Dabuz signs with Vanquish Gaming

North American esports organization Vanquish Gaming is making its first move into Super Smash Bros., picking up top eight Smash 4 player Samuel “Dabuz” Buzby.

Vanquish owner David Mullican tells the Daily Dot that signing Buzby marks a “new era” for his organization.

“We decided as a group a little over a month ago that we were going to search out the best talent in the Smash 4 scene,” Mullican says. “That search quickly led us to Dabuz. He is one of the most accomplished players in the scene with achievements dating all the way back to 2011 and with 30-plus first-place finishes over the course of three different Smash titles just goes to solidify his legendary status in the Smash scene. In my mind it was a no brainer to go for Dabuz.”

Buzby is best known for his play on characters Rosalina & Luma and Olimar in the series’s Wii U version Smash 4, as well as previous competition with Olimar and Pit in the Wii version, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Buzby tells the Daily Dot that he’s excited for the opportunity to represent the organization in its first Smash 4 endeavor.

“I’ve been putting a lot of time and dedication into Smash for seven years, and with Smash 4, I set out with a goal to make a name for myself.” Buzby said. “Being noticed by a great team and being given this opportunity is both proof of that and an honor.”

Over the past year, he’s consistently placed top eight at major tournaments, playing against the likes of Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios, Nairoby “Nairo” Quezada, Ramin “Mr. R” Delshad, and more. Buzby took second place at Apex 2015 in February and recently took third at Community Effort Orlando 2015 and fifth at Evo 2015.

Buzby’s signing is part of a growing trend of organizations acquiring top tier Smash 4 players. In the past few months, most of the top eight players have been picked up by esports organizations, including some major names in esports. Notable teams include Team SoloMid, LowLandLions, Panda Global Gaming, and Borreal eSports.

“I’m thankful for them helping me continue to put my name on the map and the opportunities that are now available to me, and I’ll do my best to put both their name and mine on the map and represent us with pride,” Buzby says about his new organization, “The future’s looking bright and I’m going to be making the best of it for Vanquish gaming and my fans!”

His first tournament under the Vanquish brand will be this week at SmashCon, where he’ll compete in the Smash 4 Singles Bracket beginning Aug. 7.

Want to learn more about this story? Buzby will join the Daily Dot’s The Loadout Twitch show for an interview this afternoon at 5pm ET/2pm PT. Tune in here.