The fighting game community often flocks to top players for tier lists whenever games update, but do these character rankings actually cause more harm than help?

Welcome to Option Select. The series where we poll the FGC on ‘controversial’ topics for insight into ways players can improve both casually and competitively.

This installment features tier lists. Tier lists rank characters based on tools, results, matchups, and personal opinions. The best fighters, often called top/S tier characters, have the most major tournament wins or highly favorable matchup spreads. The worst/bottom tier characters typically struggle to win most matchups due to a lack of viable options against the rest of the roster. Underplayed fighters with untapped potential usually float around mid tier until there’s an upset.

The majority of the community clashes over tier lists that differ from their favorite player, although not enough people openly question the results. 

How do Tier Lists Impact the Meta?

We sampled a small portion of the FGC on PlayStation’s Twitter:

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About one third of the 6,778 participants said tier lists only matter at the highest level of play. There might be a big skill gap between top level and middle ground players, however when you’re fighting players with great reactions, reads, and mix-ups, every option becomes increasingly valuable. On the other end of the results, just under 20% of participants felt tier lists prevent underdeveloped characters from getting the attention and time they need to improve in competitive play.

Let’s highlight some responses to learn how we can make the most of tier lists and better develop our skills against friends, rivals, and everything in between.

Playing higher tier characters doesn’t always equal better results

While top tier characters can be easy to use, many require time to master thanks to complex mechanics or frame perfect inputs.

New players trying to get into the game will take these harder to learn fighters thinking top tiers mean free wins. Instead of picking characters like Ryu that are designed to help newcomers better understand the mechanics of the game, which can be more valuable than the fighter. - @Asura455

Some characters only excel when played in specific ways. If a top tier’s optimal playstyle doesn’t match your personal preference, that lack of synergy can lead to less enjoyment, dedication, and ultimately misinputs or burnout. Consider maining a character you truly enjoy regardless of their placement. You might even push them up the tier list.

Tier lists help influence picks for players that want to be better, but the meta can stagnate if everyone follows them

A meta consistently dominated by the same characters reinforces itself. Top tiers become increasingly common and further develop their techniques, leaving low tiers largely underused. Some players find this motivational.

There's people who see tier lists, look at the bottom, and say, "is there anything I can do with this character?"  This is where that potential untapped power can come in. - @GLWuffie

Labbing underdeveloped or underrepresented characters is a gamble. Best case scenario you discover new tech that potentially takes your favorite character higher in tournament and tier lists. Worst case you ‘lost’ time pushing a character with too few options to their limit, yielding little success. Fortunately you can confidently move forward knowing that fighter is held back by their own frame data or mechanics as opposed to the community. Plus, learning how to play more characters improves your general skill level.

Tier lists are another way to bring the community together

I think they only matter at a high level strictly speaking. For casual play, they’re just fun to discuss and watch!
- @rehan_koq

Every balance patch introduces another opportunity to cheer on, question, and even refute your favorite character’s position in the current meta. These insightful debates help us appreciate the finer details of game design and learn perspectives we may have otherwise never known. They’re also a great way to connect with more people in the community.

Curious about tier lists in more detail? Enjoy My Smash Corner's excellent what is a tier list explainer.

Think for yourself and don’t take tier lists as absolute

Honestly tier lists kinda make this great divide between players & more often than not, I get this sense of obnoxious elitism from people who constantly follow/talk about tier lists/metas, etc. - @bronzeolini

It always hurts when you're talking to other players and instead of elaborating or questioning character viability, they default to whatever opinion X top player said without taking the time to lab or think for themselves. Your favorite player could be right, but that doesn’t mean everyone else is wrong. More importantly, this discourse further develops the meta. If everyone felt/played the same way, then the game would ‘die’ after a period of stagnation.

The complexity of fighting games is part of their appeal. We need to be open to contradictory opinions so that players are more comfortable speaking their mind without fear of getting attacked for opposing popular opinions.

There’s a point when tier lists start to matter

There’s definitely a certain level where knowing little intricate things could make or break your game, match, or whatever. I guess it’s when you realize when you go against a higher tier player, is when you make that decision for yourself. - @bory_barr69

Players that only face off against friends without aspirations of becoming the best in the world probably don’t need to pay attention to tier lists. Sure you can gain the advantage against your local rival, however understanding the more ‘broken’ options or matchups is almost irrelevant without that desire to enter tournaments, play competitive rulesets, and get your name out there.

Tier lists are more of an outline requiring experience to use as opposed to a script that anyone can follow

Without enough games played with/against a character, a tier list would mean nothing to you because you don’t have the knowledge to utilize it. - @PhilVaneman

Winning isn’t as simple as picking a top tier. Tier lists assume all variables like skill level are equal in order to deliver a chart based on which characters have the greatest chance of winning. Players at every level succeed with different fighters in unique ways. This variety keeps the game enjoyable for both competitors and viewers.

It’s difficult to make the most out of tier lists if your abilities don’t match the intended level (typically high), although anyone can benefit from the details surrounding specific character placements such as tools, matchups, and options. A single tidbit of information might be the difference between a few more wins or losses.  

Tier lists without explanations are not helpful

If the tier list is very specific, I think it can be very helpful. Like if there is a technical piece of the character that is weaker or stronger in situations. But generic this is the best or this is the worst usually breeds toxicity. - @bronzedadplays

Tier lists fail to accurately represent the current meta without that additional explanation. Specific examples of how characters excel versus fail is the most valuable part. A lack of details make controversial tier lists with unusual placements feel like nothing more than clickbait.

Don't be afraid to be a low tier hero

Ignore tier lists, play whatever character you want, winning with low tier characters is satisfying. - @DEEJVOL2

Sometimes I wish everyone felt that way and placed less of an emphasis on top tiers. The issue is when people playing low tiers use their ‘character limitations' as an excuse for losing. At that point cover your weaknesses with someone else: pocket, secondary, different main, etc.

Some characters are less common competitively because of unclear strengths, complexity, or hard to cover flaws. Surprise selections can be effective counter picks depending on your opponent’s matchup experience or habits. For example, if they struggle with a specific technique or archetype, a sneaky pocket character might mean that illusive extra win in the bracket. 

A skilled player can defeat any opponent

I understand why people want tier lists, but I have always felt that anything can be good if you learn how to use it.
- @Gamenotized

If you really love a character, you should put in the time and effort to discover what’s possible. You might only need one new piece of tech to potentially snowball a character into a much more viable option. Pros like SonicFox are inspirational for their ability to win tournaments with virtually every character.

How else do tier lists impact the community?

The community pointed out some of the other consequences of tier lists:

Meta slaves and the dark side of tier list pressure

Tier lists create meta slaves (people who only play what’s meta). There could be incredible opportunities for other strategies/characters hidden in the lower tiers but people are too afraid to play it because it’s “LoW tIeR.” - @ThePrinceMarz

Tier lists can hurt the spectator experience

Tier list don't advance the meta at all. They lock people into playing High tier characters and as a competition watcher it gets stale fast when every player uses the same set of high tier characters. - @Phantastik27

Top players dropping characters influences popularity and positions more than it should

Some less common characters are carried by one or two pro players. Switching mains at the top level often means more than potentially losing a fan-favorite underdog. That lack of representation spirals into less results, a lower spot on tier lists, and ultimately less popularity/usage throughout the community. - @thenewyorktims

Tier lists can help the developers balance the game

Tier lists can help determine how certain aspects of a game need tweaks or fixes. The problem is that no matter how this is brought up, it falls on the developer and usually we don't see those balance changes made. - @mas8705

You can play fighting games without ever thinking about tier lists

Can’t we just play games? - @KrayShady

Video games are all about new experiences and entertainment. If you don’t care about community created character rankings or results, then that’s okay. There’s no right or wrong way to play a video game as long as you’re able to have a good time.