kevin tenacity
Thank you all for checking out the Chicagoland Melee PR for Act 3 of 2025!
Some additional PR info: Qualification for the PR was any player 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.
Going forward, PR qualification will be the top 25 rated players on CLM Stats with 8 events attended. CLM stats will also be getting an update as dz takes over the project!
Some fun stats:
Most events attended: 1st: Fry (30), 2nd: Stella Harmon (26), 3rd: Kill All Grownups (23)
Almost-ers: (players that almost made attendance and could have likely been ranked)
Forest – 6 events, FeelinGood – 7 events
Silver Surfing: There were 14 Silver Brackets at Midlane this season, with 12 winners!
Silver Champions: Pedlar, June, FeelinGood, prax, Lebron James (x2), Scoob, Noviko, Carter (x2), Sunshine, Grunker, Phalanx, sir ghei, Congrats to everyone on the PR, thanks to everyone who worked on it!
CLM Site/Stats: mattpopa, simkins
Writers: kevin tenacity, Alex “coffee” Swett, Ethan “Homeslice” P., Jade Jones, ink, Mitch “dz” Dzugan, Tyler “chiliwong” Chiliwong, Epoodle, dandrew, BELT, The IRS.
See you at the end of Act 1!
#15: beastmodevega72 | Average: 14.75
Imagine yourself, if you will, as a regular Midlane attendee, a 2-2er perhaps. Now imagine that pools are being called and you hear the tag beastmodevega72. You think to yourself “I haven’t seen beastmodevega at a tournament in a while, but I shouldn’t have a problem beating this guy.” The set ends. He wins 3-1. This is the beastmodevega72 experience.
Beastmodevega72, primarily a suburbs player, started his career off as a CLM underdog, but had a number of breakout performances this season. The first Bowled Over saw him double eliminate PR mainstay Fry (2-0), and Show me your Moves ‘25 saw him take a win over Jisp (1-0) on his way to 49th place.. This is to say nothing of his Midlane Melee 199 performance, where wins over Orotis (1-0) and Prax (2-1) got him into top 8, an admirable feat considering his tenure in the scene.
When he began attending tournaments in mid 2024, beastmodevega was starved for options. Barred from RPM due to his age and having no easy way to get to Tripoint by public transport, Vega would come out to Midlane just to see if his slippi rank actually correlated to results at locals. As tournaments in his home region of the Chicago Suburbs began to emerge, vega would take a break from attending city tournaments until making his return just in time for the Act 3 PR. Using defensive neutral, inventive bomb play and an unflinching instinct to camp out impatient opponents, beastmodevega72 now makes his CLM PR debut at 15th.
Here’s to even more Gurt Games in 2026 y’all.
The IRS
#14: surskim | Average: 13.75
“What the f***?” is sometimes the only logical reaction to watching surskim play Fox. Known for blinding speed, relentless shield pressure, and newly oppressive tech chasing, he has been a near‑constant presence in the Chicagoland Melee scene for the past few years. In that time, he has gone from struggling to break through the thicket of capable foes to becoming a Gatekeeper to those below him and a genuine threat to those above, even boasting a 4-0 record versus ergot.
Despite a slower start in the early tournaments this season, he found his groove in the latter months. His newfound consistency meant that sets dropped to players ranked beneath him were few and far between, suffering no real upsets in November or December. Instead, you’re far more likely to find him pushing the upper echelon to their limit with his unpredictable platform movement and relentless combo game.
There is perhaps no better example than his arc this season versus Fry. The two are foils — surskim moving too fast for opponents to even register his location half the time, and Fry floating precisely at the perfect height, seemingly always frozen a single pixel out of reach. In their last three matchups, it has taken Fry all five games to dispatch him. Keep an eye on their continued rivalry in the upcoming season; it feels like only a matter of time before one more waveshine turnaround uptilt finally gives surskim the edge.
As with all players, there is still room for improvement. The Samus matchup has long been a stumbling block, with losses to Orotis and CJ this season exposing a weak spot. Even in this area, surskim has already shown growth. He forewent his trusty Fox, for a methodical and precise Sheik, and quickly took his revenge on Orotis to even their season record at 1‑1.
At this rate, success at the top level is all but an inevitability for surskim. Always willing to learn and looking to implement improvements to his game, no player will be safe when facing him down from across the setup.
Belt “BELT” Belt
#13: sambone | Average: 13.31
When I’m waiting for that special someone to text me, my heart skips a beat when I hear my phone buzz. I’ll quickly snatch my phone and turn it on, hoping it’s another chance to continue our conversation. And when I see it’s actually a Discord notification from sambone that says “@Netplay”, my smile’s wider than that text could ever make it.
Appearing on the CLM PR for the first time, sambone achieved it with wins on Rocks, Kill All Grownups, Zhilin, and a 2-0 record on surskim earned at back-to-back RPMs. Although he wasn’t able to attend many events, he always made sure to hit the ground running, and Midlane 195 was when he ran a MARATHON. Starting from losers side in Gold Bracket, he won a game 3 set with Grunker, a game 3 set with Zhilin, and a game 5 set with Kill All Grownups to finish 5th, a career best. Sometimes, in Melee, wins don’t come easy, and going the distance and pulling out a W against multiple different opponents is all we need to see to know he deserves a PR spot.
I happily await the next @Netplay ping I receive from him.
Ethan “Homeslice” P.
#12: ink | Average: 12.13
Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in… Inkus Minkus. As a gaming renaissance man, Shareef (Ink) is quick to downplay his melee skill in favor of talents in other games like League or CS but as the person who convinced Ink to come to Midlane by telling him he’d do well, even I must admit that PR in his first full season is a crazy feat.
In this season Ink did his infamous friend from CenCal proud with his 2 best wins coming against one of CLM’s Foxes, Jisp. And while many fell to the hero of time, Ink showed why he never quits out on midtiers, maintaining a 3-0 record over beastmodevega72 without dropping any games. He also proved he can learn any matchup if told what stage to counterpick enough times, getting a win against Kill All Grownups in a once seemingly doomed matchup, paving the way for me to avoid a tactical nuke from Sheik myself.
Ink did all this without any goals for his own play. Instead, all his focus is on ensuring others feel included and everyone has as much fun as possible. Because of that it’s no coincidence my most active periods have come since meeting Ink. His enthusiasm for the game, community, and sharing others’ success have consistently given me a reason to resist feeling like midlane is too far, which I’ll always be grateful for.
Just watch out if Ink ever puts his entire gaming attention into melee… or ever figures out EXACTLY what a mixup is… we’ll all be in a lot of trouble.
dz
#11: ergot | Average: 10.94
Rye “ergot” Hershoff is not only one of the strongest melee competitors in Chicago,but also an incredible P+ player. If you’ve ever wanted to get your ass beat while still having fun, no matter the game, she’s the person to play.
This season was a strong one for ergot, with 8 top 8 finishes out of 9 events attended, with all of the events spanning both games. This includes an incredible 2nd place finish at Tripoint 300. Ergot achieved a 2-0 record on Killablue, an Arpy win, a Trevor win, and winning records on Kill all Grownups, Ashley and Orotis.
All of these records are impressive enough on their own, but it can not be understated how impactful ergot is to the local scene. She’s a joy to be around and makes newcomers feel like they belong, while still being a wealth of game knowledge and experience. Chicago’s Melee and P+ scenes would never be the same without this incredible player.
chiliwong
#10: Kill All Grownups | Average: 9.81
Ah yes I’m sorry women. I mean 8th Grade Sux :-/. Or was it Kick? Maybe Santa Is Real? The sheet in front of me also says KILL ALL GROWNUPS for some reason? Well, whatever they settle on next, Kick has become a staple of the Chicago local and Midwest regional scene.
Where do you even start with Kick? They’re an enigma: a laugh that fills a room, an eagerness to tell you about some bizarre thing you’ve never heard of, and the kind of enthusiasm that makes you wish you’d found it sooner so you could’ve been in on it the whole time. That same energy shows in their play. Kick has put together an undeniably electric Act 3, with standout wins over Stella, Rocks, and Casual, while holding an even 4-4 record against perennial gatekeeper Fry; doing so with remarkably consistent results for someone with the third most events attended in the entire city.
Kick plays Melee exactly the way they want to, with a conviction strong enough to make even the city’s best hesitate before daring to suggest they abandon what they specialize in for a more “measured” or “optimal” approach. After all, the needles aren’t going to cancel themselves.
Kick has found a real home in the Midwest, and I think I speak for everyone when I say it’s hard to imagine Chicago Melee without them.
Jade Jones
#9: Rocks | Average: 8.88
Whether he’s grinding friendlies or orchestrating the next “Super Smash Homies” event, Rocks is a sleeper pick. As a dedicated Jigglypuff main through and through, he represents a breed of explosive Puffs that keeps the community hype. From founding his own online tournament series to building the “Rocks clan,” Rocks’ influence extends far beyond his creations.
Throughout this season, Rocks has made Top 8 at 10 of his Midlanes, and in the process managed to take down fierce opponents such as Stella Harmon and Raymond Reddington. One of his strongest runs at Midlane came with Midlane 201, where he would defeat Orotis, Fry, and Ink to finish 5th. Even out of region, Rocks has taken sets from strong opponents such as Moist, KingNut, Artan, and Baron. This improvement comes in part thanks to his improved punish, centering around rest. Even at the major region, Rocks’ explosive playstyle saw him counterpick Yoshi’s Story against Zain, where he would take a game from the world’s best player.
With this recognition as one of the region’s best players now, this will not be the last time you will see Rocks on the PR. As such a talented gamer that he is, he strives for being the best version of himself that he can be. Wherever Rocks goes next will be his own story to tell, and we are soon to find out.
Epoodle
#8: Jisp | Average: 8.25
Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s very own makes yet another stride in this season’s power rankings achieving another top ten finish. This season, Jisp traveled far both on I-94 and in bracket, beating local contenders like Stella Harmon, Raymond, and Kill All Grownups.
They added an exclamation mark to their already strong resume at Midlane Melee 200, beating Latin, anxious, Rocks, and Fluid on the way to an impressive 5th place finish. Not satisfied with being just a stalwart of the Wisconsin scene, Jisp brought their smile, a carpool of gamers, and a killer Fox McCloud to Chicagoland events all season. As they climbed the rankings throughout 2025, it’s only fair to assume the peak of their performance is yet to come.
dandrew
#7: Fry | Average: 7.00
In 2026, it’s hard to imagine Chicagoland Melee without Chris P. “Fry”. As the scene’s most prominent attendee, with 30 events entered this season, Fry clawed his way through the field in Act 3 to match his peak rank after his first full year on the PR.
The well-spoken Peach has once again returned to the top ten, taking down dz, Stella Harmon, and Raymond in the process. These key wins and more helped Fry to make a handful of Grand Finals appearances across the myriad events he entered. As he continues to enhance his methodical style with the princess, we’re sure to see Fry in finals again. If he can stop the impending nuke from Pleeba, we might see a first ever Midlane championship for the city’s Mushroom Kingdom monarch in 2026.
What’s next for Fry? Many more locals, delightful conversations and strong placements. In 2026, a fight for first might just be a thought experiment away, as he continues to improve. This time, it will be one he can most certainly concern himself with, on the way to take Princess Peach to brand new peaks.
kevin tenacity
#6: Raymond | Average: 6.63
According to start.gg, “Raymond Reddington”’s Melee career kicked off this season, with an incredible bang. At his first ever in person event, the south suburban Fox made three upsets to go 4-2 at his first real tournament, Supernova 2025, out placing his seed by 4 factors. At his first Chicagoland event, he took a game off Michael and two off ORLY placing third at his first ever local. Both brackets took place before his first full PR season, when things really took off.
Just a few months later, Raymond would take the crown at TPS for himself, defeating Rizz Princess and dz twice to win Tripoint 298. The two kicked off a fierce rivalry and fostered a new friendship, traveling across the Midwest with their iconic carpool, and finishing the year with a 6-5 record in Act 3 in Raymond’s favor. Get Outplayed, Bodied 1…2 and BOPME 28 were a few events that Raymond showed his ability to consistently impress, making an upset or out placing his seed once again at each event.
When he isn’t terrorizing the scene with his frenetic Fox or lethal secondaries, you’ll find him quipping with his carpool, alongside newfound friends Rocks and ink, making a mark as Chicago’s newest up and comer as both a strong competitor and caring community member.
kevin tenacity
#5: Ferocitii | Average: 4.81
Ferocitii has long since been one of Chicago’s best Peach mains, moving up and down the PR since his debut in 2017. In Act 3, he has re-taken his old place as Chicagoland’s premier Peach, finishing high among CLM’s elite with a ranking of 5th.
Ferocitii was able to reach these heights with standout performances such as at the Final Tripoint, where he beat Ober and ORLY to secure first place. Alongside a win at Midlane Melee 201, these highs contributed to set records including 4-0 on Fry, 3-0 on Raymond, and wins on dz, Latin, and Arpy.
Ferocitii has also taken on TOing his own weekly series in Fudd’s house, the region’s newest local.
Whether it’s behind the desk, in the studio, or on the setup, Ferocitii can be counted on to make some noise in the Windy City.
coffee
#4: Stella Harmon | Average: 4.19
“You know, for starters. I don’t even like playing Melee. It’s not fun, just plain tedious and unglamorous too. I can practice all day and still be no better. I should stick to watching it. Playing isn’t for me.” – Stella Harmon
Improvement in Melee is quiet, lonely, and often thankless. You put in hours no one sees, lose to the same things repeatedly, and still feel no closer to being “good.” Most players learn to bury that feeling, or let their ego protect them from its reality. Stella doesn’t. They say it out loud, acknowledging the tedium and frustration without trying to dress it up, and there is something deeply human in that kind of clarity.
While the sentiment is beautiful, this quote drives me absolutely insane, because you would never be able to gather anything of the sort from the smile that washes over her face when she side-B’s you for the fourth time in a row, absolutely bursting at the seams with joy.
The absurdity only grows when you look at the results. Just before setting her sights on Chicago, Stella put together one of the strongest Arcadian runs ever, tearing through the fifth Melee Online Expert-Only bracket with a jaw-dropping win as the 28th seed. But that, as you can imagine, was not enough. She refused to slow down, going on a Midwest warpath in Act 3 with four top-100 wins: M1sf1re, Dz, Ober, and Lexor.
In-region only the very best could even slow her down. She took just six combined losses to eligible players outside the top three, spots occupied exclusively by Top 100 players. Even former PR mainstays Arpy, Latin, and ORLY learned firsthand what Austin Melee had already taught her when they came to see the hype for themselves.
Stella’s playstyle is insistent, overwhelming, and unyielding. It contrasts beautifully against her playful affect and sincere personality, but it tracks. Of course her Falcon is scarier than she is.
I GUESS Falcon is her MONSTER after all.
Jade Jones
#3: dz | Average: 3.00
One of my favorite Mitch “dz” Melee Moments is how he gives his opponents a false sense of security. People walk away saying, “I was just one stock away,” so often.
DON’T BE FOOLED, PEOPLE – he wants you to think that, he wants you lulled into a false sense of comfort against him. Watching him play, it feels like he has 8 stocks, and his combos are like 12 hits long on average, always ending with the most insane finishers. He’s the king of clutching, already lining up a comeback from the second he’s down, powering up in the process.
It’s no wonder he literally made the top 100 while I was writing this.
Some of my favorite moments with Mitch don’t even happen in tournaments. They’re on the car rides there or at post-tournament dinners. When Mitch weighs in on a subject, the whole group listens. From discussing the world’s greatest singers, to tackling life’s struggles, to the cerebralness that is Melee.
Mitch, with everything you have done and continue to do for the people around you, I just know in my heart that the future holds great things, and I’m glad to be joining you on your journey.
ink
#2: Ober | Average: 1.94
Ober’s year was full of incredible results and achievements in Chicagoland and beyond. She gathered a collection of deep runs at regionals and majors in 2025, earning a collection of wins over the likes of Zamu, Slowking, and coffee. Debuting as the 86th ranked player, the red Falco main has reached the astonishing milestone of an appearance on the global top 100 rankings, and has her name forever etched in Melee’s history.
In Act III, her carefully crafted Falco was a favorite to win practically any event she entered across the city. With dominant head-to-head records against most of her fellow tournament winning threats, the battle for first in Chicagoland was fought in nine sets against Pleeba. While Pleeba may have had the upper hand in Act III, don’t count out the red bird just yet. If her meticulous play, tireless effort, and an eye for the details displayed in her hunt for Top 100 teach us anything, it’s that any goal she sets her mind to is well within reach.
dandrew
#1: Pleeba | Average: 1.06
Act 3 of 2025 has been another successful campaign for the long tenured sheik, Pleeba. Attending 21 tournaments and locking down 15 victories, he held a solid grip over CLM. This local dominance came with a plethora of excellent set records. Know that Pleeba held a 15-0 record on Stella Harmon, a 10-1 record over dz, and a 6-3 record over Ober. This combination of activity and results ensured Pleeba’s 12th appearance on CLM’s PR would be his 2nd #1 placement.
This local success came alongside tremendous out of region results. Picking up wins on Graves and Butterdonkey at Riptide let Pleeba claim an excellent placement. Remember BOPME 28? Pleeba’s first regional win was the icing on the cake for his Melee season, culminating in his Top 100 debut.
For sure, the story of Grant Pleeba is entering a new chapter.
coffee
Thank you for checking out the 2025 Act 3 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.
