Panda
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]
History[edit]
Player Roster[edit]
Former[edit]
Former Players | Former Players | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Main | Join Date | Leave Date | New Team | ||||||
![]() Shane Bruce | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Join Date: 2015-06-24 | Leave Date: 2017-01-02 | |||||||
![]() Alberto Miliziano | ![]() | Join Date: 2016-06-22 | Leave Date: 2017-01-02 | |||||||
![]() Rich Brown | ![]() | Join Date: 2017-01-17 | Leave Date: 2017-10-17 | |||||||
![]() Jestise Negron | ![]() | Join Date: 2015-06-24 | Leave Date: 2019-01-04 | |||||||
![]() Robert Wright | ![]() | Join Date: 2015-11-02 | Leave Date: 2019-01-04 | |||||||
![]() Zain Naghmi | ![]() | Join Date: 2018-04-12 | Leave Date: 2019-11-08 | |||||||
![]() Brian Kalu | ![]() | Join Date: 2018-07-26 | Leave Date: 2019-11-08 | |||||||
![]() Dan Hoyt | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Join Date: 2017-01-17 | Leave Date: 2020-07-08 | |||||||
![]() Asa Butterfield | ![]() | Join Date: 2019-02-01 | Leave Date: 20??-??-?? | |||||||
![]() | ![]() | Join Date: 2019-07-19 | Leave Date: 2021-07-16 | |||||||
![]() Joshua Thompson | ![]() | Join Date: 201?-??-?? | Leave Date: 2021-07-16 | |||||||
![]() Cody Schwab | ![]() | Join Date: 2020-05-05 | Leave Date: 2022-12-02 | |||||||
![]() Chris Boston | ![]() ![]() | Join Date: 2021-04-02 | Leave Date: 2022-12-02 | |||||||
![]() Justin McGrath | ![]() ![]() | Join Date: 2015-06-30 | Leave Date: 2022-12-03 | |||||||
![]() Eric Lew | ![]() | Join Date: 2015-06-24 | Leave Date: 2023-01-15 | |||||||
![]() Tyler Martins | ![]() | Join Date: 2019-03-22 | Leave Date: 2023-01-16 |
Organization[edit]
Active[edit]
Organization | Organization | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ID | Name | Position | Join Date | |||||||
![]() | ( Alan Bunney) | Owner & Co-founder | Join Date: |
|||||||
![]() | ( Robert Wilson) | PGStats Lead Producer | Join Date: 2021-06-01 |
|||||||
![]() | ( Trevor Lukan) | Social media manager | Join Date: |
|||||||
![]() | Social media manager | Join Date: |
||||||||
![]() | ( Maxwell Tuttle) | PGStats Editor | Join Date: |
|||||||
![]() | ( Ryan Krichbaum) | PGStats VO | Join Date: |
Former[edit]
Former Organization | Former Organization | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ID | Name | Position | Join Date | Leave Date | New Team | |||||
![]() | ( Thomas Tischio) | PGStats Director | Join Date: | Leave Date: 2023-01-02[49] |
||||||
![]() | 3D Artist | Join Date: | Leave Date: 2022-12-31[50] |
|||||||
![]() | ( Zak Zeeks) | Commentator & content creator | Join Date: 2019-03-22 | Leave Date: 2022-12-31[51] |
||||||
![]() | ( Terrence Kershaw) | Commentator & content creator | Join Date: 2022-06-16 | Leave Date: 2022-12-31[52] |
||||||
![]() | ( Brent Vickers) | PGStats Writer | Join Date: 2022-05-02 | Leave Date: 2022-12-31[53] |
||||||
![]() | ( Josh) | Director of Talent Management & head TO | Join Date: | Leave Date: 2022-12-31[54] |
||||||
![]() | ( Zach) | Content creator | Join Date: 2020-12-03 | Leave Date: 2022-12-05 |
||||||
![]() | ( Chris Okamura) | Head of socials | Join Date: | Leave Date: 2022-12-03 |
||||||
dara | Thumbnail designer | Join Date: | Leave Date: 2022-12-03 |
|||||||
cinnarin | PGStats VO & PGStats Writer | Join Date: 2022-05-02 | Leave Date: 2022-12-03 |
|||||||
![]() | ( Victoria Perez) | Commentator | Join Date: 2022-06-16 | Leave Date: 2022-12-03 |
||||||
![]() | ( 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 |
||||||
![]() | ( Jacob Rabon IV) | Creative director & co-owner | Join Date: 2018-06-28 | Leave Date: 2020-12-??[55] |
Gallery[edit]
Logos[edit]
Panda logo prior to December 3, 2020
References[edit]
- ↑ MVD, ESAM and SS join Panda Global
- ↑ Plup joins Panda Gaming
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Smash World Tour announces the cancellation of the Championships
- ↑ The Verge's article on Smash World Tour cancellation
- ↑ Esports Insider's article on Smash World Tour cancellation
- ↑ LD's tweet regarding SWT's allegations
- ↑ nazhjin's tweet regarding SWT's allegations
- ↑ Kotaku article about event boycott
- ↑ Dexterto article on the controversy
- ↑ Matt T.M. Kim (2022-12-02). "Nintendo Issues Full Statement Over Smash World Tour Cancellation". IGN. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
- ↑ "Official response statement by Panda Global". Panda Global. 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
- ↑ Tkbreey's statement about SWT's statements
- ↑ ESAM's "what was that" tweet
- ↑ iBDW's response to Panda statement
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 iBDW leaves Panda
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 WaDi leaves Panda
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 turndownforwalt leaves Panda Global
- ↑ ESAM leaves Panda
- ↑ Marss leaves Panda
- ↑ TKbreezy and VikkiKitty join Panda
- ↑ Plup leaves Panda
- ↑ TKbreezy leaves Panda
- ↑ cinnarin leaves Panda
- ↑ Dara leaves Panda
- ↑ Vikki leaves Panda
- ↑ Tisch leaves Panda
- ↑ KidLiquid leaves Panda
- ↑ JD leaves Panda
- ↑ Alan no longer CEO
- ↑ Little Z leaves Panda
- ↑ WaDi joins Panda
- ↑ turndownforwalt joins Panda Global
- ↑ Prince and Panda part ways
- ↑ iBDW, Juggleguy, Chia, and Kantrip join Panda Global
- ↑ SuPeRbOoMfAn and Panda Global part ways
- ↑ Panda Global parts ways with MVD and Wobbles
- ↑ Stimpy joins Panda Global
- ↑ Marss and Coney join Panda Global
- ↑ Prince joins Panda Global
- ↑ Panda Global parts ways with Zain and Cosmos
- ↑ Zain joins Panda Global
- ↑ Alpharad joins Panda Global
- ↑ Cosmos joins Panda Global
- ↑ Panda Global Says Farewell To Trela and SS
- ↑ SuPeRbOoMfAn and Rich Brown join Panda Global
- ↑ Rich Brown parts ways with Panda Global
- ↑ Trela joins Panda Global
- ↑ Wobbles coming back to competitive Smash, joins Panda Global
- ↑ Tisch leaves Panda Global
- ↑ https://twitter.com/JDMH_/status/1599199236259606528
- ↑ Coney leaves Panda Global
- ↑ TKbreezy leaves Panda Global
- ↑ https://twitter.com/brentos_fresh/status/1599188467463835649 brentos leaves
- ↑ Jaaahsh leaves Panda Global
- ↑ Alpharad announces he has been hands off of panda for a few years