Regarding Umisho: With the current information available to the public, we have decided to issue a 6-month ban on UMISHO from our online events. The ban is set to expire April 14, 2025. Based on the AWT guidelines, we argue that UMISHO violated the Code of Conduct*: Personal conduct, whether inside or outside of the Tournament, that reflects or may reflect badly on the Games’ communities or on ASW, including communications on social media. This ban will be revisited at the end of AWT 2024; if more information comes out between now and then, or there is no improvement or accountability taken from the individual, the ban may be extended indefinitely. We also urge ArcSystem Works to visit this issue. As it stands, no company should have more authority to deal with an issue this large within their own community than a developer who is actively running a large-scale tour for their players. ParagOnline GGST Ban Transparency: ParagOnline Strive began in the middle of the community unrest. We did not participate in the Strive TOcord as we did not have a weekly Strive tournament before the current events. Because there had been no changes from the initial ban placed on RedIamNot, we originally chose to allow either player into our events as there had been, as far as Paragon management was aware, no decision made by major tournament organizers, the developers, or law enforcement who were all more equipped than us to deal with the issues surrounding UMISHO. We run our tournaments as a free resource for select communities in which we field players Under typical conditions, Paragon generally aligns its bans with the largest entities with a few exceptions: this means large-scale tournaments, their tournament organizers, and the developer of the game. Due to the caliber of our own players, this was a policy created to prevent any biases that may benefit ourselves in a tournament series run by us as well as the fact that we did not want to break what we consider a standard presented by the developer and community figureheads of the game that we support. For a ban to be placed on UMISHO, we asked ourselves multiple questions: due to our lack of involvement, is it appropriate for a company that did not participate in any original ban to rule on a situation in which we do not have any stake? What is the risk involved? How are our participants impacted? What is the most fair resolution should we decide to get involved? We believe one of the largest issues that the community currently faces is how the ongoing situation has been handled. As it stands, the current issues have festered with the hope that they would eventually go away. With action being stalled, the health of the community has suffered. This situation is an issue that does not stay with the individuals involved: it has impacted players, tournament staff, viewers of the game, and practically all GGST community members. With no guidance provided by ArcSystem Works, we ultimately have decided to do what we believe is the correct action to take and hope others can create a resolution. As stated previously, we did not have any involvement with any initial bans or rulings. *The Official AWT Rules can be read here: https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/awt2024/assets/pdf/AWT2024rules_ENG.pdf

Hikari chose to enter ParagOnline 2XKO yesterday under the alias “Nagi” after being explicitly informed that he was banned and not permitted to participate. Since Hikari is a proven ban evader with a history of infractions, we believe it is essential to share this information with the wider community. We are making this information public to inform other tournament organizers of his actions: Hikari was permanently banned and removed from Khalil’s DBFZ events in 2022 due to repeated disrespectful behavior towards Khalil and others during tournaments as well as transphobic comments made. In 2022, he was informed that he would not be allowed to participate in Khalil’s events: this includes the ParagOnline series which began in collaboration with Khalil at the end of 2023. During yesterday’s tournament, Hikari attempted to register but was blocked by start.gg. As a result, Hikari chose to ignore this as well as the DMs from Khalil stating that he would not be permitted to enter, and he chose to enter the tournament anyway under alias “Nagi” where he placed 2nd. We held an investigation after ParagOnline ended. We confirmed that Nagi was a burner account created by Hikari. This was confirmed through a Matcherino IP check, VOD reviews of previous 2XKO events, a known shared identity* “Maze” shown during screenshare, and a crosscheck on startgg. As a result of his actions, Hikari will not be eligible to be receive winnings from yesterday’s event. Payment will be revoked and split among the other Top 6 competitors; we apologize for the slight delay on payouts due to the investigation. Our main goal with the ParagOnline series is to provide a safe and rewarding opportunity for competitors to practice and play. We at Paragon want to make it clear that anyone found smurfing, using a burner account, or acting as an accomplice will face consequences. *Editor note: For additional clarification, we acknowledge that "Maze" or Mazetrapzz is a real, separate person. Hikari has been known to be a close friend to Mazetrapzz and even share/own an account with his name in 2021.

As technology advances, so will the equipment we use for daily activities, work, or gaming. Smaller, compact, and portable devices are ideal for the modern day. Thus, the Intel NUC was created to serve that purpose and more! The Intel NUC, known as "The Next Unit of Computing," is a much smaller computing system that delivers an ideal desktop setup experience to the user. Not only are these compact towers sustainable and ecologically friendly, but users can also upgrade and configure their devices to their liking. Additionally, with a 3-year warranty, both commercial and consumer buyers can find NUCs in various shapes and sizes to suit virtually any imaginable case. So, for gamers who want that RGB lighting, it's available! For those who prefer something more Boho or classy, there is a wood chassis available as well! You can find more information about the Intel NUCs here. “It’s truly an honor for Intel NUC to be chosen by Paragon, an established leader in the fighting game community, to deliver an exceptional gaming experience. Whether being set up for tournament play or taken on-the-go by players, commentators, and analysts, the Intel® NUC 12 Enthusiast (Serpent Canyon) delivers a great balance of portable small form factor design and purpose-built performance for esports.” – Justin Whitney, Enthusiast Segment Manager, Intel NUC Group. Here at Paragon, we focus on supporting the FGC and we are thrilled to announce our partnership with Intel NUC! The Intel NUC's compact design and exceptional performance make it the perfect choice for FGC enthusiasts. Whether it's setting up for intense tournament play or taking the action on-the-go for players, the Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast (Serpent Canyon) offers a remarkable balance of portability and purpose-built performance for the FGC. It ensures that every move, combo, and reaction is flawlessly executed, bringing out the full potential of every FGC competitor! "We're thrilled to announce that Paragon has partnered with Intel NUC. This partnership marks a major milestone for Paragon as we strive to provide our players, TO's, and fans within the FGC with the best possible experience. We are excited about the opportunities this will bring as we work together to push the boundaries of what is possible within the industry!" - Jeremy McLamb, PAR Chief Executive Officer & Bron Mitchel, PAR Chief Operations Officer Once again, we would like to say thank you to Intel for this amazing opportunity! You can watch the announcement video below.

Most people say "not to hate the player but to hate the game," but Metafy's philosophy is "not to hate the player but to master the game!" Founded in 2020, Metafy is widely known as the worldwide hub of top-tier players who offer coaching lessons for a wide selection of games and genres. Metafy is not limited to specific genres or games, and it also provides players and content creators with another outlet for funding. You have most likely seen your favorite FGC player offering coaching lessons through Metafy already! On Metafy, you can find many of our players, including Myran, best known for playing Olimar in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; SpencerScend, known for being a Ness main in Smash Bros. Ultimate; and Uncivil Ninja, known for his Shulk gameplay within Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Additionally, outside of our Smash players, we have PhiDX, the prince himself, known for his Noctis gameplay within Tekken 7; Ty, known for playing Bryan in Tekken 7; and FlashMetroid, who is known for his Ky in Guilty Gear Strive. At Paragon, we are focused on supporting the FGC, which is why we are excited to announce our sponsorship with Metafy! You can find all of our players who offer coaching under one easy-to-use Metafy page. Book your first coaching lesson with one of our Paragon experts! You can visit the Paragon Metafy team page here. You can watch the announcement video below.

Most people know that everything has an origin story, including legends, myths, and heroic tales. Today, we're diving into the origin story of Aaron, known as Aarondamac, within the FGC. Aaron joined Paragon in June 2022 and is best known for playing Leo Whitefang and Happy Chaos in Guilty Gear Strive. Aaron has always been naturally competitive due to growing up playing sports, so getting into fighting games came naturally. One of the first fighting games Aaron ever played was Injustice. Being a big fan of DC superheroes, he began learning the game with a group of close friends. One of Aaron's earliest experiences when entering the FGC was through a community of people who were part of the PSN community. Of course, being a part of this community expanded Aaron's interest in fighting games and left him wanting to play even more at a higher level. Aaron expressed how he met someone who was great at NRS games, had been a top player since MK9, and asked about playing a set with him. They both played a first-to-thirty-wins match, and during those sets, Aaron noticed how challenging his opponent was and wasn't discouraged. He fell in love with the genre of fighting games and since then has wanted to strive to be a better player. We asked Aaron what or who inspires his FGC career, and he stated that he didn't have anything specific. Aaron fell in love with the process of competing and improving. He has mentioned that Lord Knight would be his favorite creator because of how knowledgeable his content has been for him as a top GGST player. You can follow Aaron here: Twitter Twitch

Hi, my name is Miles! I go by KawaiiFaceMiles on the internet, and I am more known for competing in fighting games, specifically Tekken 7. I also love to play JRPGS and Apex Legends as well as survival horror games. I think the coolest thing about me is that not only did I fight amongst the greatest in competition for five years in the FGC in various tournaments, but I also won the FT3 Grand Finals against Cancer in 2022. I am also a survivor of domestic abuse. I make content for YouTube and TikTok, and I love to stream occasionally on Twitch and TikTok as well. Overall, I just want to keep being an advocate for women in the gaming space as well as a pillar of strength and inspiration to those in the LGBTQ Community as a Trans Woman! You can follow Miles here: Twitter YouTube Twitch Instagram TikTok

After a successful 2022, Phi "PhiDX" Lam looks to continue another year with Paragon following his re-signing announcement on Wednesday January 25. As a top level competitor, PhiDX stands out among the competition boasting high level mastery of Noctis, a Tekken 7 guest character hailing from the Final Fantasy series. His performance at the online tournament series InterContinental Fight Club Fall 2022 secured a 1st place finish at ICFC #6 and two 2nd place finishes at ICFC #5 and ICFC #7. His recent live attendance at Kumite In Tennessee 2022: The Finale also netted him a 4th place finish as well. Looking forward, PhiDX hopes that 2023 will bring "a proper breakout" to his offline competitive resume. His journey with Paragon continues to develop himself "mentally in so many ways" that is "just as fulfilling as the wins".