After a five-month search for a new sponsor, professional Super Smash Bros. Melee player Justin “Wizzrobe” Hallett has found his team. In a taped announcement, the Floridian Captain Falcon main told viewers that he had been signed to Excelerate Gaming, a fledgling esports organization based in Seattle, Washington.
Excelerate Gaming (stylized ExG) is far from Wizzrobe’s first sponsor. In the past, the young competitor has been sponsored by organizations such as Clash Tournaments and COGnitive Gaming. Between July 2017 and June of this year, he was supported by Fry’s Electronics, a California-based big-box and electronics retailer.
“They’re a newer team,” said Wizzrobe in his announcement video. “Now they’re not very big, but I really do see a good amount of potential in this team.” Excelerate has been in existence since June, and Wizzrobe is its first fighting game player, though it fields teams in several first-person shooters, including Counter Strike: GO, Halo, and Rainbow Six.
“We already have planned a giveaway for a Nintendo Switch and Ultimate,” said Wizzrobe.
Wizzrobe is not the only Smash player on Excelerate’s growing roster. Shortly after his announcement, New Jersey Marth player Jude “Greasy” Pasternak announced that he would be joining the team as a streamer.
Wizzrobe is a prolific competitor and a demigod of the game; this past summer, he was ranked seventh on the midyear Melee Panda Global Rankings, and he double-eliminated Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma to win OpTic Arena in June. With the support of a new team, Wizzrobe will be able to attend more events and refine his precise punish game even further.
