Hello everyone!

As the title indicates, I am now a free agent. I’ll get all the basics out of the way, and then talk a bit more about my where my journey as an ~esports guy~ is taking me.

First of all, VGBC and I are parting on amicable terms. My priorities, as well as VGBC’s, are heading in different directions, but the people who comprise VGBC are great friends of mine and that doesn’t change. I want to express my gratitude for all the work that everyone on the crew has put into making this past year so amazing. It was an honor to be a part of an organization with such deep roots to the smash community, and just as it serves the community well, VGBC really supports its players.

Logistical note – if you haven’t noticed, I have changed my Twitter handle to @rishissb. I want to make it a bit easier for people to search me, because my display name isn’t always “Rishi.” Also, I’ve already changed my Twitch to “Rishi,” and my YouTube is youtube.com/c/rishissb. So yeah, just trying to implement some consistency. Considering I “officially” changed my tag to Rishi a year ago (when I signed with VGBC!), it seems like about time.

So where do we go from here?

I’m really happy with my involvement in smash over the last year. I’ve continued to compete and I have improved a great deal. I’ve written and edited numerous analytical pieces on the Dignitas site. I commentated top 8 qualifying matches at a supermajor. I started a weekly smash podcast with Zane. It’s been awesome.

Because it’s been so awesome, I’m going to continue doing these things that I love.

I’m going to continue competing and continue improving. Over the last several months I feel as if I’ve achieved some breakthroughs in my competitive mindset and in my gameplay. lloD and I have paved a path for ourselves as staples in the top tier of teams play, and we aren’t anywhere near finished – we won’t stop until you are consistently seeing us in finals. In singles, I’ve been dedicating a lot of time to dual-maining Fox and Marth. My main priority has been focused on producing gameplay that I am happy with, rather than focusing just on results. Each tournament is a learning experience and I continue to strive toward the ideal of gameplay I can be proud of. In pursuing this goal, my results actually do improve.

I want to commentate at more big events. If you know me, you probably know that analysis and entertainment are two big passions of mine. I commentated at Smash’n’Splash 4 and absolutely loved it. I’m hoping to carry that momentum forward. I’m going to be careful about balancing how many events I enter and whether I’m commentating, but it honestly worked out beautifully at Smash’n’Splash 4. That is largely thanks to the casting team who worked with my schedule, and a refreshed competitive mindset that allowed me to stay more loose throughout the event. I’ll talk more about this is an upcomingTM bl0g post.

Producing ‘analog’ every week with Zane has been huge. It is so much fun, and I think it is a much-needed outlet for us, and for the smash community. What I really love about it is that we have the full freedom to talk about whatever we want on a platform that people enjoy. Zane and I are both smash nerds, so we geek out about frame data. But we’re also both advocates for a safe, positive environment for smashers, and we tackle social issues such as gender equality and toxicity in the community. We are always brainstorming on ways to expand, but in the meantime we’ll continue to produce the show that we love. Thanks especially to everyone who listens in and engages with us on the topics we raise.

I’m not going to make any promises about streaming more, because whenever I do, I end up not streaming. So here’s what I’ll say – one of my goals is to turn streaming into a fun, cathartic outlet for me. I think I have a lot more to offer to the Melee community, and I certainly want to give back to the people who have somehow remained subbed to me on Twitch despite my currently inconsistent schedule. I have also been inspired by Kalindi’s stream and YouTube, and want to inspire more people to create instructive, analytical content like him. I have a lot to say about Melee, and many other games… as you might already know.

I will continue to produce written analytical content, and content on my experiences competing. I’ve gotten great feedback for both, and I love writing both. Writing more is another goal of mine, because I find great joy in the act of writing. I also like teaching. So there you have it. By the way, you can subscribe to this bl0g for free. You just have to find the button somewhere on the page. Oh and yeah I have a Patreon for the bl0g too (patreon.com/supersmashblog), in case you want to support my writing. Content is still free, but if you want to patronize me I won’t refuse!

Lastly, a question some people may be wondering: am I looking for a new team? Well, yes and no. One of the purposes of this bl0g post is to describe to you, dear reader, the ways in which I enjoy contributing to the smash community. I’m not interested in a team that will list out my results and say, “okay, these results are worth this amount of $$,” because tournament placements are not my passion. I am passionate about competing, improving, writing, analyzing, commentating, advocating, and smashing. If any teams or organizations are interested in working with me on the types of projects I pursue, I would be more than happy to discuss. At the end of the day, my goal is to find ways to support the continued pursuit of my passions. In the meantime, I’m going to keep doing my thing.

Thanks for reading, and thanks again to VGBC for all the support!