eSports outfit Echo Fox have made an aggressive move into fighting games, unveiling eight significant new signings.
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The new signings are Street Fighter V pros Justin Wong, Hajime ‘Tokido’ Taniguchi, Yusuke Momochi, and Yuko ‘ChocoBlanka’ Momochi; Mortal Kombat X players Dominique ‘SonicFox’ McLean and Brad ‘Scar’ Vaughn; Super Smash Bros Wii U player Leonardo ‘MKLeo’ Lopez Perez; and former Evil Geniuses fighting game manager Antonio Javier.
Speaking to Yahoo eSports, Echo Fox founder Rick Fox says “from day one, our goal has always been to build the premier eSports organisation in the world, setting the new standard for professionalism, team achievement and player development and wellness. Today’s announcement demonstrates our willingness to think big, think global and execute a strategic battle plan.”
Wong is the biggest coup, with a long history of achievement in Street Fighter and Marvel vs Capcom fighting games. Asked about his reasons for leaving his former team Evil Geniuses, Wong cited a desire for change and the prospect of leaving his job at Nvidia to become a full-time pro gamer.
“I’m actually thinking about it. I’m not going to lie. I’ve been really close to making that decision because of how much support I’m getting from Echo Fox and the potential future of fighting games and eSports,” says Wong.
Echo Fox’s commitment to players is good to see, and will hopefully become a trend as eSports continue to grow and other teams realise how important it is to retain top talent.