GENESIS X3 wrapped up earlier this month, giving the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate community a better idea of which competitors are currently playing at their peak. And many of the top players are currently from Japan.
The UltRank is determined by player placement throughout the year, meaning consistency is key to being considered a top player in the Ultimate scene. After GENESIS X3, there are only six players with an ongoing Top 8 placement streak.
MKLeo Holds Top 8 Record Streak, But Current Top 8 Streaks Tell a Different Story
There are currently nine Ultimate players who have achieved a streak of 10 or more consecutive Top 8 finishes at Major. Leading the pack is Leonardo ‘MKLeo‘ Perez, who got in 32 Top 8’s in a span of 3.3 years, starting with Get On My Level 2019 and ending with Rise ‘N Grind 2022. The streak was broken when he got 9th at Smash Ultimate Summit 5.
While there is no disputing that MKLeo was the GOAT of Ultimate in its early days, Japanese players are now dominating the scene. Mashita ‘Acola‘ Hayato’s longest streak was 31 Top 8 placements in 2.3 years, ending at Battle of BC 7 in 2025.
Even though Acola placed 33rd at LVL UP EXPO 2025, he is now on another winning streak following GENESIS X3. And most of the competitors with an ongoing Top 8 after GENESIS X3 are also Japanese.
Right now, ‘Doramigi‘ is leading in current Top 8 streaks with 15 placements in a row. This comes after the Min Min main placed 3rd at GENESIS X3. It’s no surprise to see Doramigi getting so many Top 8’s over the past few years; he’s currently #1 on the UltRank.
However, the world’s best Mr. Game & Watch, ‘Miya,’ is right behind him with 13 wins. He placed 7th at GENESIS X3, just making it. This is followed by ‘Hurt,’ another top player from Japan, who placed 5th with Snake. He is currently on his 13th consecutive Top 8 placement. Acola is next with eight Top 8s in a row, looking to get another massive streak like before.
GENESIS X3 champion Carlos ‘Sonix‘ Perez cannot be ignored. His best streak was 11, but he’s currently on another Top 8 streak after winning GENESIS X3. He’s currently in fifth in terms of active streaks, with eight wins.
While Sonix is a top player in the world, currently #6 on UltRank, you can see that most of the top players with Top 8 streaks are from Japan.
Japan is currently dominating in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate due to the players’ consistency. They are willing to fly to Majors all around the world and are constantly grinding the game due to better WiFi on their Nintendo Switch.
The Japanese scene also has greater character diversity, giving Japanese players an edge in tournaments where they may face a wide range of fighters.
GENESIS X3 showed the incredible skills of Japanese Ultimate players, who bring different playstyles and strategies to tournaments. However, Sonix, Edgar ‘Sparg0‘ Valdez and Salvatore ‘Zomba‘ DeSena are continuing to climb up the ranks and show out at tournaments.
