My team won worlds, and I was rooting against them. Well – sort of.

For the second season of the Rocket League Rival Series, I competed under Team Dignitas. After the RLRS season ended I was in touch with the organization letting them know I really wanted to play in the RLCS, the highest level of Rocket League. They said they would do whatever is best for me while also doing what was best for Dignitas.

That meant they signed the best team in the game, who would compete as Dignitas and win the world championship, which is exactly what they should have done. That’s definitely what’s best for the organization.

While all the details of us being released and their new squad being picked up were being worked out, I wasn’t upset. I knew that being released would actually help me reach the next step in my career.

It was weird watching them compete because I was still used to Dignitas being my team so I felt conflicted when I watched them play. I was rooting against them in the finals. I wanted NRG all the way, since they were representing North America, and was super sad when they lost.

Like I thought, being dropped by Dignitas ended up helping my career.

After RLCS, Evil Geniuses said that they were looking to make a roster change so that they could push to be in the top 3 in North America. They ended up dropping Chrome from the team and Fireworks had messaged me directly and there was no question that they were my first option for a new team.

Joining Evil Geniuses has been so exciting because I finally get the chance to compete in the big leagues, which has been my goal all along. It’s a big relief finally being in the RLCS. I had tried to many times to qualify and failed. It was getting really frustrating especially since we were usually one of the favourites to qualify.

They are also such a legendary organization and it is crazy that I get to represent them. Joining the EG Rocket League squad has been great so far because our personalities really mesh well so everything has been fun.

I had a feeling like this was finally going to be the offseason I’d get an offer to join an RLCS team, and I was right. It hadn’t happened in the past though, so I wasn’t banking on it. I ended up getting a few offers, so I knew it was time for me to make the jump to the next level.

After watching Evil Geniuses perform at LAN I was pretty surprised by how they played. I knew they had talent, but I wasn’t expecting them to make the upsets that they did beating some top teams in G2 and Vitality. Watching them succeed it made me more excited to grind and try to make it to LAN next year.

I am a little nervous to be playing in the RLCS next year, but I know I can handle it. I’ve been playing against all of the guys that compete in the RLCS now so I know how they play. I know the expectations of that calibre of player and I can definitely meet them.

It will different playing in the RLCS. The players are much more talented. You can’t get away with the same mistakes as in the RLRS, or you’ll get scored on. The pace of play is much faster too. The biggest difference though is the pressure. It is so much higher since you are playing to make the world championship.

I want to make Worlds. That’s been my goal ever since I started competing. Since Season 1 it has been marked as such a legendary event, and I want nothing more than to play on that stage. When you make LAN you really mark yourself as a true legend in the books as a player, and I want to make sure that people know my name.

After seeing the crowd and hearing them roar in London last season it makes me want it that much more. Plus, I want to surprise people and make it even further than last years Evil Geniuses squad did.

I am at an interesting place in my career as a Rocket League player. I just turned 17. Pro gamers are usually young, but not that young. It was only recently I gained the full support of my parents. Like most parents, they didn’t think that competing would be a true career and a way to make money.

Once I signed the contract with Dignitas and began making a salary is when they really started supporting me and taking an interest in the game. They’ve taken an interest, asking how my matches are and what is going on within the scene. It’s really nice to feel that support from them.

Still, they want to make sure that I get into college, which could hurt my career as a player. It’s coming from a place of care for me as their son. They want to make sure I have a future once my time competing is over. Although I hope it never ends. I want to play as long as I can, I want to create a legacy for myself and I want to be the best.