Team:Panda: Difference between revisions
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| image = PandaHD.png | | image = PandaHD.png | ||
| location = United States {{Flag|USA}} | | location = United States {{Flag|USA}} | ||
| owners = | | owners = David Wu ({{Sm|Mashumaro}}) | ||
| manager = | | manager = | ||
| 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] | | 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'' | | 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'' | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Panda''', formerly '''Panda Global''' ('''PG'''), | '''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. | ||
Panda entered the | 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. | ||
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.<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. | |||
On | 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== | ||
{{out of date|November 2023|Most staff left, though we don't have any information about those}} | |||
| | |||
*{{Sm|Juggleguy|USA|c1=Captain Falcon|g=SSBM}} | *{{Sm|Juggleguy|USA|c1=Captain Falcon|g=SSBM}} | ||
*{{Sm|BOAT|USA|c1=Toon Link|g=SSBU}} (Merchandise coordinator) | *{{Sm|BOAT|USA|c1=Toon Link|g=SSBU}} (Merchandise coordinator) | ||
==Former smashers== | ==Former smashers== | ||
Line 173: | Line 122: | ||
|2020-05-05 | |2020-05-05 | ||
|2022-12-02 | |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|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|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|suar|USA|c1=Sheik|g=SSB4}} (PG Stats director, joined May 7th, 2016) | ||
Line 181: | Line 155: | ||
*{{Sm|Tetra|France|c1=Captain Falcon|c2=Bowser|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|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|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== | ||
Line 197: | Line 193: | ||
*Faye Mata <small>''Voice Actor''</small> | *Faye Mata <small>''Voice Actor''</small> | ||
*Anna Cramling <small>''Chess''</small> | *Anna Cramling <small>''Chess''</small> | ||
*Wolfe Glick (WolfeyVGC) <small>''Pokémon''</small> | |||
==PG Key== | ==PG Key== | ||
Line 214: | 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== |
Latest revision as of 21:54, July 4, 2024
Panda | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Location | United States |
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 smashers[edit]
Former smashers[edit]
Pro smashers[edit]
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 smashers[edit]
Alpharad
(content director, joined June 30th, 2016)
Bear
(Team manager, tournament director, FGC manager)
suar
(PG Stats director, joined May 7th, 2016)
Zan
(PG Stats analyst, joined May 7th, 2016)
Tetra
(PG Stats, joined June 2nd, 2016)
juddy (PG Stats statistician, joined June 2nd, 2016)
Stimpy
(Actor Asa Butterfield, content creator)
FullStream
(Rivals of Aether player)
Chia
(Joined May 5th, 2020)
Simply
(Mario 64 speedrunner, content creator)
Tantalus (PG Tournament Organizer)
turndownforwalt
(Content creator)
BobbyWasabi
(Video editor)
VikkiKitty
(Commentator, content creator)
TKbreezy
(Commentator, content creator)
Coney
(Creative Lead, commentator)
PracticalTAS (PGstats mathematician)
Daramgaria
(Commentator, content creator)
Jackie Peanuts
(PGstats director)
Brentos
(PGstats Melee Content Writer)
Jut
(Social media manager)
Jaaahsh
(Community organizer, player manager)
Little Z
(Content creator)
KingKirb64
(PG Hardware Engineer)
Kantrip
(Influencer; joined May 2020[4], left December 2022[5])
Spike (PGstats designer)
Dom
(PGstats writer, joined May 7th, 2016)
fyazko (content creator, joined June 2nd, 2016)
Keith (lead graphics artist, project manager)
PSI
(graphics artist)
Other famous players[edit]
- 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 Key[edit]
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 | ||
PG Key to GENESIS 4 | January 1st-5th, 2017 | 986 | ||
PG Key to Frostbite 2017 | February 12th-17th, 2017 | 740 | ||
PG Key to 2GGC: Civil War | March 5th-8th, 2017 | 620 | ||
PG Key to Midwest Mayhem 8 | March 18th-30th, 2017 | 450 |
*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.
Gallery[edit]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
- Official website
- PGstats website
- Twitter account
- PGstats.com Twitter account
- YouTube channel
- Twitch channel
- Panda entry at the Smash Liquipedia section