Sparg0 Crowned Best Ultimate Player in the World After Dominating Battle of BC 5
The Battle of BC 5 was a wild ride for the competitive Smash community, full of upsets and drama. But the major tournament ended with Edgar "Sparg0" Valdez being crowned the best Ultimate player in the world.
From May 19 to the 21st, the best Melee and Ultimate players in the world duked it out in Vancouver for glory. The prize pool was abysmal, but that’s nothing new for Smash esports. Instead, Smash players were hoping to shake up the standings and prove themselves with all of the top pros from around the world.
Over on the Ultimate side, Japanese player Takuto “Kameme” Ono entertained the crowds with underdog Sora by beating the best players in an intense losers run. In an attempt to get out of losers, Kameme beat Angel “Onin” Mireles, William “Glutonny” Belaïd, and even former best player in the world Leonardo “MkLeo” Perez. He ultimately lost to Shuto “Shuton” Moriya’s Olimar but it was still an incredible run to watch.
Another player to watch was Mashita “aCola” Hayato, who beat Shuton, Samuel “Dabuz” Buzby, and Rasheen “Dark Wizzy” Rose during his epic run. The Steve player ended up in second, only losing to Sparg0 in the grand finals. It was a one-sided 3-0 event that ended up redefining the UltRank for 2023.
You may have noticed that MkLeo was not in the top 10. You might have even noticed that he was barely mentioned at all so far. That’s because MkLeo ended up in 13th place, even dropping sets that appeared to be a no-brainer for the top player on paper.
According to MkLeo, he wasn’t playing his best. It seemed like he wasn’t excelling with Pyra & Mythra. He ended up being knocked out by Zomba, a talented R.O.B. player that’s much lower than him on UltRank. It was MkLeo’s first time ever losing to a R.O.B., leaving many competitive Smash players feeling like it was time to give up Pyra & Mythra after a year of underwhelming performances.
If I play good there is no chance u beat me imma be real, but good stuff!
— LG | MkLeo (@Mkleosb) May 21, 2023
Sparg0 Proves He’s No Longer Second-Best
While it’s still too early to say that MkLeo is “washed” and no longer a top player, this tournament did leave room for Sparg0 to pass him on UltRank to become the top Ultimate pro of 2023.
For the longest time, Sparg0 was considered a prodigy of sorts. He was seen as the second-best player in the world after MkLeo. The 17-year-old came up fast in the Mexico scene, where he often grinded, practiced, and competed with MkLeo and Enrique “Maister” Solas, the best Game & Watch in the world.
The talented young player was always placing high in big tournaments but didn’t win a major of his own until Smash Ultimate Summit 4 in March of 2023.
"I finally did it," Sparg0 said after winning. "It feels pretty good. Summit being my first Major win feels really good."
He was just 16 at the time.
Sparg0 continued to prove himself but he couldn’t quite get the upperhand on MkLeo, who was shredding the competition in 2022. Sparg0 finished 2022 in third place on UltRank.
But now, with his Battle of BC 5 win and MkLeo’s unfortunate running, Sparg0 is being called the best Ultimate player in the world. It should be noted that Sparg0 didn’t lose a single match the entire major.
Sparg0 has been nicknamed Spargoat for a while now, and it’s looking like it’s now reality.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!