu
Nowadays, when people think of Tyler “Marss” Martins, they’re more likely to categorize him as a streamer and content creator than a player. But even though he’s focused more in recent times on building up his brand, it’s clear that he’s still got what it takes to compete with the best. Tight execution combined with his signature risk/reward-conscious playstyle and an uncanny ability to call out defensive and scramble options is simply too solid of a foundation for anything but success and have netted Marss his tenth consecutive worldwide ranking.
This season was all about constancy as many of Marss’s best wins came against players or characters that he’d historically been extremely strong against. Wins over Maister, ESAM, Aaron, and MVD, alongside sets off of the best Mario and R.O.B. in Kurama and Zomba respectively, padded his resume. Not to say his season was all reruns, either; his developing Joker came out several times, nabbing victories over Light and Ferps, among others. Unfortunately, his roadblocks have also stayed the same, but if Marss can get over those hurdles, we may soon be seeing him back at the top. And if not, no worries — Elite Smash will always be there to style on.
- Kenny “kenniky” Wang
It was a quiet season for Hero as he only attended three offline tournaments over the last six months of the year, but the Bowser aficionado made his limited appearances count. Holding an impressive consistency for such a polarizing character, Hero was able to close out the year with characteristically strong performances throughout the three majors he made his presence known at.
Hero is known for defying matchup charts to keep it competitive with the best players in the world. Twin sweeps over Kameme’s Sora and ProtoBanham’s Min Min, extending a solid win streak over the latter, continued a five-tournament streak of placing top 6 at the MaesumaTOP series. Perhaps most impressively, he was able to take acola to last game last stock, even counterpicking the Kazuya to Final Destination at one point and winning. At this point, it’s not a question of if Bowser can win a major, it’s when — and Hero is primed to achieve it before you know it.
- Kenny “kenniky” Wang
After emerging post quarantine with Roy as his new main, Eita “HIKARU” Hoshi blazes in at 34th, following his best year to date. A victory at Kansai regional Sumabato SP 27 with wins over Kome and ZAKI set HIKARU up for a great start, which he would continue to build on with a victory at Kyushu superregional KOWLOON #2 from losers. This event saw the best Roy in the east pick up wins over Nietono, Manzoku and Shissho twice, but perhaps the most notable set at the event was his use of Steve to defeat Yaura, who took him down in winners.
Despite strong performances at regionals, HIKARU’s season was held back by a lack of a deep major run until he traveled overseas for the first time since 2019 at Ultimate Fighting Arena 2022. Here in France, HIKARU would have his best performance of the year, using his Smash 4 main Donkey Kong to great success. He defeated multiple of Europe’s best in Leon, Bloom4Eva and even Glutonny before falling to Tea and Glutonny in the rematch for an impressive 3rd place. However, despite his strongest season yet, HIKARU shows no signs of slowing down, as he starts off the next season strong with an amazing run at invitational tournament JAPAN 24. Be sure to keep an eye out for the flaming swordsman in 2023!
- Alice “Alice” Len
“Jake” Silberman was the first Steve to really break out during the Wi-Fi era, and despite his strong placements online, there was doubt as to if that was sustainable once tournaments were back in person. Jake has done nothing but squash that doubt.
He got his first top 8 at a supermajor at Double Down, but despite that, his most impressive tournament run might have been at Glitch — Regen. Despite losing his first set of the weekend against Justinbyleth, he cracked off nine straight wins in losers bracket, only losing 3 games in the process. He got revenge on Justin and beat Pink Fresh, KEN and Alternis, proving both his grit and his unshakable fundamentals.
Jake always has a puncher’s chance at any set, and if he can develop his combo game further, there’s no ceiling for Jake other than the ones he builds out of blocks.
- Jack “Trash Day!” Clifton
What more fitting way for the season of Mr. Game 5 to end but with a losers run that included not one, not two but three Game 5 victories? Despite falling in — you guessed it — five games to Kola at Mainstage, Luis “Lui$” Oceguera Ramos picked himself up off the mat and notched Game 5 wins over Colorondo8, Asimo and Ouch!?, not to mention a 3–0 destruction of Shuton mixed in on his way to 7th place at one of the year’s most stacked majors.
The next step for Lui$ is to find a way to bring his Saturday dominance over to Sunday’s Top 8s. Despite missing just two Top 8s in his 7 major tournament appearances this season, Lui$ won just one set across those five Top 8s: his win over Niko at Lost Tech City.
- Jack “Jackie Peanuts” Moore
Michael “Tilde” Tedesco took the plunge years ago when he decided to pick up Falco. The character had very little success throughout Smash 4’s lifetime, and Tilde’s tendency to stay in-region told us little. After quarantine, however, he exploded onto the scene as one of New York’s best, piloting a then-unlikely character.
Hailing from New York has its benefits in the Smash scene. He has countless sets against much of NY’s finest and Tristate’s upper echelon as a whole, practice that proved to be critical during his most achieved season to date. A year full of consistent runs culminated at Riptide 2022, a Midwest major series that he’d win over a rogue’s gallery of talent from all over the country.
Taking his hard-fought victory over players like ApolloKage, Lima, and Peanut, he’d forever be understood as a huge obstacle for any players’ bracket. Aided by one of the strongest regions in the world, it’s likely that Tilde will continue to be a huge threat in 2023.
- Joshua “Barnard’s Loop” Craig
The UltRank 2022 Team
Director: Joshua “Barnard’s Loop” Craig
OrionRank Creators: Joshua “Barnard’s Loop” Craig and Mathew “EazyFreezie” Aliotta
EchoRank Creator: Kenny “kenniky” Wang
ΩRank Creator: Stuart “Stuart98” Hepworth
Rankings Consultant: Andrew “PracticalTAS” Nestico
Graphics Lead: Nick “DarkDragoon” Konstantino
Marketing Lead: Walter “turndownforwalt” Brandsema
Check out start.gg/UltRank for links to the full list as it releases, and start.gg/SSBMRank to follow along with SSBMRank 2022.
