Jorane is a Canadian legend who has been a staple of the Rivals Top 50 since season 1. While he has not been able to travel as much, his Absa still strikes fear into new players and veterans alike. After a long hiatus Jorane traveled to CREST and Genesis 7 this year and proved he’s still a threat by taking down Stroder and collecting an impressive 25th place at the season finale.
Nexplosion is another Absa player known for his breakneck aggression approach to the character. Nexplosion was incredibly active this season, attending seven different events and traveling cross-country on multiple occasions. After an impressive showing at Genesis 7 and showcasing some incredible sets with Hatz, DolphinBrick, and Kobra throughout the year, it’s no secret that Nex is a rising star moving into season 5!
Before Dos took a year break from competitive Rivals, he traveled to Overgrown and Smash N Splash 5 with impressive results. While Dos may have been absent competitively for a good portion of season 4, he remains a prominent figure head and teacher in the Rivals Academy, the Ranno character discord, and the official Rivals of Aether discord. We eagerly await his explosive return in season 5.
Another newcomer to our top 50 players, Junuh is an Arizona Wrastor/Kragg co-main who has proven his ability to thrive in high stress environments. Junuh collected a few outstanding wins over Chompers at Overgrown and Kruz at Heat Wave 3. Junuh placed 25th at Heat Wave and has proven that he can take down any player when the time is right.
This New York Zetterburn is a player with a taste for upsets. What Danzello lacks in consistency, he makes up for in his resilience. Along his incredibly active season 4, Danzello tallied wins against Stroder and Dam Danny, while placing 9th at the most stacked Grassroots League tournament of the year, Elevate. Danzello has evolved into a constant demon to his local scene with several wins over MSB. Keep an eye out for Danzello, he’s sure to SHINE his way to the top.
Colorado tournament organizer, Spook, makes his first appearance on the Rivals Top 50 with consistent placements at some of the most stacked tournaments of the year. In addition to his top level Etalus play, Spook played a key role running Elevate in Colorado Springs, which successfully hosted some of the best talent Rivals has to offer!
The SoCal hero, Proux.EXE returns to the Top 50 with impressive feats including an upset over Stroder and 25th placement at Heat Wave 3. Proux’s innovative punish game is awe inspiring at times, with blazing fast reactions putting him in the mix with some of the best players in the world. Proux has recently branched out to the other members of the fire tribe, with sporadic showings throughout the season. We expect to see this character mastery evolve over the next year while becoming a powerful new addition to the Arizona scene.
It’s hard to keep an old school legend off of the Top 50, even if they happen to be retired. AZCards placed third in the July Online RCS and made his way out to EVO and CREST, placing 9th at both and proving that fundamentals don’t die easily. AZ’s shift in focus makes seeing him, and his now trademark Sylvanos, at events even more special. We wish him the best and sincerely hope to spend some time at future events with one of the most kind players in the community.
Another Ranno slings his way onto Top 50 for the first time! Known for his unique usage of ranno side special, Kaaeru showed consistency and had an impressive breakout tournament at Super Smash Con, scoring a huge upset over Backpack and placing 13th. Kaaeru has already shown evidence of riding this momentum in season 5 after placing 13th in our off-season event, Frostbite 2020!
Formally known as SCUM, Marx makes his first of what promises to be many appearances on the Rivals Top 50. His first tournament was around the release of our beloved guest character, Shovel Knight, where he bested his first Top 50 player. Marx’s season 4 continued in much of the same manner, achieving top 8 at Super Smash Con by defeating Danzello, Kaaeru, and Levin among others. Marx’s skyrocket towards success could be indicative of a very exciting future!
We know he’ll do a fantastic job on official events and can’t wait to see competitive Rivals evolve this year. If you’d like to reach SBS, you can talk to him on 
