2025-26 Player of the Year
Conner Smith
TruKuu
Tournaments Played: 35
Tournaments Won: 22
Match Record:
After already capturing Player of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons, TruKuu somehow raised the bar even higher in 2025-26. In arguably the most dominant campaign in Retro World Series history, he completed an unprecedented third consecutive Player of the Year title, winning an incredible 22 titles out of the 35 tournaments he entered. TruKuu proved to be the standard by which all competitors were measured, displaying remarkable consistency, versatility, and championship composure across a wide variety of games and formats. What began as a breakout season years ago has evolved into a dynasty, as TruKuu’s three-peat cements his place among the greatest competitors the Retro World Series has ever seen.
2024-25 Player of the Year
Conner Smith
TruKuu
Tournaments Played: 25
Tournaments Won: 11
Match Record:
TruKuu cemented his legacy by repeating as Retro World Series Player of the Year for the 2024–25 season, following up last year’s record-breaking campaign with another dominant run. Entering 25 tournaments, he captured 11 titles and set a new all-time mark with 996 points, the highest single-season total in RWS history. With back-to-back Player of the Year honors, TruKuu has proven himself not just a champion, but the defining competitor of this era.
2023-24 Player of the Year
Conner Smith
TruKuu
Tournaments Played: 36
Tournaments Won: 13
Match Record:
TruKuu turned his 3rd-place finish last season into fuel for a historic run. Competing in a record 36 tournaments, he showcased unmatched endurance and consistency, claiming an also-record 13 championships along the way. With versatility across consoles and genres, and a relentless drive to win, TruKuu delivered one of the greatest single-season performances in RWS history.
2022-23 Player of the Year
Erick Flores
YourFace
Tournaments Played: 24
Tournaments Won: 3
Match Record: 34-19 (64%)
Playing in a record 24 tournaments and winning 3, YourFace was the ultimate grinder this season. He was also completely clutch, needing to win the final tournament of the season to thwart Freean’s 3-peat attempt and take home the trophy, and did so in a classic.
2019-20 Player of the Year
Ian Sanford
Freean
Tournaments Played: 3
Tournaments Won: 2
Match Record: 14-1 (93%)
TGZ Freean repeated as our Player of the Year, dominating both Super Smash Bros. tournaments in Phoenix and Las Vegas, as well as a close runner-up finish in our Halo: Combat Evolved tournament in Vegas.
2018-19 Player of the Year
Ian Sanford
Freean
Tournaments Played: 1
Tournaments Won: 1
Match Record: 6-0 (100%)
Losing only a single set in 34-man bracket, TGZ Freean dominated the Super Smash Bros. tournament at Game On Expo in Phoenix, AZ.
2017-18 Player of the Year
Erick Salas
Chino
Tournaments Played: 3
Tournaments Won: 2
Match Record: 14-2 (88%)
Chino arrived for the first time with a bang at the 2018 LVL Up Expo for our Main Event, winning the Mario Kart 64 and Super Smash Bros. tournaments. He also went 2-2 in the Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo tournament, tying for 13th.
2016 Player of the Year
Joe Jackmovich
SSDNinja
Tournaments Played: 15
Tournaments Won: 5
Match Record:
SSDNinja is a gaming machine, dominating our speedrun and high score tournaments, winning Super Mario Land, Centipede, Fantasy Zone II, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. He also won the Balloon Fight tournament at Retropalooza Houston, defeating Pat the NES Punk afterwards in an exhibition.