EURank 2024: 30-21
We're entering the upper half of the ranking. Who's among the best of the best? Today we're facing an avalanche of Dutch players who have fought their way up the ranking.
EURank2024 Honourable Mentions
#30: King
Score: 28.92
As his roommate, I can’t remember the last time Paul "King" Depping even touched Melee to practice, grind, or watch VODs in an environment that wasn’t the Hannover Weekly—and I’m sure neither can he. These days, the ex-Netplay fiend only shows up on the day of the tournament, plays on his muscle memory, still performs fairly solidly (but likely loses to a Jigglypuff), and has a blast regardless.
Nowadays, it seems the German Falco is more occupied with playing GO, every single Ace Attorney game, Counter-Strike casuals, and hosting the largest events in Germany while pushing his association Smash Hannover e.V. to become a self-sufficient organization that can run without him.
We are still unsure what "ripple effects" SAPF is going to have on the future of Melee, but as it stands, King has left his legacy as a TO—and I guess he’s OK at the game too, making a career off beating Dutch Foxes.
- May (King's roommate)
#29: RestlessWhale
Score: 28.37
The Netherlands’ premier bird main spent 2024 juggling multiple priorities. On one hand, he served as a TO for Amsterdam’s Bunker local series, helping to nurture a new generation of Dutch Melee players. On the other hand, his voice became a familiar feature during many top 8 matches at large-scale European events, solidifying his role as one of the scene’s standout commentators. And of course, he continued to lay the smackdown on unsuspecting tournament attendees who mistook his disarming demeanor for a lack of competitive spirit.
Sporting a surprisingly clean domestic record against players ranked below him—despite playing a character known for its volatility—RestlessWhale also racked up an impressive list of upsets throughout the year. Perhaps his biggest win came at Vinyl Destination #5, where he defeated Skullbro, setting up the first-ever Bingo Boys winners finals at a weekend tournament against his longtime friend, static doubles partner, and commentary partner Xin.
Other notable victories included wins over Athos, LunarySSF2, and Jamie, as well as a particularly memorable act of podcaster-on-podcaster violence against Aiden Calvin at The 2nd Gallery.
- nago
#28: noon
Score: 27.16
Picture this: you’re attending a European major for the first time, just hanging out in the venue and minding your business. Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you see a guy with a large, colorful afro approaching you. Intrigued, you humor him with a fun, light conversation. At the end of it, you see him reach into his bag for his DSi, and before you know it, the moment has been immortalized in a beautifully grainy, lo-fi selfie of the two of you.
You might not have realized it at the time, but that person you just met is one of the most idiosyncratic players in the European Melee scene. Starting the year with the bold proclamation that he would main Luigi for the first half of 2024 at every major Dutch event, he dove headfirst into this experiment. The plumber main attended his first few solo Luigi tournaments, taking out Mezzy, Risc, and King. Midway through the year, he pulled off an absurd upset over Sharp at Valhalla 4.
He closed out 2024 by returning to his signature Mario/Doc. At SAPF, he secured victories over Fuzzyness and Saftblandarn, and at his first North American tournament, Don’t Park on the Grass 2024, he defeated top Minnesota Fox main Lexor.
- nago
#27: Happymealz
Score: 26.48
After an intense 2023 with a staggering 48 tournament entries, this year almost felt like a vacation for Happymealz. Naturally, a "break year" for the Dutch Fox main still involved attending 22 events and securing the 27th spot on the EU Super Smash Bros. Melee rankings—because even during a cooldown phase, greatness doesn’t clock out. If you’re this good, you deserve a little self-discovery phase here and there. As a treat.
Even while experimenting and taking it easy, Happymealz reminded the scene why he’s one of the most dangerous players on the continent. At some events, he let the dog in him out, making top 8 at an EU major and top 3 at several regionals. With a 1-0 record over both irfan and Aaron, he’s proven to be a player you underestimate at your own peril.
As he looks ahead to next year, Happymealz has hinted at shifting his focus toward having fun and playing in a way that feels truer to how he envisions the game. For someone as talented as Happymealz, it seems even a "for fun" mindset might end up rewriting the EU Melee narrative once again. Stay tuned—2025 might just be his most exciting chapter yet.
- lil froozy
#26: Raptori
Score: 26.24
Raptori continues his steady ascent toward joining Europe’s elite, climbing from rank 35 to an impressive rank 26 this year. His gameplay remains sharp, dynamic, and forward-thinking, defined by his modern technical style, confident neutral game, and knack for thriving in volatile matchups. Most notably, Raptori is one of only two players in Europe—alongside Nicki—to take a set off Solobattle this year, a testament to his ability to challenge and succeed against Europe’s very best.
This year, Raptori added several marquee wins to his growing résumé, defeating established veterans like $TYN at Valhalla IV and Sharp at Östis 2024. These achievements are especially impressive given his relatively recent commitment to traveling outside of Finland. While deep major runs have eluded him this year, it feels like only a matter of time before he breaks through, provided he continues his journeys across the continent.
Heading into the 2025 season, Raptori is shaping up to be one of Europe’s most prominent dark horses—an unassuming contender who could slip under the radar and upset players on the biggest stages. With his relentless drive for improvement, a growing list of accolades, and a hunger for top-level competition, Raptori cements his place as Finland’s designated usurper—a player who has quickly become the best bet for challenging Solobattle’s unyielding dominance over the region.
- Thore
#25: Feradit
Score: 24.66
Belgium is quite a unique anomaly in the Melee scene. Despite being a relatively small and inactive region, it has been prominently represented within the European major circuit by the lovable LunarySSF2, who successfully staked his claim as the best Francophone player in recent years—until the emergence of i4 in 2024. However, lurking in the shadows of Brussels during LunarySSF2’s rise in the post-pandemic era was Belgium’s long-time #1, Feradit.
Occasionally reappearing at events in France and the Netherlands while the Belgian scene slowly recovered from the pandemic, Feradit finally returned to full activity this year to remind Europe why he was previously regarded as (and perhaps still could be) the better player of the two.
In addition to ending the year with a positive head-to-head record against LunarySSF2, Feradit picked up many notable wins during his few trips to the Netherlands. His impressive 4th-place finish at Endless Melee #3 included victories over Happymealz, LunarySSF2, RestlessWhale, and Fout NL. Combined with wins over Wolf and IuDKing, Feradit has proven that the Belgian top scene is as strong as ever.
- nago
#24: Xin
Score: 24.40
Xin started the year as strong as he possibly could, securing 2nd place at the first major European event of the year, DSEA Winter 2024. Along the way, he defeated a majority of the top Dutch talent, as well as King. It ultimately took UK Sheik max to stop him in grand finals. While this run didn’t become the new normal for Europe’s best Pikachu, it did signal a notable improvement in his form.
Balancing his responsibilities as a cameraman, commentator, and podcaster, Xin continued to fight his way through brackets, ending the year with strong head-to-head records against the Dutch sub-top. His wins included players like Happymealz, his static doubles and commentary partner RestlessWhale, and Nuckels.
A prolific traveler, Xin competed in Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark, where he claimed victories over several international talents, including saftblandarN, mayhem092, and LunarySSF2.
- nago
#23: Pi
Score: 24.01
Pi has developed a reputation over the years as one of the fiercest competitors in the UK scene—a player who attends as many events as possible and puts his all into every set he plays. As a resident of the Southwest England scene, he has the unique privilege of regularly competing at the Bristol’s Basement monthly series. Despite its relatively modest overall attendance, this tournament consistently features some of the best players in the UK. It’s the perfect proving ground for someone like Pi, whose competitive mentality thrives on testing himself against top-tier opponents such as Frenzy, Kingu, and local hidden boss Luke.
While Pi hasn’t yet scored wins against some of these top players, the fact that he holds victories over Kingu and Luke demonstrates the caliber of competitor he is. In many ways, Pi functions as a quasi-gatekeeper for anyone daring to enter the Southwest scene.
Though he only left the UK once this year—for SAPF, where he defeated Blaze—Pi attended every major event the UK had to offer. This consistency helped round out a strong national résumé, bolstered by international wins over irfan, Isdsar, and IuDKing.
- nago
#22: DerFasan
Score: 22.66
With 2024 wrapping up, DerFasan has soared to new heights, establishing himself as one of the toughest players Germany has to offer. Hailing from Franconia, with Smash being a part of his gaming life since childhood, DerFasan gradually improved and became a threat to everyone in the brackets of German tournaments. 2024 marked DerFasan’s EU-wide breakout, albeit still limited to competing in Germany, with appearances at Melee im Kornspeicher and SAPF.
Coming in at 22nd in his first appearance on an EU ranking, DerFasan is surely a player you shouldn’t sleep on anymore. With his calculated plays, hard-hitting combos, and strategic positioning, he secured wins against the likes of Skullbro, irfan, and King, to name a few. It really makes you wonder how far he can go in the coming year if he keeps at it and attends some of the bigger tournaments Europe has to offer.
Make sure to keep an eye on him as he opens up opponents with his precise laser game! And beware—playing against DerFasan might make you question the existence of free will as you find yourself caught in his inevitable combo strings.
- Charon
#21: Nuckels
Score: 20.16
Placing just outside of the top 20, this Dutch Marth had a phenomenal 2024. Starting the year with a bang, he finished 17th at Valhalla IV, taking out returning Marth legend Nakamaman, French Sheik staple NekoKaze, and German top 4 Fox astar in the process, before being eliminated by max. Equipped with the ability to apply relentless pressure, an ice-cold demeanor at the setup, and hard reads that make you question reality, Nuckels earned his highest-ever ranking on a EU-wide scale.
He is especially fond of the German Melee community, as he found a regular practice partner in this blurb’s writer and has attended many tournaments in Germany, including Teetied, SAPF, and Melee im Kornspeicher, stacking up big Ws in the process.
Big man Nucks is also known for being the premier TO of his home country, The Netherlands, where he hosts the tournaments of the coveted Somnio series. His biggest accomplishment, however, came from his trip to Don’t Park on the Grass in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, where he beat worldwide top 50 player Skerzo in one of the most entertaining sets of the entire weekend on stream.
Having just won the German tournament Bayer Cup in Krefeld to close out 2024, we think Nuckels’ trajectory for the upcoming ranking season looks as promising as ever. Let’s all hope for some major slicings in 2025.
- yung Ullrich
That's it for ranks 30 to 21. Join us again tomorrow to figure out which players spent their 2024 climbing their way up to a position where they can challenge the best of the best.
- The EURank Team