This week we’re counting down the Top 50 Players from season 3 of the North American Rivals Championship Series. For more information about the ranking process, check out our introduction and honorable mentions post from earlier in the week.
Other Articles in this Series:
- Introduction and Honorable Mentions
- #50 – 41 (you are here)
- #40 – 31
- #30 – 21
- Rankings #20 – 11
- Rankings #10 – 1
NA RCS S3 #50 – Stroder
NA RCS S2 Rank: N/A
Though Tuxedo Stroder’s main focus is Smash, you can clearly see his natural talent and creative play carries over to Rivals. Competing alongside some of the most passionate players in the country in his home scene of AZ has given him the skills to net solid placements around the country. Though Stroder is a multi-character master in Smash, he mainly sticks to Ranno in Rivals. As he travels to more events this year we’re excited follow his progress now that he’s begun playing with DolphinBrick in doubles and is one of the bounty players at Glitch 7.
NA RCS S3 #49 – ProuxEXE
NA RCS S2 Rank: N/A
ProuxEXE is another new player to the top 50 list, though he’s no newcomer to competitive play. A former online-exclusive player during seasons long past, he emerged from the Wi-Fi world as a powerful local threat. Now a strong contender in his local SoCal Rivals scene, his Zetterburn’s impressive onstage punish game can definitely bring the heat. Though he didn’t travel far this year he was still able to compete in 3 of the largest events of the year, taking wins over the likes of hoppyKnitz and TheBestAdamCarra to secure 49th place in the rankings. Rest in peace, Green Bean.
NA RCS S3 #48 – Cheesedog
NA RCS S2 Rank: N/A
Though tournament predictions by Cheese Gaming™ staff are often wildly inaccurate, their top player Cheesedog has put himself on the map this year with his season 3 RCS results. His consistent play always makes him a threat at large events and not someone to sleep on in pools. Although Cheesedog is a Kragg main at heart, not even the allure of nair2 break cancel could keep him from showing off his Sylvanos during rare moments this past season. Regardless of his main going forward the strength of Canadian players only continues to grow, and as such we wouldn’t be surprised to see Cheesedog getting closer to his tournament goals this year with just a few more wins at each event.
NA RCS S3 #47 – TheBestAdamCarra
NA RCS S2 Rank: 28
Adam has covered a lot of ground in Rivals – doing everything including competing at a high level, being a beloved commentator, Tuxedo Esports member, and YouTube personality. Though he often downplays his skill, when he’s in form, Adam can play with the best as shown by his strong placings and even a win over Dynla in season 3. With more results to show Adam would certainly be ranked higher, so as usual this is a player we’re looking forward to seeing return in season 4.
NA RCS S3 #46 – Tandori
NA RCS S2 Rank: 50
Tandori is another old school player who mostly took it easy during season 3. Though he approaches the game more casually now, his results from last season still show that he’s a force to be reckoned with as he battled through some of the new guard with ease to make a solid 17th placing at the massive Super Smash Con 2018 bracket. His solo Maypul play has inspired us since season one, so we’re always happy to see this returning veteran on the list.
NA RCS S3 #45 – yesdefinitely
NA RCS S2 Rank: 48
Yesdefinitely is another SoCal RoA player that is able to put up national results. Having grown tired of dying off the top at 20% as a longtime Wrastor main, yesdefinitely decided to inflict this fate onto others and pulled a switch in season 3 to almost exclusively playing Orcane. His new playstyle involving grounded juggle combos is far from peaking, and yesdef himself has quietly been commanding more and more respect as the months have gone by. With a whole year of Orcane under his belt and the growing SoCal Rivals scene to bolster him, season 4 may be his time to shine.
NA RCS S3 #44 – Akashi
NA RCS S2 Rank: N/A
As a part of the Sentralites, a Tri-State Rivals team, Akashi has made big strides in season 3. Racking up an impressively consistent record along with solid wins over players like Tapscott has earned him his first appearance on the top 50 list. This is another player who doesn’t seem to be slowing down, so we’ll be eagerly watching him and the rest of the Tri-State region as their scene continues to forge some of Rivals’ best.
NA RCS S3 #43 – Jorane
NA RCS S2 Rank: 15
Jorane returns for the third year in a row to the top 50 list with his electrifying Absa play. Though he wasn’t able to travel often, Jorane was a terror online often showing up as a top 16 threat in the massive online brackets. While Absa has risen in popularity as a character, Jorane’s remains one of our favorites to watch and one we hope to see more of in season 4.
NA RCS S3 #42 – Shotti
NA RCS S2 Rank: N/A
Shotti is a solo Forsburn main and another Sentralite member who made some impressive moves in season 3. In addition to single-handedly ending Blue’s career (as shown in the video evidence above) Shotti placed highly at both First Impact and Super Smash Con 2018. Boasting a signature playstyle that combines patient neutral and a devastating offstage combo game, this Tristate resident is another player on the cusp of breaking into a new tier. With some similar placings in season 4 Shotti can easily cement himself as one of the best solo Forsburn players in the game.
NA RCS S3 #41 – Dr Nitronio
NA RCS S2 Rank: N/A
In addition to being a great Rivals player, Dr Nitronio is also an admirable community leader that has been running Rivals events on both Xbox One and PC for years. Though his Xbox One roots were often mentioned in past seasons, the good doctor has solidly transitioned over into the larger PC community with great results. As a threat with both his Etalus and Kragg, Dr. Nitronio has ended plenty of tournament runs online in addition to using the duo to secure 13th at our largest main season event, Super Smash Con 2018.
