Wi-Fi Warrior
Wi-Fi Warrior (sometimes used interchangeably with Online Warrior) is a term referring to players who primarily play through online methods of competition, consistently attending and performing well in online tournaments but seldom appearing in-person. The term was first coined around the launch Brawl and has stuck ever since not just within the Smash community, but also in general internet culture.
Although online metagames exist for Smash 64 and Melee thanks to the use of emulators such as Project64k and Slippi respectively, they often do not refer to themselves as "Wi-Fi Warriors."
Overview
The term gained popularity during a transitional period in the history of video games. As online capabilities were being more widely adopted by home consoles and game developers started to figure out how to use this new technology, new methods of play were becoming standard. A product birthed during this period was online multiplayer, where different players from around the world can now play in cooperative and competitive game modes without having to be on the same console or even within a close vicinity. While Nintendo dabbled in online capabilities previously, the Wii was their first console with the firmware built into the system, which allowed Super Smash Bros. Brawl to be the first in the series to have native online modes.
Due to this newfound freedom, players that previously did not attend local events for whatever reason could now compete as much as they wanted, with some dedicating themselves to playing online as much as possible. Some of these players did not have the equipment necessary to have an optimal online experience, like an ethernet cable, and opted to rely on a source of Wi-Fi signals, hence the title of "Wi-Fi Warrior."
The phrase was initially a way to mock or joke about players that frequently play on notoriously poor online modes of game still trying to figure out a proper netcode infrastructure, Brawl included, with the phrase frequently popping up on All is Brawl's matchmaking lobbies and forums. The connotation of the term has since changed into a more neutral term that refers to online players in general, especially during the life of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to an extent.
Notable usages in the Smash scene
On Nintendo Dojo, users would receive the "wifi warrior" badge on their profiles after playing enough Wi-Fi matches in the community chat rooms.[1]
The Wi-Fi Warrior Rank was a power ranking that was published biannually starting in 2018 for both Smash 4 and Ultimate. In a similar vein to the last three iterations of the Panda Global Rankings and the first two iterations of the Panda Global Rankings Ultimate, the rankings utilized a list of online tournaments to algorithmically rank the top 50 online players during that season. The most-recent list, Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v7, was released in July 2021, and the rankings has since gone into a hiatus.
Controversy
Players that primarily play online have historically had the rest of the community doubt their ability to perform as well in an offline environment. Some argue that offline and online modes of all applicable Smash games are so fundamentally different on a technical level that those adapted to an online environment would not have their skills translate to an offline environment. The main argument is that these players grew used to the input lag of online play not found offline, and thus will struggle out of their element. Those less charitable believe these players outright exploit the increased input lag and instability of online play in their play styles, which would be irrelevant offline.
Whether this ideology is fair or not is heavily debated within the community. While the differences between online and offline are undeniable, these conceptions were developed in an era where offline play was the gold standard and alternative methods of play were looked down upon as inferior. Since that time, many developments have occurred in the online space. Firstly, online gaming has simply matured with a new generation growing up with it being the standard. This was particularly true during the COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020, where competitive Smash players only had online as an option. Instead of simply giving up, the community figured out how to make a valid competitive scene outside of an in-person setting. Also, many players that were initially considered Wi-Fi warriors have proven to perform at a top level offline. Notable examples include Sparg0, widely considered among the best Ultimate players in the world for the first half of 2022, and acola, who had dominated Japan's offline metagame since he started playing offline.
These developments are the reason why the phrase has developed a more neutral connotation over time. While the debate is still ongoing and some believe online will never be a valid replacement for offline, others have either conceded or have proven that Wi-Fi warriors are still valid competitors. The pandemic coming to an end in 2023 and the competitive mostly returning to offline play may once again shift opinions about online play, but the full extent remains to be seen.
