This past week

As many people have been asking me about recent developments I thought I’d put out a twitlonger. Regular followers will know I’ve been on the road lately. That is because I have been looking after my housemate and friend Maria while she recovers from surgery. For many stream regulars you’ve made a significant contribution to getting us to this stage so it is only fair you hear about the results, which have been a resounding success.



Some of you might not know who Maria is. Long story short she is just another person who loves esports and was good enough to play games competitively. She got into LCS, the pinnacle of competitive play for League of Legends and, as happens in our industry, people took advantage and did things that were unforgivable to serve their own interests. As part of some Faustian pact she ended up having surgery that damaged her body to the point she was in constant pain. Her situation remains one of the worst I have come across in all my years working in this industry and I have spent the past four years trying to amend for what it did to her. I started by giving her a home, a move that actually gave me way more than it gave her. I had been so absorbed by my work and the constant battles in our business that I had forgotten what it was like to have a family.



We eventually learned of doctors that could fix some of the issues, the specifics of which I won’t go into here, but because of the nature of the surgeries being corrective of other bungled surgeries, US health insurance wouldn’t cover them. Not to be disheartened we looked at our options and fortunately for me I was able to get work that would allow me to save enough money to pay for it all. It’s the best thing esports has given me.



I was able to raise a significant chunk of the money thanks to people who work with me. Rivalry, my sponsors, have supported me through thick and thin. And probably mostly thin if we’re honest after YouTube went crazy and said they were forbidden to be mentioned on my channel. They are the best kind of partner to work with. No bullshit, aligned values and good people on their side of the aisle. I wouldn’t want to partner with anyone else right now.



Dexerto again basically gave me open ended freelance work. As time allowed they would take my interviews, articles and stories without limitation. It is like no other publication I have worked for in that sense and they worked with me despite the fact I am the kind of person that goes after big scalps in my reporting, the kind of scalps that jeopardise media deals. Thanks Josh, Mike, Chris and Dustin for all you do in our work together.



All my esports friends that gave up their time to come on streams and shoot the shit, giving my brand and my broadcast value, you won’t be forgotten ever. You are all good friends, the best kind. I am blessed to have so many. Thank you.



There were also some esports folks who asked to remain anonymous that helped out directly. You know who you are. Some of you weirdos don’t even use Twitter. Actually, that’s not a bad shout. Love to you all.



Crucially I couldn’t have done it without my community. I realised at the time that I actually have one. The same names, the long term viewers and subscribers, people that have grown up as I’ve grown old, and they give a shit about doing the right thing. We hit 4000 Twitch subscribers at the No Majors Club London, which raised approximately $10,000. We went past that again this time. That money made a significant contribution to the $70,000 it has cost to ease the pain and suffering of one person the esports industry fucked over worse than anyone else I can think of. The power of that gesture isn’t lost on me. I have never viewed the people who follow my work as a personal ATM. You are all real people that, like me, have lives that include a job, a family, loved ones and priorities. The fact you would ever include me or mine in that is something I cannot thank you all enough for. Know that I do genuinely care for you all and want to make content we all enjoy equally. Sometimes I will buckle and be petulant. Sometimes I will be in a bad mood and be less than gracious, especially in times as stressful as this. Sometimes work will take me away from creating and sharing content with you, which is what I enjoy most in the world, because there are battles to be fought elsewhere. I will always come back around to being who I am at my core and I will always reach out to the people I know I treated poorly in a moment of uncharacteristic behaviour. I am flawed but it is your support that lifts me up and makes me better. And, crucially, without you guys it would have been harder to deliver a promise I made to someone, so I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you.



The bulk of your money went some place that made a real difference to one of our own. That’s the bottom line. We made it so someone who was in constant pain is now able to enjoy life again. It’s the best thing I’ve been a part of since I started this fifteen years ago and you were all a part of it too. People will tell you the industry sucks, especially me. It ain’t all bad and sometimes, just sometimes, it’s very good.



In a week I should be back home and back to a regular schedule. I hope to continue to have your support when I do and from now on there will be a renewed focus on “us” moving forward. Once Maria is free and clear I can turn my attention to you guys and will look to show my gratitude in the best way I can.



Thanks



Richard & Maria



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