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Team:Panda: Difference between revisions

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{{ArticleIcons|ssb=y|ssbm=y|ssbb=y|ssb4=y|ssbu=y|competitive=y}}
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{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; width:264px; font-size:90%; text-align:left;"
{{Infobox Team
!colspan=2|Panda Global
| name      = Panda
|-
| image      = PandaHD.png
|colspan=2|[[File:Panda Global.png|250px]]
| location  = United States {{Flag|USA}}
|-
| owners    = David Wu ({{Sm|Mashumaro}})
! Location
| manager    =
| United States
| sponsors  = [https://www.geico.com/ GEICO]<br>[http://vertagear.com Vertagear]<br>[https://www.twitch.tv/ Twitch]<br>[https://metathreads.com/ Meta Threads]<br>[https://ssd.toshiba-memory.com/en-amer/ Toshiba] <br>[https://www.funimation.com/subscribe/?irgwc=1&utm_campaign=302280&utm_medium=374389&utm_source=ImpactRadius Funimation]
|-
| othergames =''Dragon Ball FighterZ''<br>''Guilty Gear Xrd''<br>''Hearthstone: Heroes of WarCraft''<br>''Heroes of the Storm''<br>''Marvel Vs. Capcom''<br>''Mortal Kombat''<br>''Splatoon''<br>''Street Fighter''<br>''TEKKEN''
! Owners
}}
| Alan Bunney (SamuraiPanda)<br>David Wu (Mashumaro)
'''Panda''', formerly '''Panda Global''' ('''PG'''), was a professional eSports organization based in the United States. It was co-founded by Alan Bunney ({{Sm|SamuraiPanda}}) and David Wu ({{Sm|Mashumaro}}) in June 2015 as a player-centric organization looking to help their players' careers, facilitate their goals, and promote the growth of the players' esports scene.
|-
! Player manager
| Bassem Dahdouh ({{Sm|Bear}}) (former)
|-
! Sponsors/Partners
|
*[https://www.hyperxgaming.com/en HyperX]
*[https://www.geico.com/ GEICO]
*[http://vertagear.com Vertagear]
*[https://www.twitch.tv/ Twitch]
*[https://www.zippo.com/ Zippo]
*[https://metathreads.com/ Meta Threads]
*[https://ssd.toshiba-memory.com/en-amer/ Toshiba]  
*[https://www.funimation.com/subscribe/?irgwc=1&utm_campaign=302280&utm_medium=374389&utm_source=ImpactRadius Funimation]
|-
! Other games
|
* ''Dragon Ball FighterZ''
* ''Guilty Gear Xrd''
* ''Hearthstone: Heroes of WarCraft''
* ''Heroes of the Storm''
* ''Marvel Vs. Capcom''
* ''Mortal Kombat''
* ''Splatoon''
* ''Street Fighter''
* ''TEKKEN''
|}


'''Panda Global''' ('''PG''') is a professional eSports organization based in the United States. It was co-founded by Alan Bunney ({{Sm|SamuraiPanda}}) and David Wu ({{Sm|Mashumaro}}) in June 2015 as a player centric organization looking to help their players' careers, facilitate their goals, and promote the growth of the eSports scenes they participate in.  
Panda entered the ''Smash'' scene on June 24th, 2015 after sponsoring top ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' players {{Sm|ESAM}} and {{Sm|MVD}}, as well as {{Sm|SS|p=Arizona}}. Since then, the company signed a multitude of other players for ''Smash 4'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', ''[[Smash 64]]'', and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', as well as commentators, content creators, video editors, and statisticians, becoming one of the most prominent ''Smash'' organizations.


Panda Global entered the world of ''Smash'' on June 24th, 2015 with the sponsorship of Florida ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Smash 4]]'' top players {{Sm|ESAM}} and {{Sm|MVD}} as well as {{SSB4|Villager}} main {{Sm|SS|p=Arizona}}<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/3b7nhd/esam_and_mvd_have_officially_signed_with_new/|title=ESAM and MVD have officially signed with new esports team Panda Gaming!}}</ref>. On June 30th, Panda Global took their first step in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' by signing Florida-based {{SSBM|Sheik}} player {{Sm|Plup}}<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/pg_plup/status/615981769058316288|title=Plup joins Panda Global}}</ref>. On November 2nd, Panda Global signed the [[EVO 2013]] ''Melee'' runner-up {{Sm|Wobbles}}<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/pandaglobalpg/status/661343133712674816|title=Panda Global signs Wobbles}}</ref>. On June 22nd, 2016, they picked up {{SSB4|Ryu}} main {{Sm|Trela}}<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/16421839/panda-global-signs-trela-compete-team-banner-ceo|title=Panda Global signs Trela, will compete under team banner at CEO}}</ref>. On June 30th, {{Sm|Alpharad}} joined the team as their content director<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/pandaglobalpg/status/748646569436602368|title=Alpharad joins Panda Global}}</ref>.
Aside from their competitive team, Panda had a division, known as PGStats, that handled tournament data, including running global power rankings for ''Smash 4'' ([[PGR]]), ''Melee'' ([[MPGR]]), and ''Ultimate'' ([[PGRU]]). The PGStats team also ran a website, PGStats.com, which acted as a player database and hub for ''Smash'' news.  


On May 7th, 2016, Panda Global picked up {{Sm|Dom}}, {{Sm|Zan}}, and {{Sm|suar}} as a newly-formed subteam called '''PG Stats''' which specialises in ''Smash 4'' statistics<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/4ibrb5/panda_global_announces_new_smash_4_stats_team/|title=Panda Global announces new Smash 4 stats team}}</ref>. They are responsible for the [[Panda Global Rankings]], a biannual list that ranks the Top 50 ''Smash 4'' players in the world. {{Sm|Tetra}}, {{Sm|juddy}}<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/PandaGlobalPG/status/738452493936558081|title=juddy and Tetra join PG Stats}}</ref>, {{Sm|Giant}}<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/ThePGstats/status/799378123833929728|title=Giant joins PG Stats as Lead Systems Engineer!}}</ref>, and {{Sm|Spike}} were later added to the PG Stats team, although Tetra and juddy later left.
On November 18th, 2021, Panda announced a partnership with [[Nintendo]] to create the first officially-licensed North American competitive circuit.<ref>[https://www.panda.gg/news/panda-nintendo-circuit Announcement of partnership]</ref> This circuit was officially announced as the {{Trn|Panda Cup}} on May 26th, 2022, and was meant to take place from June 24th to December 18th of that year. However, due to Alan Bunney's role in the [[Cancellation of Smash World Tour 2022|Smash World Tour 2022 cancellation controversy]], the Panda Cup was boycotted, leading to its eventual cancellation. In the aftermath of the controversy, Panda paused all competitive and content activities, releasing its last player, {{Sm|Marss}}, on January 16th, 2023. Many employees left as well, leaving only nine members on the team, and Panda remained dormant until December 4th, where their Twitter account posted a link redirecting to a [https://www.panda.gg/ a webpage] that contained a merchandise section on unsold Panda Cup jackets and a single blog post informing the community of the team's current situation.  


In January 2017, following SS and Trela's departure from the organization, Panda Global added SoCal's best {{SSB4|Mewtwo}} main {{Sm|Rich Brown}} to their ''Smash 4'' team and expanded into ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' by picking up {{Sm|SuPeRbOoMfAn}}, the best player in North America and second best player in the world according to the [[64 League Rankings]]<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/18493165/panda-global-signs-superboomfan-rich-brown|title=Panda Global signs SuPeRbOoMfAn and Rich Brown}}</ref>. On April 12th, 2018, Panda Global added MD/VA's best player {{Sm|Zain}} to their ''Melee'' team<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/PandaGlobal/status/984521696957870080|title=Welcome to the Plup Club: Zain joins Panda Global!}}</ref>. On July 26th, 2018, Panda Global added {{SSB4|Corrin}} main {{Sm|Cosmos}} to their ''Smash 4'' team<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://twitter.com/PandaGlobal/status/1022572682989199366|title=Introducing Panda Global's newest member, Cosmos!!}}</ref>.
On May 28th, 2024, a teaser was posted on Panda's Twitter account, where they displayed Morse code that translated to "NOT EXTINCT".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/PandaGlobal/status/1806764545375113258|title=Teaser}}</ref> Three days later, the team officially announced that they were in the process of restructuring.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/PandaGlobal/status/1807821548289503329|title=Panda's restructuring}}</ref>


==Current smashers==
==Current smashers==
===Pro smashers===
{{out of date|November 2023|Most staff left, though we don't have any information about those}}
{|class="wikitable sortable"
*{{Sm|Juggleguy|USA|c1=Captain Falcon|g=SSBM}}
!
*{{Sm|BOAT|USA|c1=Toon Link|g=SSBU}} (Merchandise coordinator)
!ID
!Name
!Game
!Main(s)
!Join Date
|-
|{{flag|United States}}
|{{Sm|ESAM}}
|Eric Lew
|''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''<br>{{forwiiu}}<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''
|{{head|Samus|g=SSBM|s=24px}}<br>{{head|Pikachu|g=SSBB|s=24px}}{{head|Ice Climbers|g=SSBB|s=24px}}<br>{{head|Pikachu|g=SSB4|s=24px}}{{head|Samus|g=SSB4|s=24px}}<br>{{head|Pikachu|g=SSBU|s=24px}}
|2015-06-24
|-
|{{flag|United States}}
|{{Sm|Plup}}
|Justin McGrath
|''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''<br>{{forwiiu}}<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''
|{{head|Sheik|g=SSBM|s=24px}}{{head|Fox|g=SSBM|s=24px}}<br>{{head|Pikachu|g=SSB4|s=24px}}{{head|Diddy Kong|g=SSB4|s=24px}}{{head|Rosalina & Luma|g=SSB4|s=24px}}<br>{{head|Mega Man|g=SSBU|s=24px}}{{head|Greninja|g=SSBU|s=24px}}
|2015-06-30
|-
|{{flag|Canada}}
|{{Sm|SuPeRbOoMfAn}}
|Daniel Hoyt
|''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''
|{{head|Captain Falcon|g=SSB|s=20px}} {{head|Pikachu|g=SSB|s=20px}} {{head|Kirby|g=SSB|s=20px}}
|2017-01-17
|-
|{{flag|United States}}
|{{Sm|Marss}}
|Tyler Martins
|{{forwiiu}}<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''
|{{head|Zero Suit Samus|g=SSB4|s=24px}}<br>{{head|Zero Suit Samus|g=SSBU|s=24px}}{{head|Ike|g=SSBU|s=24px}}
|2019-03-22
|-
|{{flag|Japan}}
|{{Sm|Prince}}
|?
|''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''
|{{head|Yoshi|g=SSB|s=20px}}
|2019-07-19
|}
 
===Other smashers===
*{{Sm|suar|USA|c1=Sheik|g=SSB4}} (PG Stats director, joined May 7th, 2016)
*{{Sm|Alpharad|USA|c1=Mario|g=SSB4}}{{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px}} {{Head|Pichu|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Peach|g=SSBU|s=20px}} (content director, joined June 30th, 2016)
*{{Sm|Spike|USA}} (PG Stats designer)
*{{Sm|Dom|USA|c1=Villager|c2=Sheik|g=SSB4}} (PG Stats writer, joined May 7th, 2016)
*{{Sm|fyazko|USA}} (content creator, joined June 2nd, 2016)
*{{Sm|Keith|USA}} (lead graphics artist, project manager)
*{{Sm|PracticalTAS|Canada}} (PG Stats mathematician)
*{{Sm|Tantalus|USA}} (PG Tournament Organizer)
*{{Sm|Stimpy|UK|c1=Roy|g=SSBU}} (Actor Asa Butterfield, content creator)
*{{Sm|Coney|USA|c1=Inkling|g=SSBU}} (Commentator)


==Former smashers==
==Former smashers==
Line 158: Line 78:
|{{Sm|Zain}}
|{{Sm|Zain}}
|Zain Naghmi
|Zain Naghmi
|''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''
|''Super Smash Bros. Melee''
|{{head|Marth|g=SSBM|s=24px}}
|{{head|Marth|g=SSBM|s=24px}}
|2018-04-12
|2018-04-12
Line 166: Line 86:
|{{Sm|Cosmos}}
|{{Sm|Cosmos}}
|Brian Kalu
|Brian Kalu
|{{forwiiu}}<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''
|''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U''<br>''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''
|{{head|Corrin|g=SSB4|s=24px}}<br>{{head|Inkling|g=SSBU|s=24px}}
|{{head|Corrin|g=SSB4|s=24px}}<br>{{head|Inkling|g=SSBU|s=24px}}
|2018-07-26
|2018-07-26
|2019-08-11
|2019-08-11
|-
|{{flag|Canada}}
|{{Sm|SuPeRbOoMfAn}}
|Daniel Hoyt
|''Super Smash Bros.''
|{{head|Captain Falcon|g=SSB|s=20px}} {{head|Pikachu|g=SSB|s=20px}} {{head|Kirby|g=SSB|s=20px}}
|2017-01-17
|2020-07-08
|-
|{{flag|Japan}}
|{{Sm|Prince}}
|''Unknown name''
|''Super Smash Bros.''
|{{head|Yoshi|g=SSB|s=20px}}
|2019-07-19
|2021-07-16
|-
|{{flag|United States}}
|{{Sm|Plup}}
|Justin McGrath
|''Super Smash Bros. Melee''<br>''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U''<br>''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''
|{{head|Sheik|g=SSBM|s=24px}}{{head|Fox|g=SSBM|s=24px}}{{head|Samus|g=SSBM|s=24px}}<br>{{head|Pikachu|g=SSB4|s=24px}}{{head|Rosalina & Luma|g=SSB4|s=24px}}<br>{{head|Mega Man|g=SSBU|s=24px}}{{head|Ridley|g=SSBU|s=24px}}{{head|Greninja|g=SSBU|s=24px}}
|2015-06-30
|2022-12-02
|-
|{{flag|USA}}
|{{Sm|iBDW}}
|Cody Schwab
|''Super Smash Bros. Melee''
|{{head|Fox|g=SSBM|s=24px}}
|2020-05-05
|2022-12-02
|-
|{{flag|USA}}
|{{Sm|WaDi}}
|Chris Boston
|''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''
|{{head|ROB|g=SSBU|s=24px}}{{head|Mewtwo|g=SSBU|s=24px}}
|2021-04-02
|2022-12-02
|-
|{{flag|United States}}
|{{Sm|ESAM}}
|Eric Lew
|''Super Smash Bros. Melee''<br>''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U''<br>''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''
|{{head|Samus|g=SSBM|s=24px}}<br>{{head|Pikachu|g=SSB4|s=24px}}{{head|Samus|g=SSB4|s=24px}}<br>{{head|Pikachu|g=SSBU|s=24px}}{{head|Mii Brawler|g=SSBU|s=24px}}
|2015-06-24
|2023-01-15
|-
|{{flag|United States}}
|{{Sm|Marss}}
|Tyler Martins
|''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''
|{{head|Zero Suit Samus|g=SSBU|s=24px}}
|2019-03-22
|2023-01-16
|}
|}


===Other smashers===
===Other smashers===
*{{Sm|Bear|USA|c1=Bowser|g=SSB4}} (team manager, tournament director, FGC manager)
*{{Sm|Alpharad|USA|c1=Mario|g=SSB4}}{{Head|Mario|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Joker|g=SSBU|s=20px}} (content director, joined June 30th, 2016)
*{{Sm|Bear|USA|c1=Bowser|g=SSB4}} (Team manager, tournament director, FGC manager)
*{{Sm|suar|USA|c1=Sheik|g=SSB4}} (PG Stats director, joined May 7th, 2016)
*{{Sm|Zan|USA|c1=Toon Link|g=SSB4}} (PG Stats analyst, joined May 7th, 2016)
*{{Sm|Zan|USA|c1=Toon Link|g=SSB4}} (PG Stats analyst, joined May 7th, 2016)
*{{Sm|Tetra|France|c1=Captain Falcon|c2=Cloud|g=SSB4}} (PG Stats, joined June 2nd, 2016)
*{{Sm|Tetra|France|c1=Captain Falcon|c2=Bowser|g=SSB4}} (PG Stats, joined June 2nd, 2016)
*{{Sm|juddy|Canada}} (PG Stats statistician, joined June 2nd, 2016)
*{{Sm|juddy|Canada}} (PG Stats statistician, joined June 2nd, 2016)
*{{Sm|Stimpy|UK|c1=Roy|g=SSBU}} (Actor Asa Butterfield, content creator)
*{{Sm|FullStream|USA|c1=Inkling|g=SSBU}} (''Rivals of Aether'' player)
*{{Sm|Chia|USA|c1=R.O.B.|g=SSBU}} (Joined May 5th, 2020)
*{{Sm|Simply|USA|c1=Marth|g=SSBM}} (''Mario 64'' speedrunner, content creator)
*{{Sm|Tantalus|USA}} (PG Tournament Organizer)
*{{Sm|turndownforwalt|USA|c1=Mario|g=SSBM}} (Content creator)
*{{Sm|BobbyWasabi|USA|c1=Villager|g=SSBU}} (Video editor)
*{{Sm|VikkiKitty|c1=Corrin|c2=Kirby|g=SSBU|USA}} (Commentator, content creator)
*{{Sm|TKbreezy|c1=Wii Fit Trainer|g=SSBU|USA}} (Commentator, content creator)
*{{Sm|Coney|USA|c1=Banjo & Kazooie|g=SSBU}} (Creative Lead, commentator)
*{{Sm|PracticalTAS|Canada}} (PGstats mathematician)
*{{Sm|Daramgaria|c1=Ness|c2=King Dedede|g=SSBU|USA}} (Commentator, content creator)
*{{Sm|Jackie Peanuts|c1=Dr. Mario|g=SSBU|USA}} (PGstats director)
*{{Sm|Brentos|c1=Peach|g=SSBM|USA}} (PGstats Melee Content Writer)
*{{Sm|Jut|USA|c1=Incineroar|g=SSBU}} (Social media manager)
*{{Sm|Jaaahsh|USA|c1=R.O.B.|g=SSBU}} (Community organizer, player manager)
*{{Sm|Little Z|Australia|c1=Wario|g=SSBU}} (Content creator)
*{{Sm|KingKirb64|USA|c1=Kirby|g=SSBU}} (PG Hardware Engineer)
*{{Sm|Kantrip|Canada|c1=Diddy Kong|g=SSBU}} (Influencer; joined May 2020<ref>https://twitter.com/PandaGlobal/status/1257751153498087424] </ref>, left December 2022<ref>https://twitter.com/kongmunism/status/1599838305910423552?s=20</ref>)
*{{Sm|Spike|USA}} (PGstats designer)
*{{Sm|Dom|USA|c1=Villager|c2=Sheik|g=SSB4|p=Tri-state}} (PGstats writer, joined May 7th, 2016)
*{{Sm|fyazko|USA}} (content creator, joined June 2nd, 2016)
*{{Sm|Keith|USA}} (lead graphics artist, project manager)
*{{Sm|PSI|USA|c1=Lucas|g=SSBU}}{{Head|Young Link|g=SSBU|s=20px}} (graphics artist)


==Other famous players==
==Other famous players==
*Justin Wong (JWong) <small>''FGC''</small>
*Kyohei Lehr (MarlinPie) <small>''GGXrd''</small>
*Kyohei Lehr (MarlinPie) <small>''GGXrd''</small>
*Alexandre Dub-Bilodeau (Hayatei) <small>''MK11''</small>
*Alexandre Dub-Bilodeau (Hayatei) <small>''MK11''</small>
Line 185: Line 188:
*Stephen Stafford (Speedkicks) <small>''Tekken 7''</small>
*Stephen Stafford (Speedkicks) <small>''Tekken 7''</small>
*Evan Towne (Rocketek) <small>''Splatoon''</small>
*Evan Towne (Rocketek) <small>''Splatoon''</small>
*Joshua Thompson (Fullstream) <small>''Rivals of Aether''</small>
*Derek Bruscas (Nakkiel) <small>''Dragon Ball FighterZ''</small>
*Derek Bruscas (Nakkiel) <small>''Dragon Ball FighterZ''</small>
*Aaron Zheng (Cybertron) <small>''Pokemon VGC''</small>
*Victor Woodley (Punk) <small>''SF5''</small>
*Wolfe Glick (Wolfey) <small>''Pokemon VGC''</small>
*Keenan Kizzie (Kizzie Kay) <small>''GGXrd'', ''SamSho19''</small>
*Faye Mata <small>''Voice Actor''</small>
*Anna Cramling <small>''Chess''</small>
*Wolfe Glick (WolfeyVGC) <small>''Pokémon''</small>


==PG Key==
==PG Key==
'''PG Key''' is an online tournament series organized by PG and directed by {{Sm|Bear}}. Each entry is a qualifier dedicated to a major offline tournament, with the winner being flown out as an honorary player temporarily sponsored by the organization.
'''PG Key''' was an online tournament series organized by PG and directed by {{Sm|Bear}}. Each entry was a qualifier dedicated to a major offline tournament, with the winner being flown out as an honorary player temporarily sponsored by the organization.


{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Line 206: Line 211:
|[[PG Key to Midwest Mayhem 8]]||March 18th-30th, 2017||450||{{Sm|Sonix|Dominican Republic}}*||{{Sm|lapis lazuli|USA}}*
|[[PG Key to Midwest Mayhem 8]]||March 18th-30th, 2017||450||{{Sm|Sonix|Dominican Republic}}*||{{Sm|lapis lazuli|USA}}*
|}
|}
*Cosmos and Wrath were both unable to attend, so the key was passed down to the 3rd place finisher, {{Sm|Koolaid}}.
{{*}}Cosmos and Wrath were both unable to attend, so the key was passed down to the 3rd place finisher, {{Sm|Koolaid}}.<br>
*Cosmos was unable to attend, so the key was passed down to the runner-up, Zage.
{{*}}Cosmos was unable to attend, so the key was passed down to the runner-up, Zage.<br>
*Sonix and lapis lazuli both declined their keys, so it was passed down to the 3rd place finisher, {{Sm|Locus}}.
{{*}}Sonix and lapis lazuli both declined their keys, so it was passed down to the 3rd place finisher, {{Sm|Locus}}.
 
==Gallery==
<gallery>
Panda Global.png|Panda's former logo.
</gallery>
 
==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://panda.gg/ Official website]
*[http://panda.gg/ Official website]
*[https://www.pgstats.com/ PGstats website]
*[https://twitter.com/PandaGlobal Twitter account]
*[https://twitter.com/PandaGlobal Twitter account]
*[https://twitter.com/ThePGstats PG Stats Twitter account]
*[https://twitter.com/pgstats PGstats.com Twitter account]
*[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfwmyQcCzyJNwvySFaGLdpg YouTube channel]
*[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfwmyQcCzyJNwvySFaGLdpg YouTube channel]
*[https://www.twitch.tv/pandaglobal Twitch channel]
*[https://www.twitch.tv/pandaglobal Twitch channel]
*[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Panda_Global_Gaming Panda Global entry at the ''Smash'' Liquipedia section]
*[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Panda_Global_Gaming Panda entry at the ''Smash'' Liquipedia section]


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 21:54, July 4, 2024

Panda
PNG New Logotype of Panda from their pack on their website
Location United States USA
Owners David Wu (Mashumaro)
Sponsors/Partners GEICO
Vertagear
Twitch
Meta Threads
Toshiba
Funimation
Other games Dragon Ball FighterZ
Guilty Gear Xrd
Hearthstone: Heroes of WarCraft
Heroes of the Storm
Marvel Vs. Capcom
Mortal Kombat
Splatoon
Street Fighter
TEKKEN

Panda, formerly Panda Global (PG), was a professional eSports organization based in the United States. It was co-founded by Alan Bunney (SamuraiPanda) and David Wu (Mashumaro) in June 2015 as a player-centric organization looking to help their players' careers, facilitate their goals, and promote the growth of the players' esports scene.

Panda entered the Smash scene on June 24th, 2015 after sponsoring top Super Smash Bros. 4 players ESAM and MVD, as well as SS. Since then, the company signed a multitude of other players for Smash 4, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Smash 64, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as commentators, content creators, video editors, and statisticians, becoming one of the most prominent Smash organizations.

Aside from their competitive team, Panda had a division, known as PGStats, that handled tournament data, including running global power rankings for Smash 4 (PGR), Melee (MPGR), and Ultimate (PGRU). The PGStats team also ran a website, PGStats.com, which acted as a player database and hub for Smash news.

On November 18th, 2021, Panda announced a partnership with Nintendo to create the first officially-licensed North American competitive circuit.[1] This circuit was officially announced as the Panda Cup on May 26th, 2022, and was meant to take place from June 24th to December 18th of that year. However, due to Alan Bunney's role in the Smash World Tour 2022 cancellation controversy, the Panda Cup was boycotted, leading to its eventual cancellation. In the aftermath of the controversy, Panda paused all competitive and content activities, releasing its last player, Marss, on January 16th, 2023. Many employees left as well, leaving only nine members on the team, and Panda remained dormant until December 4th, where their Twitter account posted a link redirecting to a a webpage that contained a merchandise section on unsold Panda Cup jackets and a single blog post informing the community of the team's current situation.

On May 28th, 2024, a teaser was posted on Panda's Twitter account, where they displayed Morse code that translated to "NOT EXTINCT".[2] Three days later, the team officially announced that they were in the process of restructuring.[3]

Current smashersEdit

  This article or section may be out of date. (tagged November 2023)
The editor who added this tag elaborates: Most staff left, though we don't have any information about those
You can discuss this issue on the talk page or edit this page to bring it up to date.

Former smashersEdit

Pro smashersEdit

ID Name Game Main(s) Join Date Leave Date
  SS Shane Bruce Super Smash Bros. for Wii U    2015-06-24 2017-01-02
  Trela Alberto Miliziano Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U 		 
  		2016-06-22 2017-01-02
  Rich Brown Rich Brown Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U 		 
  		2017-01-17 2017-10-17
  MVD Jestise Negron Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 		 
 
  		2015-06-24 2019-01-04
  Wobbles Robert Wright Super Smash Bros. Melee   2015-11-02 2019-01-04
  Zain Zain Naghmi Super Smash Bros. Melee   2018-04-12 2019-08-11
  Cosmos Brian Kalu Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 		 
  		2018-07-26 2019-08-11
  SuPeRbOoMfAn Daniel Hoyt Super Smash Bros.       2017-01-17 2020-07-08
  Prince Unknown name Super Smash Bros.   2019-07-19 2021-07-16
  Plup Justin McGrath Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 		   
  
    		2015-06-30 2022-12-02
  iBDW Cody Schwab Super Smash Bros. Melee   2020-05-05 2022-12-02
  WaDi Chris Boston Super Smash Bros. Ultimate    2021-04-02 2022-12-02
  ESAM Eric Lew Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 		 
  
   		2015-06-24 2023-01-15
  Marss Tyler Martins Super Smash Bros. Ultimate   2019-03-22 2023-01-16

Other smashersEdit

Other famous playersEdit

  • Justin Wong (JWong) FGC
  • Kyohei Lehr (MarlinPie) GGXrd
  • Alexandre Dub-Bilodeau (Hayatei) MK11
  • Bryant Benzing (Kitana Prime) MK11
  • Jachin Harte (SKD) BBCF, BBTag
  • Stephen Stafford (Speedkicks) Tekken 7
  • Evan Towne (Rocketek) Splatoon
  • Derek Bruscas (Nakkiel) Dragon Ball FighterZ
  • Victor Woodley (Punk) SF5
  • Keenan Kizzie (Kizzie Kay) GGXrd, SamSho19
  • Faye Mata Voice Actor
  • Anna Cramling Chess
  • Wolfe Glick (WolfeyVGC) Pokémon

PG KeyEdit

PG Key was an online tournament series organized by PG and directed by Bear. Each entry was a qualifier dedicated to a major offline tournament, with the winner being flown out as an honorary player temporarily sponsored by the organization.

Tournament Date Entrants Winner Runner-up
Key to The PG House September 8th-18th, 2016 1994   Wrath NA
  Mr.R EU		   Raffi-X NA
  Badr EU
PG Key to GENESIS 4 January 1st-5th, 2017 986   Cosmos*   Wrath*
PG Key to Frostbite 2017 February 12th-17th, 2017 740   Cosmos*   Zage
PG Key to 2GGC: Civil War March 5th-8th, 2017 620   Sonido   CaptainZack
PG Key to Midwest Mayhem 8 March 18th-30th, 2017 450   Sonix*   lapis lazuli*

*Cosmos and Wrath were both unable to attend, so the key was passed down to the 3rd place finisher, Koolaid.
*Cosmos was unable to attend, so the key was passed down to the runner-up, Zage.
*Sonix and lapis lazuli both declined their keys, so it was passed down to the 3rd place finisher, Locus.

GalleryEdit

  • Panda's former logo.

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ Announcement of partnership
  2. ^ Teaser.
  3. ^ Panda's restructuring.
  4. ^ https://twitter.com/PandaGlobal/status/1257751153498087424]
  5. ^ https://twitter.com/kongmunism/status/1599838305910423552?s=20

External linksEdit

ReferencesEdit

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