Meet i4, the First Cisgender Woman Melee Champion
On October 26, 2024, 19-year-old Melee player i4 became the first cisgender woman to win a Super Smash Bros. Melee national tournament at The 2nd Gallery Melee, defeating some of the best EU pros. After placing first in Singles and winning the tournament's Doubles category with her sister Fecfec, i4 is entering a career trajectory that could potentially lead to a place as the first cisgender woman in SSBM's Top 100.
Like most esports, the top of the field in the FGC is primarily dominated by men. However, fighting games have long been a place where transgender women have found a high degree of success. In an ecosystem where many women have carved their names into trophies and important moments in esports history, i4 is noteworty as one of the first cisgender women across fighting games, and the first in Melee's 23-year history, to reach this level of competitive prowess.
i4's 2nd Gallery Melee Tournament Win
The 2nd Gallery is described as "Switzerland's Premier Melee Event". Located in Zürich, it attracts some of the best EU Melee players. According to the tourney's website, it filled in under 24 hours and included over 60 participants. i4 and her sister Fecfec entered the tournament individually in its Pro Singles category. They also enrolled in its Pro Doubles circuit under the team name 'Amazon Prime'.
In the tournament, Sheik main i4 faced European pros including Jah Ridin', Rikzz, and kins0. After a battle against Fox player Rikzz in the Grand Final, she emerged victorious with a 93.75% set win percentage. Fecfec and i4 also won the Doubles bracket without dropping a game.
When asked about the significance of her win, i4 told Esports Illustrated:
I think that some people may think that it's incredible [...] because I don't really attend tourneys that much, so they can't really gauge my level, but I already knew that I could beat some European top players.
- i4
i4 mentioned that her win was a bit of playful 'revenge' as she had faced and taken rounds against opponents Rikzz, Jah Ridin' and Fat Tino in other tournaments. She also noted that she was surprised to have won as she felt "extremely exhausted" and "didn't really train for it; was mostly playing League of Legends and VALORANT before the tourney." She credits her victory to her 'flow state'.
Who is i4?
19-year-old i4 lives in a rural area in France with a brother, Gilbeurt, and two sisters, Fecfec and Rito. i4 has a close bond with her family, who often play Melee together. Fecfec is her Doubles partner in competitive play. In tournament VODs, i4 appears calm with laser focus. She is comfortable in a competitive environment — in fact, she has been passionate about video games since childhood, noting that "Melee was one of my first video games and I used to play it with my siblings."
i4 stresses how influential her supportive siblings have been in her Melee career:
I wouldn't be playing competitively if they weren't with me, because 1)I'm more of a doubles person [...] I play doubles with Fecfec and I'm [prouder] of our achievements and our progress in doubles than my own improvement in Singles, and 2) I wouldn't be playing video games if they weren't there [...] because they kind of initiated me into it.
- i4
i4's competitive play is largely shaped by her games with Fecfec. She believes that every melee player should play doubles to train as it helps improve decision-making and reduce ego. She encourages players to accept external criticism from a different perspective as it is vital for self-improvement and believes questioning yourself is one of the most valuable life skills.
i4's Competitive Experience
As i4 and her siblings improved in skill, they sought higher-level competitive play opportunities. Originally, the family was unaware of the EU Melee community, so Fecfec and i4 used the online matchmaking platform Slippi to seek out competitors.
Fecfec and i4 rapidly progressed through tournaments. The pair placed third in the 2023 Major tier tournament Fête 3 and began to attract the Melee community's attention. Three months later, they secured third place again at the National French tournament Arcamelee #4, where the sisters beat another sibling duo, Aklo and Foxygrandpa, and lost 2:3 against signed Melee pros Jmook and Cody Schwab. Jmook has placed within SSBM's top three players worldwide according to SSBMRank. Cody Schwab was SSBMRank's top player in 2023 and ranked 22nd in MeleeStats' All-Time Top 100.
Before conquering The 2nd Gallery, Fecfec and i4 attended GENESIS X, a Premier tier tournament. Here, they placed 9-12th as a Doubles team among some top players worldwide. Prominent tournament organizer and host of the popular podcast The Yard Aiden observes that since GENESIS X, "i4 has continued to improve fast in Singles this whole time, being the breakout/best Singles player among [her siblings] and is now reaching a level this year where she is contending with the best players in EU."
Overall, EU is regarded as a weaker region compared to America (where the majority of major tournaments and all-time great players originate), but some of the greatest names in the history of the game have come out of Europe including Evo champions Leffen and Armada.
Women in Competitive Super Smash Bros
She's also the first European woman period to win a tournament this big I think, and with her current trajectory and results is likely to be the first cis woman on Melee's top 100 rankings ever.
— Aiden (@aidencalvin) October 27, 2024
Super happy I attended the event and be a part of this moment in the game's history!
While men outnumber women in Super Smash Bros, female players are very present and have contributed to the franchise's competitive scene since its inception. Japanese player Fuwa gained repute for her Ultimate skills, and Canadian SuperGirlKels is famed for her talent and upset wins over several top players in Smash for Wii U. Numerous trans women including Magi, who has a win over renowned top player Mango and is the first woman to enter SSBM's Global ranking, have also made their mark on Super Smash Bros history.
If i4 does enter the SSBM Top 100 ranking, she will be the first cisgender woman to do so. Aiden, who witnessed i4's victory, also notes that her win at The 2nd Gallery makes her "the first cis woman to win a tournament of this scale/competition ever in the game's 23 year lifespan."
Aiden's tweet noting this record accomplishment and the potential impact i4 could have on Melee's legacy cause a stir online. Some worried that specifying i4's cisgender identity could potentially undermine the accomplishments and validity of trans women in the space. However, Trans Melee competitor Salt took to the platform to outline the distinction.
Seeing people complain/be mad about a distinction being made that i4 is cis is just baffling to say the least…
— Salt (@SaltSSB) October 29, 2024
Trans women and cis women ARE women but there is an inherent difference between the two and to not acknowledge that is disingenuous. In the same light, it’s like… https://t.co/fPU20QZwRj
What's next for i4?
i4 is making waves and outplaying pros, but she prefers not to pay attention to rankings as they are "a touchy subject in the melee community." When asked about her plans, she stated:
I don't really have any plans [...] I'll just keep playing because I like the game and I love improving. [...] I just want to lose against people who are better than me, get salty because I suck and then grind to beat them basically.
- i4
Above all, i4 is genuinely passionate about the competitive process. She maintains a playful perspective while balancing her desire to win, stating "I enjoy losing even if sometimes it can hurt, I enjoy winning even if sometimes it's boring."
To any aspiring players, i4 has the following advice:
Be grateful for every game you've played, every competitor you've met, even if they were arrogant, salty, or the coolest people ever, because thanks to them you can and will learn a lot about yourself and the game that you like. And of course, don't take yourself too seriously, because remember: it's a game!
- i4
