Mari ‘AtomicMari’ Takahashi becomes co-owner of esports group Spacestation Gaming

Mari “AtomicMari” Takahashi, a well-known gaming character, has made an investment into esports organization Spacestation Gaming.

Takahashi now adds co-owner of an esports enterprise to her titles of award-winning Television and digital host, gaming character, and actress. She joins original founder Shaun “Shonduras” McBride to enable usher the esports organization into a new chapter.

Takahashi (no relation to me as far as I know there’s a town in Japan with a population of 31,000) joins a trend exactly where celebrity influencers make the transition from becoming well-known entertainers to becoming owners and investors in bigger enterprises. She believes that her expertise in content creation can enable make corporations like Spacestation Gaming turn out to be superior identified and create more revenues from the linked media earnings, which could eventually turn out to be the most significant income supply for esports.

“I think there are possibilities for the evolution of what a creator does,” Takahashi mentioned in an interview with GamesBeat. “It’s like we’re coming to that point where we’re all wondering what that path can look like. And as we get to the five-year mark, 10-year mark, 15-year mark of being a creator, it’s sometimes surprising for us because we’re this has turned out to be a viable thing that we banked on all those years ago, and we’re still able to do it. And now we’re in positions where it’s more and more important to expand outside of just yourself.”

(Takahashi will be a speaker at our upcoming GamesBeat Summit Next on line occasion on November 9-10, exactly where she will speak about the crossover among creators and esports).

Spacestation Gaming, a major esports organization identified for winning the 2020 Rainbow Six World Championships, putting fifth out of forty teams in the Apex Legends Global Series Championship. It also placed second in the most current regional League of Legends Championship, and it is ranked No. 1 in the North American League.

“SSG already does so many things right in running their organization,” Takahashi mentioned. “I will be in the weeds week by week, but I do not see myself as the particular person who’s going to come in and disrupt that path. They currently know exactly where they’re going.

She added, “Each team brings a different sort of flavor, if you will. It’s not just about the game and the players, but it’s about the culture that each team brings with it. I saw that it was a serious team that loves having fun. That is the thing that really reeled me in from the beginning.”

Other owners consist of Sean Holladay and Mari’s company companion Peter Kitch. Established in 2017 with a focus on content and creators, Spacestation Gaming is a pro esports organization competing at the highest level in quite a few major-tier esports titles.

“I feel an added sort of responsibility since this is their first time opening Spacestation Gaming up to another co-owner,” Takahashi mentioned. “Compared to some other esports organizations that have had a lot of rounds of investment, what I love about SSG is that they’re so homegrown. I’ve known them and Shaun for a while. He started this team out of a passion, and I’ve been following them ever since. This has been a long time coming for us.”

The Spacestation umbrella involves Spacestation Integrations, Spacestation Investments, Spacestation Creative, Spacestation CPG, and Moonwalk Media.

AtomicMari

In 2017, Takahashi was named one of the “Top Influencers in Gaming” by Forbes, and throughout her 10-year tenure with comedy powerhouse, Smosh, she cofounded its sister channel Smosh Games and created and starred in shows like Maricraft (47 million views), Smosh Pit Weekly (120 million views) and Operation: Open World.

In 2020, she served as the correspondent for Polygon’s Speedrun on Quibi, playing games and interviewing A-list talent such as Kevin Smith, Terry Crews and Jordan Fisher.

In addition to digital media credits, Takahashi has performed industrial work for Ericsson, Microsoft, Samsung and Verizon, not too long ago hosted for Netflix and Paramount, has made appearances on Disney XD, Popular Science, and CBS’s Survivor, and has two Streamy Awards beneath her belt.

Takahashi is also the founder of Rebel Atom Production House and cofounder of ABXY Bags. When she’s not dancing, playing video games, or geeking out about space, Takahashi spends her time in college, pursuing certification in Method Acting at The Lee Strasberg Theatre &amp Film Institute.

“I am a Pokemon. I don’t know what phase of evolution I’m in,” she mentioned. “But it’s happening, you know, from a ballerina to an esports owner.”

Takahashi is also really focused on creating a meaningful effect on the gaming and science technologies, engineering and math (STEM) sector, getting worked with the Ad Council and Entertainment Software Association for Women in STEM applications and lobbying Congress on behalf of Bill Nye’s non-profit organization, The Planetary Society, to safe funding for NASA.

Takahashi mentioned it is surprising to see how extended esports teams and creators have lasted as gaming has turn out to be larger. In honing her craft in digital entertainment more than 11 years, Takahashi mentioned she can see a extended road ahead and the objective is to hold the path forward open.

She agreed that esports could advantage from more diversity. While females are close to becoming half of gaming, they are not represented effectively in the esports athlete ranks, nor are they really plentiful amongst esports group owners.

“Esports is also in its infancy,” she mentioned. “It’s only going to get bigger and bigger. The gaming industry has a lot more room to grow. And I love being a part of this industry. And I think we all want to see it grow into the thing that we want it to be. I’ve been able to selfishly work on my role in the gaming industry, working on how can I further myself for the past 11 years.”

She added, “I find that this is perhaps the avenue where I can play a bigger part in making it an inclusive, welcoming arena for more and more folks to come through and find success in it immediately and over the long haul. I hope that I could be a conduit for welcoming more people in.”

Takahashi has invested her personal cash in the organization, and that is a initially for her.

“Gaming has always been part of my portfolio, and this is where I’m putting my stamp on it as me as an individual, in a partnership in that is diverse. The goal is to help turn it into a better-known organization,” she mentioned. “I’ve generally been gaming adjacent, but I’ve by no means been in esports.

Spacestation Gaming

Spacestation Gaming at present competes across seven esports titles, such as Rainbow Six: Siege, Rocket League, PUBG, Apex Legends, Smash Ultimate and iRacing, with more in the functions.

It has signed some of the most significant creators in Rocket League such as Sunless Khan, Jon Sandman and Lethamyr as effectively as the Scuffed Cast (Widow, Neato, Ranny, TriHouse, Veeds).

Spacestation Gaming also runs an on line tournament series known as Airlock, which has hosted prosperous tournaments in Minecraft, Rainbow Six, Smash Ultimate, and Rocket League.

Takahashi will work with the group to continue to create the Spacestation Gaming organization into one of the most recognized esports organizations in the world. With her background and worldwide recognition, Takahashi will work with original founder McBride to expand the creator and neighborhood elements of Spacestation Gaming, as effectively as pursue additional esports championships across several video game titles.

Shonduras

McBride, superior identified as Shonduras, is an entrepreneur, YouTuber, and social media influencer. McBride began on Snapchat, utilizing his inventive stories and organic development of one of the biggest and most engaged audiences. His artwork got a lot of focus on Snapchat and then he expanded.

He expanded to YouTube exactly where he as soon as once more developed a far-reaching and engaged audience in a brief quantity of time. His channels have a combined 6.4 million subscribers and more than 4 billion views.

“Mari’s incomparable experience and ‘now-how’ in this space made her an obvious choice as our new co-owner,” mentioned McBride, in a statement. “Having worked with her in the past and experienced first-hand what she brings to the table, I can’t wait to once again work alongside her and continue to build one of the best esports organizations in the business.”

Originally appeared on: TheSpuzz