Super Smash Bros. Ultimate pro Edgar “Sparg0” Valdez has joined FaZe Clan as the organization’s very first Super Smash Bros. player, the organization announced Sunday.
The announcement came live at Genesis 8 just before Sparg0’s winners semis match against Salvatore “Zomba” DeSena. After the announcement video was broadcast on Beyond the Summit’s Smash Twitch channel and to attendees in the San Jose Civic, Sparg0 took off his hoodie to reveal a FaZe Clan jersey underneath. He went on to beat Zomba in a close, five-game set.
Sparg0 was previously sponsored by XTR Esports, a minor organization based in Tijuana, Mexico. However, the 16-year-old prodigy has made his debut on a professional esports team by joining FaZe Clan. With Sparg0’s addition, FaZe Clan now has players in Smash Ultimate, Call of Duty, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, VALORANT, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Rainbow Six Siege, FIFA, Fortnite and Rocket League.
READY TO FIGHT
Introducing FaZe Clan's first professional Smash player, @Sparg0ssb. #FaZeUp pic.twitter.com/6JZkviLBoa
— FaZe Clan (@FaZeClan) April 17, 2022
Sparg0’s road to FaZe Clan
Sparg0 found moderate success in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and in the early years of Smash Ultimate. However, he rose to international prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic due to his high placements in online tournaments. He finished as No. 1 in the world on both the Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v6 and the Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v7.
When offline tournaments returned in the summer of 2021, Sparg0 proved his online tournament results were no fluke. He placed a commendable fifth at the Smash World Tour Central America Ultimate Regional Finals. Afterward, he placed in the top three of every other tournament he entered in 2021.
Although a major victory eluded him, Sparg0 was considered the second-best player in the world by the end of 2021. He finally secured his first major win at Smash Ultimate Summit 4 in March of 2022, then followed it up with another win at Collision 2022 one week later. Going forward this year, FaZe Clan’s Sparg0 will look to usurp his Mexican compatriot, Leonardo “MkLeo” López Pérez, as the best player in the world.
