Midwest
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TheMidwest is aSmash region located in the United States. It is by far the largestSmash region in the United States in terms of land area, encompassing fourteen different states. Due to this, the region has sometimes been split into four additional regions:Great Lakes East, which includes Kentucky, Ohio, and west Pennsylvania, primarily the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and sometimes includesWest Virginia;Great Lakes West, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin;Heartland North, which includes Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota; andHeartland South, which includes Iowa, Nebraska, and northern Kansas and Missouri, primarily the Greater St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas. Tournament activity in the Midwest is the most active in the Chicago and Detroit metropolitan areas, although many other metropolitan areas also have notable scenes, such as Cleveland, Madison, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City.
Historically, the Midwest was a strong yet relatively secluded region. DuringMelee's Golden Age, the Midwest had several notable players includingDarkrain,Drephen, andVidjogamer, and several tournament series such as the long-runningShow Me Your Moves series; however, the scene's overall size was less than the sizes of the other major AmericanSmash scenes at that time. This changed around the early 2010s with the rise ofThe Big House series in Michigan, which eventually becameMelee's premier end-of-the-year supermajor. In addition, many other large tournament series began as the decade progressed, includingFrostbite in Michigan,Midwest Mayhem in Illinois, andSmash 'N' Splash in Illinois and Wisconsin, and many FGC events such asCombo Breaker andFrosty Faustings in Illinois began seeing greater entrants count for theirSmash events, all the while many more Midwest players began making their mark on competitive play, such asGinger,KJH,Lunchables,Ned, andZinoto. At its peak, the Midwest's tournament activity rivaled some of the biggest regions in the United States.
Following theCOVID-19 pandemic, however, the Midwest's impact on the competitive scene diminished, in part due to the conclusion or hiatus of many big tournament series such as Frostbite, The Big House, and Smash 'N' Splash;Riptide was the only major tournament series active during this time, and even then several of its iteration were smaller than the aforemtnioned pre-pandemic series. As such, the Midwest scene inUltimate infamously failed to hold a single major betweenThe Big House 10 in October 2022 andRiptide 2024 in September 2024, a stark contrast to the game's first year, when the Midwest held three supermajors. Nevertheless, the Midwest retained a slew of strong talent that have made strong impacts in their respective titles, includingApolloKage,Onin, andOssify.
Smashers[edit]
- See also:Category:Illinois smashers,Category:Indiana smashers,Category:Iowa smashers,Category:Kansas smashers,Category:Kentucky smashers,Category:Michigan smashers,Category:Minnesota smashers,Category:Missouri smashers,Category:Nebraska smashers,Category:North Dakota smashers,Category:Ohio smashers,Category:Pennsylvania smashers,Category:South Dakota smashers,Category:Wisconsin smashers
The following players are currently or were previously ranked. Their highest placement is listed.
Globally ranked players[edit]
| Tag | Character(s) | Best placement | Noteso |
|---|---|---|---|
| Originally fromNew Jersey. | |||
| Also known for creatingAnther's Ladder. | |||
| Originally fromTexas, but better known for his performances in Ohio. Moved toMexico in 2024. | |||
| Originally fromNorthern California, he resided in Missouri until moving back to NorCal in 2016. | |||
| Also known as Midnight. | |||
| Also known as Kesiel, currently going by Sweet JP. | |||
| Also known as supa. | |||
| Originally fromLouisiana and moved to Michigan in 2020. | |||
| Moved to NorCal in 2015 and was last ranked while in Michigan that year. | |||
| Originally fromVirginia and moved to Pittsburgh in 2019. | |||
| Known as DeLux in 2014. He has since moved toSouthern California and remains active in competitiveBrawl. | |||
| Although currently banned from most events, he remains active in competitive play. | |||
| Originally fromMaryland, and moved to Missouri in 2018. Formerly known as Poyo. | |||
| Also known as Zantetsu. | |||
| Also resides inKantō. | |||
| Also known as Smash Papi. | |||
| Originally fromNorth Carolina and went to university in Ohio during the height of his competitive activity. | |||
| Currently resides inConnecticut. | |||
| Originally fromNew Jersey and lived in Ohio during theSmash 4 era and the first half of 2019 before moving back to New Jersey. | |||
| Also known as Gadelong. | |||
| Also known by many other tags, including Kasmir. Currently banned from events in Minnesota. | |||
Nationally ranked players[edit]
Other notable players[edit]
| Tag | Character(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tournament organizer for theBrawl MLG Pro Circuit and onAll is Brawl. Owner ofSmashBoards from 2012 to 2023. | ||
| Prominent tournament organizer from Michigan, best known for running theShowdown: Battle Royale series andSmashfield Weeklies. | ||
| Prominent tournament organizer from Minnesota and the Midwest as a whole, having helped organize events such asCombo Breaker 2015 andFrostbite 2017. | ||
| Perhaps the best Ganondorf player inBrawl, using Ganondorf to place highly at several majors. | ||
| Notable tournament director in Iowa in the late-2000s. Better known on SmashWiki as Clarinet Hawk. | ||
| Best known for being the only Ganondorf player to win a legitimate tournament inBrawl. | ||
| Founder of Michigan streaming organizationGooshiGaming. | ||
| Talent Strategist atTeam Liquid. Former Director of Talent Management forPanda and an organizer for thePanda Cup. | ||
| Head tournament organizer forThe Big House. | ||
| Michigan tournament organizer during the MLG era, known for coining the term "JV". | ||
| Originally fromNew Jersey, and was a prominent commentator inSmash 4 andUltimate. He was banned due to sexual misconduct allegations. | ||
| One of the earliest Ike players inBrawl and the best Bowser player inProject M in his prime, having wonThe Big House 3. | ||
| One of the bestUltimate doubles teams known for their synergy. Most notably wonGet On My Level 2022 doubles. | ||
| One of the few legitimate Captain Falcon players inBrawl. | ||
| Previously ranked as a HM on thePMRank 2019; however, his ranking was rescinded after being banned for sexual misconduct. | ||
| Disgraced formerYouTuber primarily focused onmods andTAS forMelee. | ||
| Founder ofMLG'sSmash Bros. division and was a member until 2007. He helped form a standardMelee tournament ruleset and began professional commentary forMelee. | ||
| Organizer for theSSBBRank after 2020 and the onlineBrawl seriesThe Return | ||
| Tournament organizer for severalApex andThe Big House events. | ||
| Head organizer forTripoint Smash. | ||
| Tournament organizer in Kentucky, having organizedBourbon State Gaming events and some of Kentucky's largest events such asQCS: One Night Stand. | ||
| Known for Brawlternative, a popularYouTube channel dedicated toBrawl. | ||
| The first notable tournament organizer in the Midwest, organizing events as early as 2002. | ||
| Co-founder of theWi-Fi Warrior Rank alongsideCloudhead. | ||
| Tournament organizer and associate toLuminosity Gaming'sLumiRank branch. | ||
| Arguably the most successful Kirby player in competitiveMelee. | ||
| Main tournament organizer forMelee events in Chicago until the end of 2023. | ||
| Co-founder and head tournament organizer ofFrostbite.GENESIS vendor manager and a member of theEVO translation team. | ||
| Known for organizing some of Indiana's largest events, includingLandlocked andOUTFOXX'D. |
Tournaments[edit]
- See also:Category:Illinois tournaments,Category:Indiana tournaments,Category:Iowa tournaments,Category:Kansas tournaments,Category:Kentucky tournaments,Category:Michigan tournaments,Category:Minnesota tournaments,Category:Missouri tournaments,Category:Nebraska tournaments,Category:North Dakota tournaments,Category:Ohio tournaments,Category:Pennsylvania tournaments,Category:South Dakota tournaments,Category:Wisconsin tournaments
Notable tournament series[edit]
Tournament series that have achieved recognition outside their local region.
| Tournament | Games | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BODIED (Michigan) | Unscheduled | Ongoing | |
| Boss Battle (Indiana) | Annual | Discontinued | |
| Bourbon State Gaming (Kentucky) | Unscheduled | Ongoing | |
| Combo Breaker (Illinois) | Annual | Ongoing | |
| COST (Ohio) | Annual | Ongoing | |
| Fight Pitt (Pennsylvania) | Annual | Discontinued | |
| Frostbite (Michigan) | Annual | Discontinued | |
| Frosty Faustings (Illinois) | Annual | Ongoing | |
| Full Bloom (Indiana) | Annual | Ongoing | |
| House of Paign (Illinois) | Unscheduled | Discontinued | |
| Holiday Heist (Michigan) | Annual | Discontinued | |
| Ignition (Illinois) | Weekly | Ongoing | |
| LEVELUP Arena (Kansas) | Unscheduled | Discontinued | |
| Little Big House (Michigan) | Annual | Discontinued | |
| MELEE-FC (Indiana) | Annual | Discontinued | |
| Midwest Mayhem (Illinois) | Unscheduled | Discontinued | |
| Out of the Blue (Illinois) | Ongoing | ||
| Rebirth (Michigan) | Unscheduled | Discontinued | |
| Riptide (Ohio) | Annual | Ongoing | |
| Show Me Your Moves (Illinois) | Annual | Ongoing | |
| Showdown: Battle Royale (Michigan) | Annual | Discontinued | |
| Shuffle (Ohio) | Discontinued | ||
| Smash 'N' Splash (Illinois/Wisconsin) | Annual | Discontinued | |
| Smashfield Weeklies (Michigan) | Weekly | ||
| SOS (Ohio) | Annual | Ongoing | |
| SWEET (Michigan) | Unscheduled | Discontinued | |
| Sweet Spot (Kansas) | Annual | Ongoing | |
| The Big House (Michigan) | Annual | On hiatus | |
| Tripoint Smash (Illinois) | Weekly | Ongoing | |
| Undertow (Ohio) | Annual | Ongoing |
Notable tournaments[edit]
Tournaments that featured at least one game at a superregional level.
| Tournament | Date | Entrants | Supermajor | Major | Superregional | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MELEE-FC1 (Indiana) | July 9th-10th, 2004 | 98 | — | — | — | |
| MELEE-FC3 (Indiana) | July 10th-12th, 2005 | 186 | — | — | — | |
| MLG Chicago 2005 (Illinois) | December 16th-18th, 2005 | ~120 | — | — | — | |
| MELEE-FC6 (Indiana) | July 13th-15th, 2006 | 250+ | — | — | — | |
| MLG Chicago 2006 (Illinois) | July 21st-22nd, 2006 | 184+ | — | — | ||
| MELEE-FC Diamond (Illinois) | July 12th-14th, 2007 | 256+ | — | — | — | |
| Show Me Your Moves 10 (Illinois) | August 1st, 2009 | 124 | — | — | — | |
| MLG Columbus 2010 (Ohio) | June 4th-6th, 2010 | 250 | — | — | — | |
| School is in Session 4 (Ohio) | January 8th, 2011 | 115 | — | — | — | |
| MELEE-FC10R Legacy (Indiana) | August 12th-14th, 2012 | 146+ | — | |||
| The Big House 2 (Michigan) | October 6th-7th, 2012 | 140+ | — | — | ||
| The Big House 3 (Michigan) | October 12th-13th, 2013 | 240+ | — | — | — | |
| Shuffle V (Ohio) | February 22nd-23rd, 2014 | 160+ | — | |||
| Fight Pitt IV (Pennsylvania) | April 19th, 2014 | 174 | — | — | ||
| Super SWEET (Michigan) | June 7th-8th, 2014 | 165+ | — | — | ||
| The Big House 4 (Michigan) | October 4th-5th, 2014 | 709 | — | — | — | |
| Smash 'N' Splash (Illinois) | June 13th-14th, 2015 | 650+ | — | — | ||
| FC Smash 15XR: Return (Indiana) | July 4th-5th, 2015 | 289+ | — | — | ||
| The Big House 5 (Michigan) | October 2nd-4th, 2015 | 2,040 | — | — | — | |
| Dismantle 2 (Illinois) | January 2nd-3rd, 2016 | 337 | — | — | — | |
| Midwest Mayhem (Illinois) | March 19th, 2016 | 273 | — | — | ||
| OUTFOXX'D (Indiana) | March 26th, 2016 | 329 | — | — | ||
| Full Bloom 2 (Indiana) | April 16th, 2016 | 299 | — | — | ||
| Midwest Mayhem 2 (Illinois) | April 30th, 2016 | 272 | — | — | — | |
| Smash 'N' Splash 2 (Illinois) | June 11th-12th, 2016 | 798 | — | — | ||
| Midwest Mayhem 4 (Illinois) | July 9th, 2016 | 296 | — | — | ||
| Endgame (Illinois) | August 20th-21st, 2016 | 380 | — | — | ||
| Little Big House 2 (Michigan) | October 6th, 2016 | 161 | — | — | — | |
| The Big House 6 (Michigan) | October 7th-9th, 2016 | 2,772 | — | — | — | |
| Boss Battle 2 (Indiana) | November 12th-13th, 2016 | 103 | — | — | — | |
| UGC Smash Open (Illinois) | December 2nd-4th, 2016 | 556 | — | — | ||
| Eden (Illinois) | December 10th-11th, 2016 | 191 | — | — | — | |
| Showdown: Battle Royale (Michigan) | December 10th-11th, 2016 | 225 | — | — | ||
| Midwest Mayhem 6: SoCal Invasion (Illinois) | January 7th, 2017 | 303 | — | — | — | |
| Frostbite 2017 (Michigan) | February 25th-26th, 2017 | 385 | — | — | — | |
| Full Bloom 3 (Indiana) | March 25th, 2017 | 410 | — | — | ||
| Shuffle: Battle of the Midwest (Ohio) | April 1st-2nd, 2017 | 353 | — | — | ||
| Midwest Mayhem 8: North American Tour (Illinois) | April 8th, 2017 | 338 | — | — | — | |
| Smash 'N' Splash 3 (Wisconsin) | June 2nd-4th, 2017 | 1,701 | — | — | — | |
| Midwest Mayhem 9: Old vs New (Illinois) | July 1st, 2017 | 326 | — | — | — | |
| Boss Battle 3 (Indiana) | September 30th-October 1st, 2017 | 123 | — | — | — | |
| The Big House 7 (Michigan) | October 6th-8th, 2017 | 2,495 | — | — | — | |
| Midwest Mayhem 10 (Illinois) | November 25th, 2017 | 307 | — | — | — | |
| Frostbite 2018 (Michigan) | February 9th-11th, 2018 | 872 | — | — | — | |
| Midwest Mayhem 11 (Illinois) | March 10th, 2018 | 288 | — | — | — | |
| Full Bloom 4 (Indiana) | March 24th-25th, 2018 | 539 | — | — | ||
| Aegis (Ohio) | April 21st, 2018 | 293 | — | — | ||
| Smash 'N' Splash 4 (Wisconsin) | June 1st-3rd, 2018 | 2,231 | — | |||
| Showdown: Battle Royale 3 (Michigan) | July 14th-15th, 2018 | 230 | — | — | ||
| Boss Battle 4 (Indiana) | September 28th-30th, 2018 | 62 | — | — | — | |
| The Big House 8 (Michigan) | October 5th-7th, 2018 | 1,828 | — | — | ||
| Midwest Mayhem 12 (Illinois) | November 3rd, 2018 | 212 | — | — | ||
| Midwest Mayhem Ultimate (Illinois) | December 29th, 2018 | 411 | — | — | — | |
| Frostbite 2019 (Michigan) | February 22nd-24th, 2019 | 1,260 | — | — | — | |
| Full Bloom 5 (Indiana) | March 23rd-24th, 2019 | 605 | — | — | — | |
| Combo Breaker 2019 (Illinois) | May 24th-26th, 2019 | 450 | — | — | ||
| Smash 'N' Splash 5 (Wisconsin) | May 31st-June 2nd, 2019 | 2,443 | — | — | ||
| 2GG: Run it Back (Ohio) | September 7th, 2019 | 267 | — | — | — | |
| The Big House 9 (Michigan) | October 4th-6th, 2019 | 2,230 | — | |||
| Frostbite 2020 (Michigan) | February 21st-23rd, 2020 | 1,303 | — | — | — | |
| Undertow (Ohio) | September 11th, 2021 | 195 | — | — | — | |
| Riptide (Ohio) | September 10th-12th, 2021 | 2,861 | — | — | ||
| LEVELUP Arena 4 (Kansas) | March 19th-20th, 2022 | 333 | — | — | — | |
| Combo Breaker 2022 (Illinois) | May 27th-29th, 2022 | 488 | — | — | — | |
| COST 2022 (Ohio) | June 18th-19th, 2022 | 309 | — | — | — | |
| Riptide 2022 (Ohio) | September 9th-11th, 2022 | 1,191 | — | — | ||
| Undertow 2022 (Ohio) | September 10th-11th, 2022 | 159 | — | — | — | |
| The Big House 10 (Michigan) | October 7th-9th, 2022 | 1,554 | — | |||
| Invincible VI (Wisconsin) | July 16th, 2022 | 405 | — | — | ||
| Joey's Birthday Bash 2 (Illinois) | January 27th-28th, 2023 | 107 | — | — | ||
| Wisdom Melee (Minnesota) | May 6th, 2023 | 120 | — | — | — | |
| Gateway Legends 2023 (Missouri) | May 26th-28th, 2023 | 373 | — | — | — | |
| Invincible VII (Wisconsin) | July 15th-16th, 2023 | 328 | — | — | ||
| Undertow 2023 (Ohio) | September 8th-9th, 2023 | 120 | — | — | — | |
| Riptide 2023 (Ohio) | September 8th-10th, 2023 | 1,167 | — | — | ||
| The Big House 11 (Michigan) | October 20th-22nd, 2023 | 1,492 | — | |||
| Honeypot 6: Winter is Coming (Iowa) | December 2nd-3rd, 2023 | 372 | — | — | ||
| Full Bloom 2024 (Indiana) | February 24th-25th, 2024 | 541 | — | — | ||
| Sweet Spot 8 (Kansas) | March 2nd-3rd, 2024 | 291 | — | — | ||
| Diamond Dust (Michigan) | April 6th-7th, 2024 | 290 | — | — | — | |
| COST 2024 (Ohio) | June 21st-23rd, 2024 | 241 | — | — | — | |
| Riptide 2024 (Ohio) | September 6th-8th, 2024 | 1,621 | — | — | ||
| Undertow 2024 (Ohio) | September 6th-8th, 2024 | 220 | — | — | — | |
| Tussleopolis (Illinois) | October 26th, 2024 | 63 | — | — | — | |
| Ring Out (Ohio) | November 9th, 2024 | 176 | — | — | — | |
| Afterburner 2025 (Indiana) | January 11th-12th, 2025 | 367 | — | — | ||
| Fight Pitt 10 (Pennsylvania) | March 1st, 2025 | 225 | — | — | — | |
| Sweet Spot 9 (Kansas) | March 8th-9th, 2025 | 249 | — | — | ||
| Full Bloom 2025 (Indiana) | April 5th-6th, 2025 | 498 | — | — | ||
| Uprooted 2025 (Indiana) | April 5th-6th, 2025 | 91 | — | — | — | |
| COMBO BREAKER 2025 (Illinois) | May 23rd-25th, 2025 | 461 | — | — | ||
| COST 2025 (Ohio) | May 31st-June 1st, 2025 | 113 | — | — | — | |
| Riptide 2025 (Ohio) | September 5th-7th, 2025 | 1,430 | — | — | ||
| Dash Dance (Illinois) | November 7th-9th, 2025 | 159 | — | — | ||
| What's the Daily Smash Advice? (Michigan) | November 22nd-23rd | 329 | — | — | — | |
| Afterburner 2026 (Indiana) | January 17th-18th, 2026 | 358 | — | — |
Largest singles events[edit]
| Rank | Tournament | Date | Game | Attendance | Winner | Character(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smash 'N' Splash 5 | May 31st-June 2nd, 2019 | 1,610 | |||
| 2 | The Big House 6 | October 7th-9th, 2016 | 1,563 | |||
| 3 | The Big House 7 | October 6th-8th, 2017 | 1,522 | |||
| 4 | The Big House 5 | October 2nd-4th, 2015 | 1,317 | |||
| 5 | Frostbite 2020 | February 21st-23rd, 2020 | 1,280 | |||
| 6 | Frostbite 2019 | February 22nd-24th, 2019 | 1,239 | |||
| 7 | The Big House 8 | October 5th-7th, 2018 | 1,032 | |||
| 8 | Riptide | September 10th-12th, 2021 | 1,024 | |||
| Riptide 2024 | September 6th-8th, 2024 | |||||
| 10 | The Big House 9 | October 4th-6th, 2019 | 1,017 |
See also[edit]
- Chicago Power Rankings
- Indiana Power Rankings
- Iowa Power Rankings
- Kansas Power Rankings
- Kentucky Power Rankings
- Michigan Power Rankings
- Minnesota Power Rankings
- Missouri Power Rankings
- Nebraska Power Rankings
- North Dakota Power Rankings
- Ohio Power Rankings
- Pittsburgh Power Rankings
- South Dakota Power Rankings
- Wisconsin Power Rankings

