The Season 1 NA Rivals 2 Rankings are finally here! After each season we look back on the previous competitive year, and the players who influenced our scene, by creating a Top 50 Players list to honor and celebrate our greatest competitors. Here are players #10 – 1 on this year’s list.

10. Sandstorm

The King of Brawlhalla has entered the fray. Sandstorm very quickly found his stride with the ever-powerful Olympia and never let up. Showcasing the absolute limits of her punish game and speed, Sandstorm proved why he was the best in the Brawlhalla business for so long, climbing the ranks remarkably quickly by turning a 9th at CEO into top 5 placements at both Supernova and EVO in only a matter of months. One of the most patient and tactical players to ever enter the genre and with a history of mastering many games, Sandstorm is now on a journey to become the greatest Rivals of Aether II player; only time will tell if he can show his dominance yet again.

9. Beastly

Originally an Ultimate player, Beastly rocketed to success in Rivals II with a head-turningly aggressive playstyle and rock-solid fundamentals. Beastly is notably one of the few players in the top 10 who isn’t a solo main; although he’s best known for his Zetterburn, his victory at the season finale Genesis was carried out with Olympia in a clinical 6-0 over Rongunshu, and he’s often seen playing strong pocket characters including La Reina and Orcane. It’s hard to follow up a performance as strong as winning Genesis, but Beastly will certainly do his best to continue going beast mode this upcoming season.

8. Sophilo

No one is more dedicated to the grind or prouder to represent the West Coast than Sophilo. Beyond offline majors, she can regularly be seen entering (and winning) more online tournaments than anyone on this list, particularly the PNW’s premier online local Hop On Rivals, showing a hunger for victory that goes beyond rankings or prizes into something fundamental. The rewards of this grind were on full display this season, with a major victory at CEO and strong placements at Collision, Genesis, and Riptide. Sophilo’s aggressive play makes for heart-pounding sets at any tournament she attends, and it’ll be exciting to see her chase success at upcoming majors in the same unyielding way she always has.

7. Sparg0

Between his previous #1 ranking in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and now his top 10 ranking in Rivals II, Sparg0 has a solid argument for being one of the best platform fighter players in the world. Trading one sword for another, Sparg0 drew eyes from across communities at every event he entered, pushing CakeAssault to the brink at GOML and then conquering him at Supernova only to fall to Stango afterward. If he’s capable of performing that well while simultaneously locking in to compete at the highest level in Ultimate, one can only wonder what he could do in Rivals with no distractions.

6. Ant

Like a bolt from the blue, Ant took this season by storm, coming in at #6. As a previous Mewtwo specialist and double jump cancel expert, Absa’s release saw Ant dropping his previous main Ranno to become her first and best top level representative. This proved to be promising: with Absa, he leveled up tremendously to compete on a level beyond anything he’d displayed before, taking down big names like CakeAssault and Stango and placing on the podium at multiple majors. Ant was a major force in innovating Absa’s metagame and making her a character to be feared at the highest levels of the game; dark clouds are on the horizon for anyone who has to face him in bracket.

5. Bbatts

Bbatts is a Fleet unlike any other. Previously a top Melee Peach with an extraordinarily aggressive playstyle, he catapulted to the top of the ranks with an unparalleled understanding of neutral and edgeguarding, landing himself a spot in the top 5 with multiple CakeAssault wins, a silver medal at Combo Breaker, and top-shelf placements at some of the season’s biggest tournaments in Genesis, Supernova, and Evo. Beyond his play, Bbatts can often be seen in his own world during even the most stressful sets, bouncing his head and singing along to the lyrics of his chosen music. Next season, he will continue to show opponents one thing: they ain’t ready for him.

4. I0N

Whether he’s using rocks or crystals to do it, I0N is a master of throwing more at his opponents than they can handle. He’s one of the vanishingly few players on this list who can boast the feat of taking not just one, but two majors off of CakeAssault, claiming victory at both Riptide and Heat Wave with his terrifying Kragg. He is committed to solving the game in his own unique way and continues to find infinite success. You can see how much passion he has in achieving his goals as he runs laps around the venue in celebration. Just be careful not to get in his way, in game and out.

3. Rongunshu

The crowd favorite Clairen with a heart of gold earns third place on this list. Despite still being due his offline win, Rongunshu’s consistency and roster of wins is nearly unmatched. Never placing outside top 8 in a single offline major, he took consecutive second place finishes at Let’s Make Big Moves and Genesis, as well as an online 1st place at September’s R2CS Online event and wins over half the top 10 players. When he’s playing with confidence, Rongunshu looks like the best player in the world, and if he can learn to keep that up in every circumstance, he’ll be unstoppable.

2. Stango

Stango is a man with a legacy. His history is filled with many nicknames, and now he bears a new one: The Don. Although Loxodont is now his most infamous character, Stango is capable of winning with everyone on the roster with his incredible fundamentals, having also seen top-level success with Zetterburn, Olympia, and Kragg. He stood head and shoulders above nearly everyone else this season, taking first place finishes at both Supernova and Collision and hardly ever being seen outside of top 5 at any major. Although he loves playing up a role as a “villain”, it’s clear Stango is having a great time whenever he competes, and it’s impossible not to respect how incredibly skilled The Don really is.

1. CakeAssault

No one player is more synonymous with Rivals than CakeAssault. Ranked #1 for over half of Rivals 1’s lifespan, Cake has done it again, taking the crown for the first season of Rivals II in an admirable display of consistency. As the only Forsburn on this entire ranking, it’s safe to say no one plays the way he does, with an incredible understanding of the game that leads him to clutch set after set and bracket after bracket. Although facing many strong rivals for the top spot, CakeAssault will continue pressing onward and adapting to his every opponent in pursuit of the thing he knows best: victory.