The Wi-Fi World Ranking v6 (WWR v6), with tournaments spanning from July to December 2020, is set to begin its reveal on January 18th, 2021. Based on the results of this season, it is reasonable to predict the top-three players will be different from the WWR v5.
The sudden flock of offline players to the Wi-Fi scene in March 2020 due to the pandemic has caused a shift in the outlook of competitive Super Smash Bros. Ultimate scene. Often, players who placed well on the Panda Global Rankings have not found the same level of success online. While some offline top players have adjusted fairly well, others have continued to prove they are most threatening at an actual venue.
As the first complete season since quarantine began, players have had more time to mold themselves into the online environment. As a result, this changes the general attitude of being ranked come this time around.
Those who are likely to be top three in the WWR v6 have all been staples in the Wi-Fi scene since the pandemic began. While PGR ranked players can still be potent enough online, these specific well-known online players have improved even more than last season.
WWR v6 Rank #3 Prediction: BestNess +4
Boasting similar caliber results, Mr. Game and Watch Main Enrique “Maister” Hernandez Solis could easily have the third spot instead of Spencer “BestNess” Garner.
Maister has not placed first in any of the five S-tier ranked tournaments this season, unlike BestNess, who had placed first in Super Smash Galaxy. However, this a classic example of whether peak performances should be more highly regarded than consistency.
Maister has placed second in three of the S-Tier tournaments he entered this season. In Lockhart Series, Maister lost to Edgar “Sparg0” Valdez’s Cloud 3-1 in grand finals, and then lost again 3-0 in the reset. Later, at the tournament Smash Out Breast Cancer, Maister lost to Carlos “Sonix” Perez’s Sonic 3-1 in winners finals, and later Maister DQ’ed once they met again in grand finals. In the Ultimate 32 invitational, Leonardo “MkLeo” Lopez Perez beat Maister in both sets of grand finals after MkLeo pulled his surprise Ike out.
BestNess, a Ness main with a strong Piranha Plant Secondary, has had inconsistent results. He placed ninth at Ultimate 32 and fifth at Lockhart Series, while also placing second at Get On My Line 2020.
Third place on the WWR v6 will probably be the decision of whether getting the job finished is more important than consistent placements. At the end of the day, victory at an S-tier tournament is the highest achievement possible, something Maister failed to accomplish, potentially giving BestNess the number three spot.
Assuming Maister is ranked fourth on the WWR v6, it would be +4 from his WWR v5 rank. Maister was also sixth on the PGRU Fall 2019, proving he is flexible in both the online and offline environment. BestNess was 43rd on that same ranking.
WWR v6 Rank #2 Prediction: Sparg0 +2
Sparg0, a fifteen-year-old prodigy Cloud main, has made strides. Cloud, a character considered high-tier offline at best, can make better use of his range and pressure in an online environment where punishing moves is difficult. Sparg0 over the past year has applied this knowledge and made it to his own craft.
Sparg0 has been formidable at every S-tier. He placed first in Lockhart Series, second at Super Smash Galaxy and fourth at Ultimate 32.
He also has better placings at B and C tier events as oppose to both BestNess and Maister. Although they statistically don’t mean as much as S-tiers, points are still applied here.
Sparg0 is on his way to be the best online player (with it even being possible currently). Another face of the Wi-Fi scene will likely block him off for now.
WWR v6 Rank #1 Prediction: Sonix +1
With Kolawole “Kola” Aideyan not placing the same as his WWR v5 era, his former number two is likely to take the throne. Sonix is a player who uses the difference of playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate online to its fullest. He is known for his campy playstyle, running out the clock in order to get a win. Spectators often don’t enjoy watching it, but it gets him results. He has won the S-tier Smash Out Breast Cancer, as well as having four A-tier wins under his belt. These results are unmatched with anyone else this season.
The top 10 rankings of the WWR v6 will be revealed on January 28th, 2021.
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