PGstats is proud to present the latest Melee ranking, #MPGR2019 , in concert with Red Bull! The #MPGR2019 ranking season spans the end of 2018 (after Don’t Park on the Grass 2018) to December 8, 2019 (Mang0’s Birthday Bash).

PGstats has asked 45 top players, community leaders, tournament organizers, and analysts to rate the quality of play for each qualifying player during the 2018 ranking season. They were prompted with the following statement:

“Based on quality and quantity of results in 2019, rate each player on a scale of 1 to 10. A tournament is held every weekend during the ranking period, and all players on the list are able to attend every event. Over the course of the season, who performs the best? You may give the benefit of the doubt to players who attended more events during the ranking period if you so choose.”

Each panelist gives each player a score from 1 to 10, and the ratings are compiled into one overall average after suppressing the effect of outliers. Finally, scores were rescaled to a 1-100 rating, which is displayed under each player’s graphic.

New this year: We’ve tried to interview every player in the Top 100! Players in the Top 50 will still have blurbs, but the focus on the first 50 will be their interviews.

#MPGR2019 No. 50: Michael © Ayub Arain (@avianmessiah)

Rating: 59 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 41

Michael “Michael” Rollberg is an unshakeable wall of an opponent. Methodical, patient and consistent, the Midwest Jigglypuff main gave his fans a lot to watch for in 2019. Though he didn’t travel very far, he still managed some very impressive placements at some of the Midwest’s largest tournaments, placing 7th and 17th at Full Bloom 5 and Smash‘N’Splash 5 respectively, taking set wins over PewPewU, Bananas and Hugs.

Though he mostly stuck to smaller local tournaments after the summer ended, his impressive first half showing was outstanding enough to earn him a top 50 spot. With a recent move to Pittsburgh, Michael will surely continue to show just what his Jigglypuff can accomplish.

Written by: Jack "Kezzup" McDonald | Edited by: Sean "STOC$" O'Connor

#MPGR2019 No. 49: Drephen © Addy Lai (@kittycataddy)

Rating: 59.9 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 60

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Certainly not Drew “Drephen” Scoles. At age 34, the Midwest legend experienced a renaissance in 2019, booming into Smash Summit 8 after defeating Shroomed and KJH in a tight round-robin qualifier at Smash’N’Splash 5.

To earn these wins — along with victories over such talent as n0ne and Westballz — Drephen mixed old-school know-how with new-school tech, impeccable spacing, and devastating mind games. While he may not dominate his region the way he used to, the Sheik main remains a force to be reckoned within the Rust Belt and beyond.

Drephen’s old-fashioned style might be disorienting to viewers accustomed to a more modern form of Melee. But make no mistake: this family man does much more than just grab.

Written by: Alexander "Quality Steve" Lee | Edited by: Dylan "Dilly-Jo" Tate

MPGR: Currently, what motivates you to compete in Melee?

Drephen: Seeing my character evolve in front of my eyes is one of the coolest things I've experienced in gaming. And to able to take that and compete against the best in the world is a thrill that I am willing to fight for. I've seen Melee from the discovery of wavedashing to all the crazy techniques players can do now. And I cannot wait to see what the future of Melee has in store for us.

MPGR: What's your favorite button on the GameCube controller, and why?

Drephen: The Z button. It makes my character grab, and that's pretty much all I do.

MPGR: Say something you want to share with your fans.

Drephen: I just want to thank everyone who has ever housed me, traveled with me, played melee with me, watched me play melee, been a sincere person to me, made a memory with me or had a chat about how Fox is broken. My character is not only a product of my own knowledge and experiences, but of those I play with as well. I can't thank you all enough for sharing this wonderful game with me.

#MPGR2019 No. 48: Zamu © Ayub Arain (@avianmessiah)

Rating: 60.1 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 78

Daniel “Zamu” Bernstein continued his frequent traveling for Melee in 2019, even taking it international with a phenomenal 1st place at Awakening 5 over MPGR Summer 2019’s No. 12 Trif. While in Europe he also scored 5th place at Fête, defeating Professor Pro and falling to Trif; having a 2-2 record with a player of Trif’s caliber on a vacation to Europe is telling of Zamu’s potential.

Zamu did suffer some middling performances at Midwest regionals, but he also picked up big wins over players such as Hax, Slox, Bladewise and a plethora of Midwest hitters. Despite low placings at the beginning of the year at Genesis 6 and Full Bloom 5, by the end of the year Zamu not only cemented himself as a Midwest powerhouse but also finally reclaimed his throne as rank No. 1 in his home region of Champaign, Illinois.

Written by: Sean "STOC$" O'Connor | Edited by: Jack "Kezzup" McDonald

MPGR: What was your proudest achievement of 2019?

Zamu: My proudest achievement of 2019 overall was winning Awakening V. Going into the event I didn't think I could win, especially after getting destroyed by Trif two weeks earlier. So many people at the event asked me if I thought I could win and I told them all "No, I can't beat Trif." Then somehow I did it twice and won the tourney.

MPGR: What's your favorite tournament series, and why?

Zamu: House of Paign and Show Me Your Moves are definitely my favorite tournament series mostly due to being located in my hometown Champaign. These are the events that really inspired me to play Melee. They also have amazing TOs, a great venue and always draw a lot of good players.

MPGR: If the tier list was flipped, which character would you play, and why?

Zamu: Fox because then he'd be a top tier.

#MPGR2019 No. 47: Stango © Aaron Dolgos (@batteryazid)

Rating: 60.7 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 62

Nick “Stango” Stango has always been somewhat of a phantom in regards to attending tournaments, but in 2019 he emerged a little more frequently to great results. He began his year with a close set vs iBDW and a win over upstart Kevin Maples at The Script Episode 2. However, it was Stango’s performance at Fight Pitt 9 that defined his year--he began his run with a game 5 win over Florida mainstay Gahtzu before losing to a resurgent Cactuar (who later made it to Winners’ Finals), then proceeded to defeat Boyd, Lucky, Jakenshaken, and conquer both Gahtzu and Cactuar in consecutive runbacks to make Grand Finals. He then reset the bracket 3-0 against Colbol before losing in game 5 of set 2, ultimately ending the run of his career at 2nd place.

Stango’s fall was slightly weaker, including losses to Leighton and his Philadelphia rival SluG, but he still managed to score wins over Slox and Captain Smuckers to pad his resume. Even with a character switch on the horizon, Stango proved himself as one of the most dominant Marths on the East Coast in 2019.

Written by: Sean "STOC$" O'Connor | Edited by: Jack "Kezzup" McDonald

#MPGR2019 No. 46: HugS © Evan Johnson (@EvanJPhoto)

Rating: 62.1 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 23

There’s never a dull moment with Hugo “HugS” Gonzales. 2019 held explosive highs for HugS: he had a 1st place showing at DreamHack Dallas 2019 over Magi and Albert, he landed in the top 16 at Genesis 6, and he defeated iBDW and Medz. However, this year has also been one of uncharacteristic losses and early bracket departures for the Samus main. To be fair, he also moved across the country and has been tirelessly working on growing his stream.

HugS’ story this year may have not felt as triumphant as years past, but it isn't without perspective. HugS remains one of Melee’s most seasoned competitors, entirely capable of a blowout season. Few others can match his drive and dedication, so keep your eye on Hugo Gonzales in 2020.

Written by: Christopher "SomeonesPC" Matis | Edited by: Cagan "Cagan" Hawthorne

MPGR: What are your priorities for 2020?

HugS: I want to expand my career as a player, streamer, and influencer in multiple games.

MPGR: How do you feel about your 2019 in Melee, as a whole?

HugS: Pretty unhappy with it, but I forgive myself for it because my year was so hectic with multiple moves to different cities, and other responsibilities I had.

MPGR: How do you feel Melee changed in 2019?

HugS: I think this is the year where netplay has shown to really boost the scene's overall skill. Every opponent feels extremely high level now.

#MPGR2019 No. 45: Jakenshaken © Evan Johnson (@EvanJPhoto)

Rating: 63 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 88

Jake “Jakenshaken” Bloxsom, after reaching No. 88 on the 2018 MPGR, has proven throughout 2019 that he can be a consistent contender at the top of the Melee ranks. The Marth player from Northeastern Ohio has shown great consistency, getting 17th place at multiple major tournaments such as Super Smash Con 2019, Shine 2019 and the Big House 9.

The highlight of his year, however, came at Full Bloom 5, where he defeated both Lucky and MikeHaze to earn a 9th place finish. With other notable wins against players like KJH, Michael and Drephen, it’s clear that Jakenshaken can hold his own against high-caliber players and has a good shot at continuing his quick rise to the top in 2020.

Written by: Jack "Kezzup" McDonald | Edited by: Sean "STOC$" O'Connor

MPGR: How do you feel Melee changed in 2019?

Jakenshaken: More people are good at the game than ever which means the order and hierarchies that once existed in players results/skill tiers are falling apart. Players' results feel more random and less consistent.

MPGR: Why do you main who you main?

Jakenshaken: I have been quietly spectating Melee since around 2012 and Mew2king's Marth was always my favorite. His gameplay inspires me to do well.

MPGR: Where do you think you'll be ranked? Do you think that'll be different from where you'd rank yourself?

Jakenshaken: I think I'll be ranked in the 50-59 range, although being top 50 might not be too crazy. I'd probably rank myself similarly.

#MPGR2019 No. 44: Morsecode762 © Jeff Mahieu (@Delta52_)

Rating: 63.1 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 99

You’re bound to find Josh “Morsecode762” Morse at multi-game tournaments in the Midwest, but in 2019 he decided to invest more into Melee — and it paid off. Besides defeating fellow Midwest heavyweights such as Zamu, Rik and ORLY over the year, it was Morsecode762’s performances in the fall that put him into the limelight. He scored back-to-back wins on MPGR Summer 2019 No. 14 moky at The Big House 6 and House of Paign 22, and at the latter event he also scored wins over Drephen and Spark before falling to Lucky. In fact, his only two definitive demons throughout the year were Lucky and Michael, but given his rate of improvement it wouldn’t be shocking to see those demons slain in 2020 ... as long as he can find them at P+ events with Melee side brackets.

Written by: Sean "STOC$" O'Connor | Edited by: Jack "Kezzup" McDonald

MPGR: What are your priorities for 2020?

Morsecode762: Make top 3 in P+ 2020 rankings.

MPGR: Currently, what motivates you to compete in Melee?

Morsecode762: Melee events just happen to appear right next to the P+ events that I go to.

MPGR: What's your favorite tournament series, and why?

Morsecode762: Since it's the best P+ event in the Midwest, Tripoint Smash takes the cake.

#MPGR2019 No. 43: Magi © @SSBMagi

Rating: 64.8 | #MPGR2018 Rank: 97

In a year where the status quo for the Melee scene was majorly flipped on its head, one of its arguably biggest breakout stars was Sasha “Magi” Sullivan, an up-and-coming Falco main from the often underrepresented state of Louisiana. In both one of the first and one of the most stunning upsets of the year, Magi defeated Mang0 in the Falco ditto at Genesis 6, dropping one of Melee's best players into the losers bracket before top 64.

With her name on everyone’s minds, Magi continued to rack up results in her favor, taking sets off of players like Bananas, Ryan Ford, Drephen and FatGoku throughout the year. Magi has climbed the ranks of the Melee elite incredibly quickly, but it certainly seems like she’s not done yet.

Written by: Jack "Kezzup" McDonald | Edited by: Sean "STOC$" O'Connor

MPGR: What was your proudest achievement of 2019?

Magi: Beating Mang0 LOL

MPGR: How do you feel about your 2019 in Melee, as a whole?

Magi: I thought I did pretty well considering it was my first big year travelling, started off with a bang and maintained some decent results with a few exceptions.

MPGR: Where do you think you'll be ranked? Do you think that'll be different from where you'd rank yourself?

Magi: I'm probably gonna be somewhere in the 40's. I feel like my results aren't quite the level of a top 50 player in my head, but I think a lot of the people I consider above me are inactive, so I'm just taking the benefit of that to be placed that high.

#MPGR2019 No. 42: Setchi © Carl Paradise (@SHIP_Combo)

Rating: 66.2 | #MPGR2018 Rank: N/A

Once considered Europe’s most powerful hidden boss, Adam “Setchi” Farmer has finally burst onto the international scene. The Captain Falcon main makes his MPGR debut at No. 42, accomplishing the feat without attending a single North American major in 2019.

An infamous lab monster, Setchi demonstrated his mastery of the Peach matchup by scoring four victories over top Spanish player Trif. Among these wins was a devastating 3–0 at DreamHack Rotterdam 2019, where Setchi also defeated Overtriforce, another member of Spain’s elite, on his way to an impressive 3rd place finish.

Despite having relatively few opportunities to prove himself in 2019, Setchi has firmly established himself as one of Europe’s strongest players. If he travels stateside in 2020, he’s sure to return to the UK with quite a few notches on his controller.

Written by: Alexander "Quality Steve" Lee | Edited by: Dylan "Dilly-Jo" Tate

MPGR: What about the year do you feel satisfied with?

Setchi: Farming Trif. And being very consistent within Europe, cementing myself as one of the best EU players.

MPGR: At this stage in your Melee career, who would you consider your rival?

Setchi: Frenzy, and he will probably always be while we're both playing.

Though the other up and coming EU players like Pricent and Nicki are also people I want to do better than.

MPGR: Why do you main who you main?

Setchi: I loved the 20GX videos and I idolized how they were trying to optimize their character, so I switched from Marth to Falcon. I play grey falcon because of Gravy.

#MPGR2019 No. 41: Bimbo © Lfg Last Frontier Gaming (https://www.facebook.com/lfgamingmx/)

Rating: 66.2 | #MPGR2018 Rank: N/A

Though he’s been a solid competitor for years, Jonathan “Bimbo” Rocha finally cemented his status as a top 50 Melee player in 2019. He started strong at Genesis, defeating Kels and Bananas en route to a 33rd place finish. Then, at Saving Mr. Lombardi, he placed 5th with wins over Nut, SFAT and Ginger.

Bimbo’s hot streak cooled down near the middle of the year, as tournaments like The Second National Melee Arcadian and Smash Factor 8 showed he was still prone to getting upset by lower-ranked players. However, he showed flashes of brilliance again toward the end of the year, beating Squid and Ginger to place 5th at Fight For SoCal 8. With additional local wins over Fiction and MikeHaze, the Mexican Falco main is a proven threat to cut any player’s bracket run short.

Written by: Dylan "Dilly-Jo" Tate | Edited by: Alexander "Quality Steve" Lee

MPGR: Currently, what motivates you to compete in Melee?

Bimbo: My friends, they always cheer me up :)

My family and girlfriend support me a lot.

MPGR: How do you feel Melee changed in 2019?

Bimbo: In my opinion, Melee gets better each year. People get better in the game so you need to keep learning new stuff every time.

MPGR: What's your favorite button on the GameCube controller, and why?

Bimbo: R, you always need to be safe.

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