1. LNumbers
A name perhaps unknown to the younger generation of RBYers, LNumbers is the only player in this list to have made it to both SPL and RBY Invitational Main Event. One of the members of the Golden Generation of Germany-based RBYers to storm the RBY scene in the post-Covid era, LNumbers developed a playstyle resembling the methodical precision of
Serpi and team choices marked by the pragmatism of
Gefährlicher Random. While his results in the two bigger settings RBY OU has to offer have not been stellar, LNumbers made it there for a reason - the sheer talent and iconic work ethic of all the members of the Golden Generation of Germans certainly resides in him too, and this might very well be the tournament where he proves he always had it in him all along.
2. GirlsSeeGhosts
What a year it has been for GirlsSeeGhosts. After picking up RBY in 2024, the community's resident Quebecois took RBYPL V by storm with a convincing 5-2 record, quickly following it up with an astounding 5-1 record in RBYWC III, being absolutely pivotal for Canada's underdog run that eventually led to an epic tournament win. With very a strong ROAPL performance that also translated into (yet another) team tournament win, an amazing circuit showing so far with an RBY GC 2nd place as the pinnacle of the run, and racking up wins against several widely acclaimed players along the way in the last several months, this might very well be his year - will this be the tournament that finally sets him up for a place amongst RBY's very best?
3. NotVeryCake
Perhaps because of her extremely high activity levels, it feels like Cake has been around for a long time now, but it's only been 2 years since the Northern Irish's debut in the tier. Despite being a controversial figure in the community, Cake's talent for RBY is contested by absolutely no one - she has displayed several moments of pure genius, with the most notable of those being, undoubtedly, the 3-0 round robin stage run in RBYWC II, with wins over marcoasd, Serpi and chuva de perereca. With a distinctively aggressive playstyle, Cake is a player that can catch even the most prepared of players off guard, with her natural talent at swinging momentum with the blink of an eye. This tournament manifests itself as a great opportunity for her to show that, together with her natural knack for offensive play, she can also bring the consistency needed to perform at the highest level.
4. oligen1
Oligen tends not to talk much, but it's one of those players that really does not need to - his games do all of it. Oligen's roots, in contrast with most players on this list, but in line with the majority of the tier's greats, lie on the ladder - like several of the tiers' most recent hot prospects, he came to the spotlight in RBYPL on the Washed Wartortles, a team that has been catapulting several unknown players onto the map for a few years now. Oligen went on to accomplish several great results in individual tournaments, the most notable of those being a 2nd place finish in 2025's Winter Seasonal. Will this be the tournament we see oligen show he has what it takes to face the tier's greats head on?
5. Ulti Bastion
Ulti Bastion took the RBY scene by surprise with a very convincing performance in RBYWC II, after a mere 3 months of starting to play not just RBY, but competitive Pokémon as a whole! The aforementioned RBYWC and subsequent Invitational play-ins performance, even if not translating into an entry into main event, awed several of the tier's best players, who saw in his sheer talent and natural knack for aggression a diamond in the rough. Despite not having flashy results to show, Ulti is widely perceived as one of the biggest raw talents RBY has ever seen, which can easily be shown by the price tags that typically come attached to him in team tournaments. Is this the tournament where he will finally translate all that raw talent everyone sees in him into silverware?
6. Melbelle
Melanie, as she prefers to be called, has been around for a while. While she generally prefers to bide her time terrorising the UU playerbase, she has nevertheless silently accomplished several very interesting OU performances, the most recent of which being her 2025 RBY Cup run, which culminated in a 2nd place, falling only at the hands of one of the best players in the history of the tier, Peasounay. While Mel has a history of inconsistency, the talent is undoubtedly there: is this the tournament she finally brings home an OU tournament win?
7. Maris Bonibell
Much like Melanie, Maris is perhaps more known for her UU exploits: in not much more than one year, she has unquestionably cemented herself as one of the best players in the history of the tier, currently rocking an absolutely astounding 20-2 (!!) record in UU in team tournaments in 2025. Moreover, she is also a very common presence in the top of the Rands ladder, consistently rocking very high GXE percentages there. While she also participated in the previous edition of this tournament, it is clear it was only very recently that she decided to truly shift her focus towards OU, where she brings a very aggressive playstyle, resembling of several other players who decided to delve into OU after displaying significant Lower Tier prowess. From this recent commitment, she has already secured a top-6 in the ongoing Summer Seasonal while still in the winners bracket, clearly showing us her obvious talent for the game also translates into RBY's main tier. Is this tournament the one where she will show us all she is capable of?
8. Acetylaldehyde
While not as accomplished as several of the players on this list, Acetylaldehyde has definitely shown he
can play. Several deep runs in circuit tournaments, as well as passing the eye test of several established players in the tier. The main reason why he hasn't shown as many results as other people here may simply be the fact he tends not to play much - which is a shame, because he has definitely presented us with several strong showings throughout the 2 years he has played the tier. Perhaps this is the tournament he needs to show he has the talent lots of players see in him - it's up to him to show us what he's made of!