Mine:
SONIC FOX
Goes without saying, but this kid has been electrifying since the very first game they played competitively. Always has something interesting in store, has a style that's completely different from most other players, and they usually have unconventional character picks that fit their style or current objectives. They seem to always hit or pull out a 5th gear when his back is against the wall. And somehow they do this while competing at the top level in other games. It's insane and pretty legendary. Besides being a tech monster and a lab scientist who isn't afraid to push the envelope and expand our grasp of what's possible in a game. And one of the true masters of mid-set adjustment.
I met them at Defend the North and Sonic was also completely cool, which says something given their level of success. It seems like they genuinely wants to see other people enjoy themselves. They often give advice even right after they win sets. It's just cool to see the almost child-like joy they bring to every aspect of competition. And props to them for being themself no matter what the situation. I'm pretty sure that this boldness has helped inspire others as well.
DRAGON
I'd like to think that Dragon, along with Scar, singlehandedly raised the bar for fundamentals in our scene. Scar was one of the first people to consistenly give Sonic a run for his money, during MKX. But once Dragon hit his stride, he's been consistently great in all 3 games (MKX, INJ2, MK11), and at times in Injustice 2 was the best player in our scene. His command of neutral, his unending patience, willingness to play lame, but still surprise you with unexpected aggressive jabs.. He's a perfectly balanced player, and I learn something every time I watch him play.
PIG OF THE HUT
One of the things our old scene had was a large amount of hype and camraderie. The players were exciting in game, but also outside of the game -- and Pig is no exception to that. Win or lose, you knew you were getting a show, and he was willing to work as hard as he needed to to come out in second place. Although he may have frequently been a bridesmaid, he was the maybe most energetic and passionate member of our early scene. And his grinding, including the run that got him into runner up at EVO in Injustice, is a model for lots of aspiring players to follow.
Through being part of a Skype group that we had with 16 Bit, Woundcowboy, Pig, Ducky, Whiteboi, Hippo, and a few others, I was around to see how Pig trained, picked partners for sets, dealt with MUs that were giving him trouble (usually with a lot of cursing and complaining first, haha), etc. And I learned some things from that. He was one of the few members of the 'old guard' to have some success in MKX (ESL). And he's become a great friend.
A FOXY GRAMPA
It goes without saying, but Foxy has one of the more unique personalities in our scene. He's always been a good player, and he has the ability to back his words up with gameplay in every game since MK9. He's not afraid to be unconventional (even his nickname is outside the box), and be a heel -- but he does it without being an asshole, and he brings a sense of humor and love of competition that is fun to behold.
Around MKX, Foxy really started pushing the level of what he was able to do, and he's one of a select people (including Scar, Dragon, and Tekken Master) who can say they kept Sonic on his toes and forced him to level up. That's cool. He was also the key person in really putting Europe on the map, and being kind of an emotional ringleader for their scene. He's always been active and selfless in giving props to other players in his scene, and that's pretty cool to. Not to mention that he's a class act in interviews and conducts himself like a professional. All in all, Foxy is the kind of guy you want to have in your scene.
NINJAKILLA
How can you not like this kid. I mean, the way he entered the scene, turning himself to a monster in MKX, getting a ton of skeptical responses for peaking late in the online life of the game, and backing it up completely in MK11, destroying seasoned players in his first few offline competitive events.. His talent is scary, and he labs the games thoroughly enough to back it up at every turn.
Ninja is one of the models for what can be done in any game he plays, and his display of flawless blocking, an aggressive yet intelligent neutral where he is making some of the better decisions at every turn.. He is exciting to watch every single time. And the way that he plays Liu Kang mirrors the agility and back-and-forth deftness of an actual martial artist. If he's this good already, I can only imagine what the future will bring.. And for the first time, we have a legitimate top-level threat to the domination of Sonic Fox. Their rivalry is a ton of fun to watch and you never know what'll happen.
DJT
True to the legend of his Weekend at Bernie's meme, through the years DJT somehow always finds a way to come back from the metaphorical dead. Just when you think he might be out for the count, he brings his signature brand of extreme patience with scary fundamentals back with a vengeance. DJT is player who almost never seems scared, and has always been willing to face down the best players in our scene with a kind of cool steely composure. And he labs and figures things out in spaces where other people would normally just complain.
In addition to this, DJT is one of the funniest and most charismatic/memorable people we've had in our scene. He has so many comments and non sequiturs that are so hilarious, that someone somewhere will always be repeating a line he said or a community meme he started. The promo of him introducing the players for the ESL Pro Series is the perfect example of the kind of energy he brings.
GRR
Throughout the years I've seen Grr morph from a fearless (and some might say reckless) player with a penchant for unbridled offense, into an extremely well-rounded competitor who has a strong grasp of defensive fundamentals, neutral, and MU knowledge. He plays with the kind of energy and intensity that is never not fun to watch. But also a kind of creativity that leads to finding out-of-the-box solutions to situations he finds himself in. And as of late, he's been tearing it up in MK11 locally and online.
After seeing the 'Crazy Bane'-era Grr (and crazy Ferra Torr, who was basically Bane in MKX), and then the Injustice 2 interactibles master Grr, and now the MK11 fundamentals and lame-but-interesting defensive play Grr, I think the future is bright for him as long as he keeps competiting. I root for him a lot.
KOMBAT
I wasn't really familiar with Kombat before recently, but it's hard not to be impressed by the way he sometimes makes even great players look pedestrian. He has a razor-sharp sense of timing, and he plays with a speed that impressive to say the least. When he gets on a roll, he's incredibly hard to stop, and basically loses to only the best of the best that we have. It's always fun to watch him play and I'm looking forward to more.
BIG D
Heart -- he has it in spades. Another one of the very few 'old guard' players who has found success in recent games, mainly through his logical and efficient way of breaking down and practicing the titles he plays. Also he has the kind of personality that makes people gravitate to him, and that's cool. Down to see him playing or commentating whenever, and he brings consistent hype either way.
MAXTER
I miss this dude. His sense of family and clan, the bravado he brought, and his willingness to drop challenges to whoever and try to back them up. It was always fun to watch him compete.
DIZZY
One of the first players to truly show the power of minute fundamentals in our scene. His mastery over the little things, and his character loyalty (for most of MK9, anyway) made him one of my favorite players to watch in MK9. And his Combo Breaker stint in MKX showed that he still had it in spades.
With the level of knowledge he would accumulate in every game, and his deep understanding of how the pieces of the meta fit together, it's no surprise that he's a game designer at the company now. Although I miss seeing him compete, I think it's pretty cool to have someone like that working on the games.
Honorable mentions: SEMIJ, RAPTOR, GROSS, BIOHAZARD, THEO, TWEEDY, 16 BIT
