For people unfamiliar with OrionRank, it’s a ranking created in 2016 for Smash Wii U, updated every year to list the best Smash players on the planet. It takes into account the performance of the players on the major events, but the latter do not necessarily bring in a fixed number of points. Indeed, the level of the tournament also matters, and if few top players make the trip, then the tournament will earn fewer points. The ranking is also a little smoothed depending on the number of tournaments in which the player was able to participate. The biggest events taking place mainly in the USA, it is necessarily more complicated for Japanese and European players to attend regularly. The OrionRank is also divided into three “sub-categories” which are in fact the regional rankings (US, Japan, EU). The full ranking is available on the website Liquidpedia.
Unsurprisingly, MkLeo remains number 1 in the world. The Mexican doesn’t seem to have lost his lead over his rivals during the pandemic, and knocking him down in a tournament remains a small feat. His compatriot Sparg0 takes second place in the general classification. While he only started his career in 2019, his year 2021 has been prodigious. Since February 13, 2021, Sparg0 has not placed lower than 5/6th in every tournament he has entered. Among his notable facts, we can note two third places. First at Smash Ultimate Summit 3 (beaten by MkLeo) and third at Smash World Tour (sent as a loser by MkLeo and released by Cosmos). The American Tweek completes the podium. Despite a resounding return to competition (he notably beat MkLeo in the final of the Smash Ultimate Summit 3 with a 3-0 sec), the end of the year was more complicated for Tweek who struggled to obtain podiums. The next three players are Japanese: ProtoBanham, Zackray and Tea. Maister takes seventh, becoming the third Mexican in this world top 8. By taking eighth place, Shuton still allows the Japanese archipelago to be the most represented in this top 8 with 4 out of 8 players (but none on the podium).
At the French level, Glutonny finished at the gates of the top 8. The Solary player continued to crush the Old Continent under his steel buttocks (reference to Wario’s fart, no cringerino), but his rare appearances in other regions weren’t necessarily good enough. Although he finished second in the CEO, this place should not have brought him that many points, since some of the top American players expected at this tournament canceled. His underperformance during the Mainstage and the Smash World Tour Finals (the only two tournaments of the year where he did not finish on the podium) probably cost him his place in this top 8.
France remains well represented in the top 150. Leon takes 55th place in the standings, gaining 41 places compared to last year, while Flow gains 10 places, rising to 75th place. Homika returns to the OrionRank with a 65th place, just like Oryon (79th). New players are entering this ranking: Raflow (67th), Nitox (84th), Mezcaul (88th), Ogey (97th), Myollnir (113th), Noxumbra (123rd), Bluesky (136th), RyuKai (137th) and Neeroz (147th). France is the most represented European country in this ranking, an honorary reward for the various players in the Smash Ultimate community who have worked hard to offer as many quality events as possible during the pandemic, as well as international tournaments. fantastic during the rare periods of calm allowing the movements of the Americans and Japanese.