Founded in 2012, Energy Esports is a professional multi-gaming organization (MGO) that competes at the highest level of competitive gaming in South Africa while maintaining courteous and acceptable behavior. With the help of SteelSeries, MSI, LG Electronics, MWEB and ALABS, the players within Energy Esports strive to conduct themselves in a professional manner, showing respect to any and all other gamers while keeping a cool head in the heat of competition.
Could you let us know the reason you started playing games? And what’s the first game you play?
I started playing games from a very young age (probably around 3 years old). My Dad introduced me to a computer and I started playing simple games back then but I can't remember any of them. We also had one of the first consoles but I can't remember which one it was (maybe a SEGA). I recall the first game I played was one of the first Age of Empires that came out and I got instantly hooked.
Tell us a little bit about your family or friends. Who matters most to you? Does your family support you becoming a pro gamer?
My family matters the most to me and always will. My dad who passed away late November last year and was the one who introduced me to games and computers and we always played together if possible on every game we could namely. Without him I don't think I would be playing games right now! He was always supportive and because he was an I.T sort of guy he was the first to understand about the whole esports scene and why I wanted to go down this route as a 'pro gamer'. My Mom didn't really understand at first but once she got a better picture and understanding of esports and how it is growing she has become very supportive. Both my Mom and Dad used to watch all of my CS games if possible if they were being streamed so i'm very grateful to have had them support it almost from the very start.
As a pro gamer, how you think about MSI?
MSI is a great company and have been around for a long time which shows the great success that they have had over a long period. Everywhere you go whether it be a computer store or gaming expo their products will be there and have such a big influence on the esports scene today sponsoring many teams such as ourselves which in turn helps and grows the scene tremendously and I thank them deeply for that.
Can you tell us the most significant moment of your esport career so far? Any regrets?
My most significant moment was probably winning ESL Africa Championship Final at rAge last year. We had put in a lot of work and everyone was feeling really comfortable which in turn made the whole chemistry and synergy within the team click so well and our game play truly showed it. I feel like when you're playing really good high-level CS as an individual and a team there is no greater feeling! I don't think I have any regrets during my career so far which is a good sign I guess.
Are there any professional gamers that you look up to as role models? What do you like about them?
Yeah, I look up to people such as shox the french CS:GO player who took my attention when I first started getting into CSGO. I remember in 2014 when the betting scene was still huge and one of the first games I watched was Epsilon at the time with shox in the roster. The way he played the game and destroyed the opposition almost single-handedly made me an instant fan and I've always looked up to him as a level to reach in my career.
Psychological characteristics and the ability of pressure-resistant are very important to professional gamers while in the intense gaming competition. How do you cope with career setbacks? Any tips to quickly recover from setbacks and get yourself ready for the next challenge?
Yes, staying calm and maintaining a calm and focused mind can really help in-game and out game. I focus on staying calm by not raging and thinking what I could of done better in that situation and try not to get frustrated if something out of my control occurs. I have had a couple of career setbacks and in my opinion it is always about perseverance and passion. If you truly love what you are doing and want to prove to yourself and others that you are the best or can overcome obstacles, then in the end it will feel so much better when the grind and hard work pays off and you will look back and see how far you have come. Motivation also has a lot to do with it but this is tied in with passion and you need get yourself in the right mindset and use any errors or mistakes in the past as fuel to go forward and be better.
Another thing for me personally is fitness and working out. This has proven to release stress and will help a lot for the long run for your body and mind because of the health benefits it brings which can only be a plus to help your game play and mental state as well.
Have you thought about what the future holds after gaming? Would you consider working in a different field?
I have thought about it on occasion and for me it would be nice to still stay in the gaming scene afterwards and perhaps pursue a different route such as casting, coaching or the behind the scenes of events.
For those new guys who want to be professional gamers, would you please share your experience or suggestions?
Through my experience I would say just play, play and play some more. It is truly a grind that doesn't happen overnight and it is also about what you do with your time that will help you to gain ground quicker. For e.g. CSGO. If you just play Matchmaking or pickups all day long you are only going to progress to a certain degree or pace. However if you spend your time more structured and perhaps set a routine to watch demos at least once a day, and shoot bots consistently each day for a set time / goal, and sit down on an offline server and work through all your nade practise, it will eventually lead to you improving in all aspects of your game and will help you get noticed a lot quicker if you already have a good foundation of skill and experience within the game.
Another thing is starting off in teams maybe if you have friends play with your friends at the start to just get an idea of a team environment because you guys will already have one of the key factors which is chemistry. From there you can find a team that shares the same goals and vision as you and start playing with them. This will mean that you are on the same page with everyone and they will all have the same hopes and desires which will be the outcome if you guys practise and work hard together. Eventually you will start getting noticed in the community when you start putting in the hard work and getting results and perhaps will lead to getting offers from other teams or organisations that are interested in sponsoring you.
Many people are very curious about gamers’ life. Except playing games, what they do in their leisure time or do they have certain hobbies or personal interests to strike a work-life balance?
For myself, I workout at home and find it very relieving and a change of environment from sitting behind the computer all the time. I also enjoy visiting my friends on the weekends and just hanging out and socialising or doing fun activities such as go-karting or chilling at the beach.
Retuned to MSI in 2018, as a manager you experienced a lots of glories and low periods with Energy and yourself, how you think your role at this team? Could you tell us about goals you want to acheive with Energy and MSI?
Retuning to MSI is a huge privilege for Energy. To be the best in what you do you need to be able to use the best product to be able to progress yourself as a player. MSI supplies us with everything the players need to do their best. My role within the organization is to be able to provide the players an opportunity to fulfil the dreams and aspirations as Esports players and take their careers forward. One day I hope that I can say that the player currently playing overseas and making a name for themselves and their country is a player that plays for Energy. With the right partnerships in 2018 I am hoping we can look to achieve as much as possible and with MSI by our side the international dream may not be that far away.