Panda

From Liquipedia Smash Wiki
For the Melee player, see Panda.
[e][h]Panda
Team Information
Location:
Team Captain:
Links
History
Created:
2015-06-30
Disbanded:
2023-01-16

Panda, formerly Panda Global, is an esports team with players in Super Smash Bros. and the FGC.

Overview[edit]

Panda entered Smash as a team by picking up, ESAM, MVD, and SS on June 24, 2015.[1] They later expanded into Melee by picking up Sheik player Plup.[2]

Panda also makes the Panda Global Rankings, a list that ranks the Top 50 Wii U players in the world, and the PGRU, which lists the top 50 Ultimate player in the world. In 2022, they worked with Nintendo to organize the Panda Cup circuit.

2022 Controversy[edit]

On November 29, 2022, the Smash World Tour organization announced the abrupt cancellation of both the 2022 Smash World Championships and a potential 2023 Smash World Tour.[3][4][5] In their official statement, they accused Nintendo of forcing them to do so, while also accusing Panda's CEO and co-founder Alan "SamuraiPanda" Bunney of attempting to sabotage the SWT throughout 2022 by trying to discourage major tournament organizers from joining the SWT, claiming that the circuit would be shut down. SWT also accused Bunney of attempting to seize broadcasting rights from Beyond The Summit for several tournaments partnered with Panda, and operating in an unscrupulous manner.[3] These accusations were corroborated by officials from both BTS and Golden Guardians.[6][7]

The allegations resulted in strong backlash against Panda from players and fans. A number of top players consequently decided to boycott the Panda Cup Finale, the event acting as the culmination of the Panda Cup circuit. Similarly, some players decided to withdraw from the Last Chance Qualifiers for the Panda Cup.[8][9]

In the days following SWT's statement, both Panda and Nintendo would deny all allegations of wrongdoing, claiming that the Smash World Tour's cancellation was SWT's own decision.[10][11] Nintendo did not directly address the accusations towards Bunney, while Panda denied all of them. However, the interaction between BTS and Bunney was acknowledged, with Panda even admitting that the latter "spoke in a manner which did not reflect either guidance from Nintendo or our own standards". Both Panda and Nintendo's responses were received negatively, and led to further backlash from the community. Some broadcast talent and players employed by Panda also voiced their disapproval on social media.[12][13][14] Notably, iBDW, WaDi, and Plup all decided to become free agents after Panda issued their statement.[15][16] Lead PGStats content producer for Melee, turndownforwalt, also left Panda at this time.[17]

On December 4, 2023, exactly one year following the cancellations, Panda released a statement on twitter signifying the shutdown of the PGstats webstie at the start of 2024. A bomber jacket, orginally intended to be sold at the Finale, was also put on sale for $60 on their main website. [18]

History[edit]

Player Roster[edit]

Former[edit]

Former PlayersFormer Players
PlayerMainJoin DateLeave DateNew Team
United States SS
Shane Bruce
VillagerNessCloud
Join Date: 
2015-06-24
Leave Date: 
2017-01-02
United States Trela
Alberto Miliziano
Ryu
Join Date: 
2016-06-22
Leave Date: 
2017-01-02
United States Rich Brown
Rich Brown
Mewtwo
Join Date: 
2017-01-17
Leave Date: 
2017-10-17
United States MVD
Jestise Negron
Diddy Kong
Join Date: 
2015-06-24
Leave Date: 
2019-01-04
 
World Best GamingWorld Best Gaming World Best Gaming
United States Wobbles
Robert Wright
Ice Climbers
Join Date: 
2015-11-02
Leave Date: 
2019-01-04
United States Zain
Zain Naghmi
Marth
Join Date: 
2018-04-12
Leave Date: 
2019-11-08
 
Golden GuardiansGolden Guardians Golden Guardians
United States Cosmos
Brian Kalu
Pyra and MythraInkling
Join Date: 
2018-07-26
Leave Date: 
2019-11-08
 
beastcoastbeastcoast beastcoast
Canada SuPeRbOoMfAn
Dan Hoyt
Captain FalconPikachuKirby
Join Date: 
2017-01-17
Leave Date: 
2020-07-08
United Kingdom Stimpy
Asa Butterfield
Pikachu
Join Date: 
2019-02-01
Leave Date: 
20??-??-??
Japan PrinceYoshi
Join Date: 
2019-07-19
Leave Date: 
2021-07-16
United States FullStream
Joshua Thompson
Inkling
Join Date: 
201?-??-??
Leave Date: 
2021-07-16
United States iBDW
Cody Schwab
Fox
Join Date: 
2020-05-05
Leave Date: 
2022-12-02
 
Counter Logic GamingCounter Logic Gaming Counter Logic Gaming
United States WaDi
Chris Boston
R.O.B.Mewtwo
Join Date: 
2021-04-02
Leave Date: 
2022-12-02
United States Plup
Justin McGrath
SheikFox
Join Date: 
2015-06-30
Leave Date: 
2022-12-03
United States ESAM
Eric Lew
Pikachu
Join Date: 
2015-06-24
Leave Date: 
2023-01-15
United States Marss
Tyler Martins
Zero Suit Samus
Join Date: 
2019-03-22
Leave Date: 
2023-01-16

Organization[edit]

Active[edit]

Organization Organization
ID Name Position Join Date
United States SamuraiPanda
(
Alan Bunney
)
Owner & Co-founder
Join Date: 
United States BobbyWasabi
(
Robert Wilson
)
PGStats Lead Producer
Join Date: 
2021-06-01
Canada Kantrip
(
Trevor Lukan
)
Social media manager
Join Date: 
United States JutSocial media manager
Join Date: 
United States Fizz
(
Maxwell Tuttle
)
PGStats Editor
Join Date: 
United States L4st
(
Ryan Krichbaum
)
PGStats VO
Join Date: 

Former[edit]

Former Organization Former Organization
ID Name Position Join Date Leave Date New Team
United States Tisch
(
Thomas Tischio
)
PGStats Director
Join Date: 
Leave Date: 
2023-01-02[50]
United States JD3D Artist
Join Date: 
Leave Date: 
2022-12-31[51]
United States Coney
(
Zak Zeeks
)
Commentator & content creator
Join Date: 
2019-03-22
Leave Date: 
2022-12-31[52]
United States TKbreezy
(
Terrence Kershaw
)
Commentator & content creator
Join Date: 
2022-06-16
Leave Date: 
2022-12-31[53]
United States brentos
(
Brent Vickers
)
PGStats Writer
Join Date: 
2022-05-02
Leave Date: 
2022-12-31[54]
United States Jaaahsh
(
Josh
)
Director of Talent Management & head TO
Join Date: 
Leave Date: 
2022-12-31[55]
Australia Little Z
(
Zach
)
Content creator
Join Date: 
2020-12-03
Leave Date: 
2022-12-05
United States KidLiquid
(
Chris Okamura
)
Head of socials
Join Date: 
Leave Date: 
2022-12-03
daraThumbnail designer
Join Date: 
Leave Date: 
2022-12-03
cinnarinPGStats VO & PGStats Writer
Join Date: 
2022-05-02
Leave Date: 
2022-12-03
United States VikkiKitty
(
Victoria Perez
)
Commentator
Join Date: 
2022-06-16
Leave Date: 
2022-12-03
United States turndownforwalt
(
Walter Brandsema
)
PGStats Lead Producer & commentator
Join Date: 
2021-04-03
Leave Date: 
2022-12-02
paula
(
Paula Valbuena
)
Thumbnail designer
Join Date: 
Leave Date: 
2022-12-02
United States Alpharad
(
Jacob Rabon IV
)
Creative director & co-owner
Join Date: 
2018-06-28
Leave Date: 
2020-12-??[56]

Gallery[edit]

Logos[edit]

References[edit]

  1. MVD, ESAM and SS join Panda Global
  2. Plup joins Panda Gaming
  3. 3.0 3.1 Smash World Tour announces the cancellation of the Championships
  4. The Verge's article on Smash World Tour cancellation
  5. Esports Insider's article on Smash World Tour cancellation
  6. LD's tweet regarding SWT's allegations
  7. nazhjin's tweet regarding SWT's allegations
  8. Kotaku article about event boycott
  9. Dexterto article on the controversy
  10. Matt T.M. Kim (2022-12-02). "Nintendo Issues Full Statement Over Smash World Tour Cancellation". IGN. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  11. "Official response statement by Panda Global". Panda Global. 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  12. Tkbreey's statement about SWT's statements
  13. ESAM's "what was that" tweet
  14. iBDW's response to Panda statement
  15. 15.0 15.1 iBDW leaves Panda
  16. 16.0 16.1 WaDi leaves Panda
  17. 17.0 17.1 turndownforwalt leaves Panda Global
  18. Panda announces the shutdown of PGstats
  19. ESAM leaves Panda
  20. Marss leaves Panda
  21. TKbreezy and VikkiKitty join Panda
  22. Plup leaves Panda
  23. TKbreezy leaves Panda
  24. cinnarin leaves Panda
  25. Dara leaves Panda
  26. Vikki leaves Panda
  27. Tisch leaves Panda
  28. KidLiquid leaves Panda
  29. JD leaves Panda
  30. Alan no longer CEO
  31. Little Z leaves Panda
  32. WaDi joins Panda
  33. turndownforwalt joins Panda Global
  34. Prince and Panda part ways
  35. iBDW, Juggleguy, Chia, and Kantrip join Panda Global
  36. SuPeRbOoMfAn and Panda Global part ways
  37. Panda Global parts ways with MVD and Wobbles
  38. Stimpy joins Panda Global
  39. Marss and Coney join Panda Global
  40. Prince joins Panda Global
  41. Panda Global parts ways with Zain and Cosmos
  42. Zain joins Panda Global
  43. Alpharad joins Panda Global
  44. Cosmos joins Panda Global
  45. Panda Global Says Farewell To Trela and SS
  46. SuPeRbOoMfAn and Rich Brown join Panda Global
  47. Rich Brown parts ways with Panda Global
  48. Trela joins Panda Global
  49. Wobbles coming back to competitive Smash, joins Panda Global
  50. Tisch leaves Panda Global
  51. https://twitter.com/JDMH_/status/1599199236259606528
  52. Coney leaves Panda Global
  53. TKbreezy leaves Panda Global
  54. https://twitter.com/brentos_fresh/status/1599188467463835649 brentos leaves
  55. Jaaahsh leaves Panda Global
  56. Alpharad announces he has been hands off of panda for a few years