ESAM, MVD, and Samsora re-sign with their Smash Ultimate sponsors

The year only just began and yet, the competitive Super Smash Bros. scene has been very active. Every week has seen a couple of events and we're barely two weeks into 2020.

With the year kicking into gear, player sponsorships are being re-signed, renegotiated or left to end. 2020 is packed with big tournaments and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate isn't being left behind. This weekend we have Frosty Faustings XII and the week after are both Genesis 7 and EVO Japan 2020. 

A couple of pro players have already begun to announce their new sponsorships. In the case of Eric “ESAM” Lew, Jestise “MVD” Negron, and Ezra “Samsora” Morris, they've all renewed their deals with their sponsors from last year. 

ESAM has been with Panda Global since its inception in 2015, so theirs is a long-standing relationship. As one of the top 20 Smash players right now, it makes sense that his sponsors are staying put. Besides shattering the tournament dreams of many, he's also a popular content creator, giving his team several opportunities to spread their brand name around. 

MVD was also signed to Panda Global at the same time as ESAM, but he parted ways with the organization in January 2019. After a brief stint with World Best Gaming, MVD eventually joined Thunder Gaming in August 2019. 

What's surprising about his extension is that Thunder Gaming lost its other players and talent for a variety of reasons that seemed to revolve around its focus on publicity and not sustainability. With the organization's intentions in question, MVD has stated his intent to help change Thunder Gaming's questionable reputation in the fighting game community.  

Samsora is one of the top five Smash players on the globe and could make his way into the top three soon. He's also one of the few players that have been able to win sets against the number one player,  Leonardo “MKLeo” Lopez to win a Major. Signing up with eUnited in 2019 marked the first and only sponsorship of his professional Smash career. 

Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour 2019/2020 and the Mortal Kombat 11 circuit will be coming to a close in February and March respectively. This could lead to many more changes in sponsorship deals and team rosters afterward. SNK World Championship 2019/2020 also ends in late March while Capcom Pro Tour 2020 begins right before it.