kevin tenacity
Thank you all for checking out the 2025 Act 2 Power Rankings for Chicagoland Melee! Some additional PR info: Qualification for the PR this season was any player in the top 25 CLM Stats rating list with a current PR win (a player ranked in last season’s PR, also tracked by CLM Stats), and 8 events attended throughout the act.
Some fun stats:
Most events attended: 1st: Yolk (31), T-2nd: Pleeba, Fry, Box (30), 5th: ORLY (24)
Almost-ers: (players that almost made attendance and could have likely been ranked) GI0GOAT – 7 events, Anwarrior – 7 events
Silver Surfing: There were 16 Silver Brackets at Midlane this season, with 15 winners! Now ranked Orotis is the only repeat winner.
Other winners: Bepis, prax, Yolk, Homeslice, ink, Chava Gzz, Brendan, influenza, Fasthands, P0ke, gamer, Kumschaut, kevin tenacity, and Zoraakk.
Congrats to everyone on the PR, thanks to everyone who worked on it!
CLM Site/Stats: mattpopa, simkins
Writers: kevin tenacity, Matches “wusstunes” Hunk, Jessica Danger, Alex “coffee” Swett, Ethan “Homeslice” P., Jade Jones + sy, Mitch “dz” Dzugan, Tyler “chiliwong” Chiliwong.
See you next act as we close out 2025!
#15: Orotis | Average: 15.42
Once the most mercurial Melee player in Champaign, Orotis has carved out a career as one of the greats of Midlane’s Silver Bracket. Not to settle for silver, Orotis has taken his Samus play to the next level, debuting in Chicagoland Melee’s Act 2 PR at 15th.
He made Top 8 at 2 Midlanes and a RPM this season, collecting wins such as WattPheasant, Fry, and mase. He also stayed dominant in his usual stomping grounds, winning Silver Bracket at Midlane 176. Since then, Orotis has stayed the course, making it to Gold ever since, barring one appearance at Midlane 183 where he would take down rising Falco, ink, to keep up his 100% win rate. This season, his ability to continue to raise his ceiling and take down more CLM stars, has helped him to continue becoming a frequent top seed in the process.
On top of that, Orotis was able to put it all together at the National Arcadian, Unranked. He was able to string together wins on audrey and Timebones to place Top 64 at a tournament with multiple (would-be) top 50 players, and a slew of regional talent.
No one told him life was gonna be this way, but his Melee talent is no joke.
Alex “coffee” Swett
#14: anxious | Average: 13.00
In a year that has featured 2 moves, an extended lack of Midlane access, and the natural motivation-fatigue that comes from accomplishing a long sought after goal, I must admit I couldn’t fully prevent the panicked thought from entering my brain; “What if Jade “anxious” Jones feels satisfied with the time Melee has had in her life?” This thought only grew within me as her absence from Midlane’s brackets highlighted how her approachability and attention to including newcomers benefit the community.
Fortunately, it turns out my worries were completely unfounded as even in her absence from regular activity, Melee still held a strong place in her heart and mind. In the time she had away from competition, she used those community building skills to help 2 of Austin Melee’s finest players to move to Chicago, which has turned out to be a boon for both the competitive and social strengths of the scene.
Even more so upon completing her 2nd move of the season and gaining renewed access to Midlane, I have seen her play with an inspiring passion and healthy mindset that has proven her ability to keep CLM contenders at bay. She managed to shake off any rust with a 7-0 record over lapsus calami, WattPheasant, ink, 8th grade sux :/, surskim, and Sunshine combined. Two of those wins came at the same RPM, where she would 3-0 Forest and finish 4th as the 7 seed, taking her first win against one of Chicago’s perennial PR members. This performance alongside several other extremely narrow losses against those ranked above her in the short time she has been more active shows there will always be a lot to look forward to in Jade-nation whenever she is competing.
Mitch “dz” Dzugan
#13: lapsus calami | Average: 12.65
Ah of course, the titular lapsus calami, one of several newcomers to the Chicagoland Melee PR, slots into Act 2 as the region’s 13th best player. This philosophical Falco has been on the rise since the start of 2025, and has spent the second act of the year tearing up some of the city’s best competition, both old and new. Key wins against known staples such as ORLY, Frost, and Fasthands, on top of up and coming duelists in Jisp and mase, brought lapsus calami’s season to a head. These wins and his consistency in placement helped to net the votes of CLM balloters this season, and to earn a debut spot on the CLM PR.
One of many highlights from lapsus calami’s season, RPM# 50 saw the pensive pheasant run through a gauntlet of tough opponents. He would kick things off with a win over Happens, San Antonio’s former #8, before defeating mase, and falling to Ober. He would go on to beat LilyMW and ORLY, in a tense game 5 set, to place 5th as the 9th seed, being knocked out by his freshly minted rival, Jisp.
If you can’t find him outplacing his seed, immersing himself in his rigorous workload, or chopping it up with Midlane’s finest, he’s probably on the grind. In fact, at any given event, you can probably find him tucked away in the back of the venue, with one of your favorite players, bettering himself through combos and conversation, on his way to making a new friend and even more upsets.
kevin tenacity
#12: mase | Average: 11.97
Chicago is home to not only the 7th largest population of Filipinos but a history of talented Filipino Melee players. With Fluid no longer active, the highly competitive throne of CLM’s best Filipino Melee player” has a vacancy to fill. Thankfully, Mason “mase” G. is there to pick up right where Fluid left off.
A product of Purdue Melee, mase has since been a force to be reckoned with at any Midlane, RPM, or FGC at Dane’s Games he attends. With a wins resume that includes Killablue, Jopps, bigoldchub, and Orotis, it was only a matter of time before he made his first CLM PR appearance. When the lights were bright, he continued to shine: he beat Easy at Unranked while notching wins against notsocrazy and Nox when they decided to poke their heads out.
June 18th’s Midlane was where mase shined brightest. To finish in 4th, he had to go through a gauntlet of LilyMW, Killablue, and Jopps from losers in Gold Bracket, showcasing the poise and persistence that landed him 12th on this season’s PR.
With mase here, the book of CLM Filipino Melee is yet to close. Pagbati!
Ethan “Homeslice” P.
#11: Jopps | Average: 11.32
The biggest surprise about Jopps’ appearance here on the CLM rankings is that it took this long for it to happen. While I don’t know Jopps as well as some of his beloved “joppers” do, he’s a player whose charisma on and off the sticks is hard to miss.
Chicagoland Head TO kevin tenacity describes Jopps as “an incredible supporter of the community”, eager to cheer on others and even provide a spare dog from his Mr. E’s two hot dog combo.
Jopps has been not only nice with it, then, but also just plain nice, so it’s twice as nice to see him finally make his way onto the CLM PR in Act 2 of 2025.
Jopps’ season was marked by a healthy diet of Top 8s at Midlane Melee. There, he managed to find some valuable wins over the likes of anxious, orotis, Fry and Killablue, but out of region, this year has led the Captain Falcon player to events in Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan, and even Canada in a quest to spend less time at home on Discord calls, and more time in the real world.
“Real Iowa Knowers have been to Sabula,” Jopps told CLM.
The Captain Falcon player has spent this year learning a lot about himself, realizing that he prefers playing Melee for improvement and fun instead of for the win. That’s come, in turn it seems, with a willingness to learn about others, such as his carpool group, his new friends from out of region, or his rivals at Midlane.
“My favorite question to ask people after a set was ‘what do you remember thinking about during the set?’ said Jopps. “[It] always gets people talking about how they see the game, and I love the idea that two people will be describing the same thing but see it differently.”
Matches “wusstunes” Hunk
#10: Fasthands | Average: 10.74
Sometimes, when I’m pondering Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo Gamecube, I remember, suddenly, that, oh yeah, Mewtwo is in this game!
For all of the hype and aura associated with being, well, Mewtwo, Pokemon #150 generally keeps a low profile in Melee, save for the occasional massive upset, and in the 2020s, many of those upsets have come courtesy of Chicago’s top-ranked Mewtwo Fasthands.
Fasthands’ placement today amongst Chicagoland’s ten best players is his best thus far in the region’s rankings. It also marks the player’s first appearance on our rankings since his debut in Act 3 of 2023. Despite this, looking back on Act 2, the player noted to CLM that he also suffered some unexpected losses. What happened then?
For the Mewtwo main, one improvement in his play came into play against Sheik, with reported wins over PR veterans like Scooby and Latin. Against the rest of the Act 2 PR, there were ups and downs. Fasthands traded sets with the mighty Peach of Fry, and he maintained a 1-0 record over up-and-comer mase, but he also dropped sets to rising stars like lapsus calami and doctadylan. Against the upper echelon of the Act 2 power rankings, he failed to take a set.
Nonetheless, the Mewtwo utilizer found plenty of local top eight finishes, and at Unranked in July, he showed why he deserved to be here in a respectable run to 25th place. There, despite losing to another region’s low-tier hero, Cranky, he managed to take out two members of Chicagoland’s Act 1 power rankings, WattPheasant and GI0GOAT.
Despite hitting his highest spot yet on the rankings, Fasthands will not be competing in Chicagoland until around November, he says, as he’s currently on tour, playing saxophone, keys and singing. When asked how Mewtwo is like a saxophone, Fasthands told CLM, “They both have many powerful tools but are still quieter than a trumpet.”
Matches “wusstunes” Hunk
#9: Jisp | Average: 9.10
The Milwaukee native and former Project+ Fox prodigy has had yet another excellent season in Chicagoland. Notching their highest placing yet, Jisp’s trajectory is ever upwards.
Their consistent attendance despite the longer drive from Milwaukee while always bringing a couple players from up north is admirable to say the least. A pillar of the Wisconsin scene, Chicagoland is lucky Jisp graces us with their presence so often.
A strong record vs lapsus calami and wins on local contenders like Killablue, Fasthands, Fry, and anxious, combined with solid results out of region, is proof that Jisp is not only here to stay, but to make a name for themselves in the future.
Jessica Danger
#8: Fry | Average: 8.23
“Water is poison. Drink this [beer] instead” – Chris P. Fry
Chicago’s own Chris P. Fry is a philosopher, an intellectual giant, and an incredible Peach player. He continues to prove his worth as a CLM PR mainstay. Fry continues to show his skill by maintaining a winning record on other prominent Chicago players like Latin (2-1), Jisp (3-1), Basil (1-0), mase (2-0), lapsus calami (2-0), and anxious (4-0). He also picked up a nice, fun, silly little Arpy win at RPM #49.
However, Fry’s greatest wins are the friends he makes along the way. He is back in full stride after attending 29 events this season, greatly improving on his measly 27 from the prior season. This means he has more time than ever to get wet and wild with his melee-enjoying compatriots. When he’s not beating me for the trillionth time in bracket, you can find Fry hanging out with the “outside time” chillers, engaging in discussion about the life and lore of Taylor Swift, and NOT complaining about his controller. Thanks man. Glad you like it.
Every appearance that Fry makes is a welcome one, regardless of the princess that he calls his main. Some may loathe his gameplay, others may fear his mental fortitude, but no one dislikes the vibe that this man brings to the function. One thing is clear; This guy is no small fry.
Tyler “chiliwong” Chiliwong
#7: Killablue | Average: 7.19
In this world, nothing can be said to be certain except for death, taxes, and Enrique “Killablue” Carvajal making CLM PR. A legend both in Champaign and in Chicago, he has always been a regional mainstay, making his 8th appearance on the PR since Summer 2021. Having been on PR so many times, he still finds the time to enjoy game 3 bangers with wAlex while cruising into top 3 of your favorite local.
Even with less attendance this season (10 events compared to 16 last season), he garnered wins against dz, Jisp, Jopps, anxious, and Ambisinister while building a dominant 5-0 record over Fry, proving his place amongst Chicago’s brightest stars once more and earning him a 6-spot improvement from last PR.
This culminated at August 13th’s Midlane where Killablue dominated once more, beating Fry and RemolinoFeroz en route to a 2nd place finish. This marked his highest placement at a Midlane this season, showing that even a lack of access to a reliable netplay setup won’t stop him from adding your favorite player to his wins list.
I’m sure we’ll see more death, taxes, and Killablue in Act 3.
Ethan “Homeslice” P.
#6: Forest | Average: 6.26
What do you get the guy who has everything?
Thomas “Forest” Zhang has long been a mainstay in the midwest community, combining a methodical Marth playstyle, consistent attendance, and wisdom beyond his years into a Melee career anyone would be proud of. Not one to rest on his laurels, Forest attended 15 tournaments in Act 2 of CLM. He combined a dominant 6-0 record over Fry with wins over Arpy and ORLY into a solid local season.
The cherry on top was a phenomenal performance at Never Melee, where Forest was able to make his first regional top 8 in his career, an accomplishment beyond deserved. This culminated in Forest getting ranked #6, his highest placement ever, and the first time he has dipped his toe into the single digits.
What do you get the guy who has everything? Heights he’s never seen before.
Alex “coffee” Swett
#5: ORLY | Average: 4.71
Whether you want to know about the gacha games on his phone or the best stages in the Captain Falcon/Ice Climbers matchup, ORLY has you covered. Uncle O makes his placement an incredibly confident one with only 5 losing head-to-head matchups among his CLM competitors. Some of Chicago’s best have fallen to his Falcon, with wins on Michael, Pleeba, and dz this season. His winning head to heads are even more impressive, including but not limited to; Arpy (4-2), Forest (3-1), Anwarrior (6-2), Fry (5-0), and Jisp (1-0).
This guy has been around for a while, having tournament results from before some high schoolers were born. His skills transcend Melee, with an impressive P+ pedigree, being ranked 16th on PMRank 2024. Balancing the two games is impressive enough as is, but making it out to 23 CLM PR-eligible events in one season made voters even more confident in ORLY’s placement.
Seeing ORLY registered for a tournament is a common occurrence, but a very welcome one. Being around him at a tournament is always a joy. He is a masterful conversationalist and fast friend for many. Even though his conversation skills may hold up a bracket every now and then, he is a beloved mainstay of the community. His 5th place ranking this season is well deserved and shows us all that ORLY’s still got it.
Tyler “chiliwong” Chiliwong
#4: Arpy | Average: 4.32
Arpy has been an ineluctable force in Chicago this season, boasting dominant winning records on all but the top 5. His only losses outside of the top 5 are against Fry (9-1), Forest (6-1), followed by GI0GOAT (3-1). This may paint the picture of a consistent player who takes few risks and sticks to their gameplan, however Arpy has a remarkable ability to punch up, especially when attending a non-local. With set wins over Zamu, Blue, Smash Papi, Trail, Pleeba, dz and ORLY, he has shown that when given the opportunity he can beat the best players in the world. This is made all the more impressive considering he has only been able to attend a non-local once; we can expect even better results when he is able to travel and dedicate more time to the game.
For up-and-coming players, it is a common experience to feel nervous when you are about to play a top player in a friendlies session. You don’t want to feel like you are wasting their time, and you hope to show enough promise that they agree to play you again. After a particularly disastrous session, I apologized to Arpy for my weak showing and thanked him for deigning to play with me. He responded and told me that I should never worry about my level against him, and that the fact that we were able to share games was what he appreciated. I won’t soon forget the feeling I felt when I read that message.
When Arpy is at a tournament you know you are in for an incandescent performance. That could be in-game, where you’ll see him go for extensions you’ve never seen before, whether he is in round 1 of winners or game 10 of Grand Finals. It could also be out of game, where his attitude, laugh, and smile radiate joy and levity; and where the experience I wrote about above is par for the course. I’ve now had the opportunity to travel for the game, and I’ve learned just how lucky CLM is to have a player like him.
Anonymous
#3: dz | Average: 2.90
There’s a joke among Yoshi players that waveland off top plat into double jump fair is “the Yoshi casino.” dz might be the casino’s most frequent patron. More than anything else, dz is a gambler. There might not be anyone else in the world who so consistently runs straight at their opponent and tries to running parry whatever they throw at him. I can say with some certainty that nobody is as successful at making that running parry actually hit. When you ask Mitch how he does it, he’ll simply shrug and say, “Yeah, people tell me you shouldn’t be taking those kinds of risks, but hey, they just keep working.”
And they do keep working. dz holds a winning record over nearly the entire field, with only a single losing matchup on his card and a clean 2-0 over the current number one as the kicker. He’s also pulled off strong out-of-region wins against top 30 player Rapmonster and top 50’s Fro116 this year, so no one can claim to be uninitiated. His strength lies in a brutal, unforgiving punish game and surgical micro-spacing around even the most well-thought-out approaches. Playing against Mitch often feels like he already knows exactly what you want to do and has the response ready. Honestly, he’s probably mixing up your DI after the hit too.
Beyond the dinosaur, Mitch is just as much of a joy to talk to as he is to watch, a radiant presence who lights up every conversation he’s in. Witty without trying too hard, thoughtful without overexplaining, and always willing to break things down in a way that makes sense. We need this Mitch, and we hope the chips don’t run dry anytime soon.
Jade Jones & sy
#2: Ober | Average: 1.74
Ober’s hunt for Top 100 and maintenance of her status as the queen of Chicago has led her all across the heartlands of the Midwest.
With a list of wins sure to get her in the pantheon globally, but a struggle with mid tiers all too common for up-and-coming birds, this season she’ll find the crown just out of reach. Victories over the likes of Slowking, Ferrety, s-f, and Suidt, on top of deep runs in brackets with strong, varied regional representation, make it clear that tough competition is a place of comfort for the former monarch.
Locally, this season has been one of highs and lows. Stray losses at local events and a tough head-to-head with dz has shown holes that need patching. Despite this, a dominant record on Pleeba and her buzzer beater win on the new number 3 make it clear that the work she’s putting in will see her prosper again soon enough. After all, a true queen is made not in times of prosperity, but in times of hardship.
Jessica Danger
#1: Pleeba | Average: 1.39
Boom, y’all. Pleeba makes his debut as Chicagoland Melee’s # 1 player in Act 2 of 2025.
After a hotly contested battle for rank 1, voters determined that his high attendance, and high overall bracket win rate, were enough to warrant awarding him the top spot. Over the course of the season, Pleeba attended 30 in-region events, tied for second most of any player, only one less than the top attender, Yolk. Throughout those 30 events, Pleeba won 18 brackets, netting him a 58% tournament win rate. Over the course of those brackets, Pleeba had a positive win rate against almost every PR eligible player, including a notably dominant pair of records against dz (13-0), and Arpy (10-1). The only person in Chicago consistently giving Pleeba a headache ended up being the new rank 2, Ober, who he would split sets with throughout the season (5-9).
If you were going to a tournament in Chicago this season, there was a high chance that Pleeba would be in attendance, and a high chance he would be there to leave the rest of his competitors defeated in his wake. Despite being a scary sight in any bracket path, he is anything but when seen off the setup; a friendly face in the venue, and an aptly named chilling addict. If he was in attendance, there would be a 100% chance of him greeting you warmly and offering up a crisp fist bump, before continuing his surefire warpath in bracket.
Now as Chicago’s rank 1, Pleeba has his eyes set on a spot in Melee’s top 100 this year. With a group of fans growing in the windy city, and crowds growing to watch his sets, both in and out of region, Pleeba won the hearts and votes of Chicago in Act 2, and is sure to continue strongly on his quest to show what the city’s best can do.
This season in Chicago, it was all love for our new rank one☝️.
kevin tenacity
Thank you for checking out the 2025 Act 2 Power Rankings for Chicagoland Melee. Once again thank you to all those involved in making this possible. Join our Discord for updates and if you still haven’t seen it, check out the interactive PR graphic.
