Halo’s First Superstar: Walshy

The world of competitive gaming has exploded in size and popularity since 2011, seeing even more growth as the sun rises and sets each day. PC games such as League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, and StarCraft 2 dominate as the top eSports titles that all attract massive player bases and tournament viewers with no signs of slowing down. Even Call of Duty has seen immense growth upon the release of Black Ops 2 at the end of 2012, and is currently the largest console game in eSports.

Within each of these games are hardcore and passionate fans that dedicate their money and time to supporting their respective game. Just like any professional sport, each of these games has its professional players, and within that echelon of the best players in the world, is the tier even higher: the superstars. These are the players who are not only the best in the world at their game, but are revered like kings or Gods and are known by those who follow the game religiously or have been heard of in the discussion of eSports legends who are in the process of cementing their place in history.

While the competitive Halo community awaits the release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection to begin it’s ascent back to the top of the console eSports world, it’s competitive history is rich and is still reminisced upon to this day. The “Glory Days” of competitive Halo were the years that seemed to go by in a matter of seconds, but leave memories that will last a lifetime. Many memories of the glory days of competitive Halo come from the players and teams who made those years so enjoyable. From players such as Darkman, Clockwork, Zyos and the Ogre twins – the true old guard and legends of the competitive Halo scene – to players such as Formal and Royal 2, who quickly established a name for themselves in the last few years of competitive Halo’s run.

One player in particular, who any competitive Halo player can talk about for hours and hours, is David Walsh, or as we all knew him, Walshy.

Walshy is one of the most historic names in the history of competitive Halo and competitive gaming as a whole. His historic career spanned 8 incredible seasons while playing 4 different Halo titles, a life many Halo fans can only dream about and wish they could have been apart of for even just one day. Walshy brought us Halo memories that are still talked about to this day, and while he may no longer be competing – his competitive Halo career is one of legendary status, making him one of the best to ever the play the game, and through all of his accomplishments – competitive Halo’s first true superstar. This is his story.

2004

Although Walshy’s competitive Halo career began in 2003, his first official MLG tournament was MLG Philadelphia 2004. Walshy competed on team Psycho Soldiers alongside Biggy, Corosion, and Dragonspear. The team placed 5th – 8th, and it was only the beginning for what would become a wild and legendary competitive Halo career.

Walshy would not attend the next event in Dallas, but would return at MLG Chicago to play with Gintron, Killer N, and Zyos on Team FFA. Walshy and Team FFA would win MLG Chicago as well as the next event in Atlanta. Walshy would leave Team FFA and join forces with KillerN and the Ogres to form Team Domination. Living up to the team name, Team Domination would win the next MLG event in Seattle as well as the first MLG National Championship in New York City.

Out of the 5 events Walshy attended in 2004, he would go on to win 4 and quickly solidify himself as one of the best Halo players in the world. He would also place 3rd at the 2004 World Cyber Games event in San Francisco, California, taking home $5,000 for his placing. The best was yet to come for the 20 year old from Grand Rapids, Michigan, as the next few years would set the stage for his incredible career and show why he became Halo’s first true superstar.

2005

2005 was the first year of real growth and change for MLG. Halo 2 was now the flagship game, and the season consisted of 13 events all across the United States from Washington D.C to Las Vegas to Chicago. The first event would be in Washington D.C. with Walshy and The Ogres returning under a new team name and with a new teammate. Walshy and the Ogres picked up Saiyan for the 2005 season in place of KillerN, and changed their team name from Team Domination to StK – Shoot to Kill. An appropriate name for a team consisting of players with some of the most accurate shots in Halo history.

Walshy and StK would win the first 4 events of 2005 in dominating fashion. Soon after, the first large milestone of Walshy’s career came prior to MLG St. Louis (the 5th stop of the season), when Walshy and StK received a new team sponsor from Team 3D, a large professional Counter Strike team at the time.

The team would win their inaugural event under the new team name at MLG St. Louis, but fall short at MLG Philadelphia and place 2nd, Walshy’s fist finish outside of 1st place in his last 9 events. The team would take a break and not attend another event until MLG Los Angeles later in the year. Sure enough, the break did StK well, and they would go onto win the last 4 events of the season including the National Championship held once again in New York City. Walshy would once again see continued success outside of MLG, placing 2nd at the WCG USA National Championship for Halo 2 2v2s alongside Saiyan, falling short to, who else, but Ogre 1 and Ogre 2 in the finals.

MLG NY 2005 National Championship

In the span of 2 seasons, Walshy had now won 13 MLG events out of the 15 total he had attended, with 2nd and 5th – 8th being his other 2 placings. Finishing outside of 1st only once the entire 2005 season, Walshy and StK were undoubtedly the kings of competitive Halo. The trio of Walshy and the Ogres combined with an x factor player in Saiyan asserted complete dominance throughout the season. Entering 2006, much would remain the same but no one could have foreseen the wild ride that would be the 2006 MLG season, and Walshy would be right at the forefront of the history-making year.

2006

While the 2005 season saw growth and change for Major League Gaming, the growth and changes entering the 2006 season blew 2005 out of the water. With new head sponsor Boost Mobile for the season, along with additional new mainstream sponsors, MLG exploded in 2006. Including a television show on the USA network that recapped each event stop of the pro circuit, the 2006 season would see every part of competitive Halo brought to new levels. Even Walshy himself would be apart of the some of the biggest moments of 2006, some that no one at the time could have seen coming.

The 2006 MLG season began in the Meadowlands of New Jersey. Walshy, the Ogres, and Saiyan would be returning in full form, but once again under a new team name. Walshy and crew would enter the season under the now historic team name “Final Boss.” The name was more than appropriate, as the team had lost only 1 event they had attended throughout the entire 2005 season, and were truly the “final bosses” of the competitive Halo world.

2006 began the way 2005 had left off, with Walshy and Final Boss winning yet again, and looking completely unstoppable. With wins carrying over from 2005, this was already the second time in Walshy’s career that he had one a string of 5 or more tournaments in a row.

MLG Meadowlands 2006

2006 would be where Walshy really began his rise to competitive gaming stardom. Already being a fan favorite, Walshy and Final Boss signed a $1 million dollar contract with MLG, and Walshy himself earned the first personal sponsorship of any competitive gamer from Red Bull – a monumental moment for every competitive gamer out there looking to make a living doing what they truly love and break the mainstream opinions on gamers everywhere.

Final Boss would make it to the finals once again at the next MLG event in Dallas, facing Str8 Rippin in the finals. These finals would deliver one of MLG most famous moments, with Tom “Tsquared” Taylor getting the double needlers from who else but David “Walshy” Walsh, making a statement that no one would be dethroning Final Boss anytime soon.

Walshy Giving T2 The Needles

The next 2 events in Anaheim and Chicago would be victories once again for Final Boss. These first 4 victories in the first 4 events of 2006 marked a streak of 8 straight tournament wins for Walshy and Final Boss. With their victories in Anaheim and Chicago, Walshy and the Ogres had now won 13 of the last 14 events they had played in, with their only other finish being 2nd at MLG Philly 2005, including 2 streaks of 5+ tournament victories in a row. In other words, Walshy and the Ogres were the 3 best Halo players in the world, and could seemingly win any event they played together. That is, until a group of young guns decided it was time to knock the kings off their throne and make competitive gaming history. It would all come together and start at the next MLG event in Orlando, Florida.

Coming into Orlando, Final Boss (to no surprise) kept the same lineup, and watched on as major team changes happened going into the event. Carbon, who had placed Top 3 the entire season and continued inching closer to competing with Final Boss dropped StrongSide in favor of an up and coming player known as Ghostayame. Ghost was known for being a fearless player who asserted his dominance no matter who he was playing. Str8 Rippin, another Top 3 team, who almost always played against Final Boss and Carbon, also made a team change and picked up Cpt Anarchy.

Carbon knew that Ghostayame would be the x factor they needed to defeat Final Boss. It would be their time to prove that not only did they make the right decision, but also that they could do the impossible and defeat Final Boss, at the next MLG event in Orlando, Florida.

The match that everyone waited for had finally arrived. Final Boss – the undoubted best team in the world – vs. Carbon – the young friends who wanted nothing more than to prove that they could defeat Walshy and Final Boss. The Winners Bracket Finals would be where the titans clashed – and where history would soon be made.

MLG Orlando 2006 – Winner Bracket Finals – Final Boss vs. Carbon

In stunning fashion, and for the first time all season, Walshy and Final Boss had been defeated, losing 3-1 to Carbon in the Winners Bracket Final. The competitive Halo world, along with Walshy and Final Boss themselves, were in shock at what had just happened. For so long, Final Boss had been unbeatable. However, it only took 1 match, 1 series, and 1 team change to show that no one is invincible, not even Walshy and Final Boss.

Final Boss was sent to the Losers Bracket Finals to play against Str8 Rippin. If there was 1 thing that was true and known by all competitive halo followers, it was this: In the world of competitive Halo, nothing is scarier than an angry Final Boss. They destroyed Str8 Rippin 3-0 and found themselves right back in the Championship match to try and defeat Carbon.

MLG Orlando 2006 – Finals

Even with a valiant effort by Final Boss, it still was not enough. Carbon would win the best of 11 series 6-4 and win MLG Orlando. To say that this win for Carbon was massive is an understatement. It was much more than just an upset win. For Walshy and Final Boss, this was the first time they had lost an event in their last 8 tournaments. For Walshy himself, this was only the second time in his last 18 MLG events that he took 2nd place. It was an end of a run that will never be touched again in the history of console eSports. Questions swirled around the competitive Halo world after this event, and there would not be any answers until the next event – the playoffs at MLG New York City.

MLG NY Playoffs 2006 – Final Boss vs. Carbon – WB Finals

After the dust had settled, it was looking like everything was returning to normal. Walshy and Final Boss won the series 3-1 and it seemed as if the kings of the competitive Halo world were ready to return to their throne. Even with the loss, the mentality of Carbon was nothing more than the usual – cool, calm, and collected. Carbon would win the LB Finals and find themselves right back in the saddle to take on Final Boss down 3-1 in the championship match.

MLG NY Playoffs 2006 – Final Boss vs. Carbon – Finals

In an amazing Championship match, Carbon and Final Boss battled all the way to a final deciding Game 11 – Team Slayer on Beaver Creek. While it may have looked as if things would be returning to normal after the Winners Bracket Finals, Carbon decided to once again throw a wrench into the gears of everyone’s thoughts and expectations. Carbon would win Game 11 and win MLG New York City – their second consecutive win of the season, both against Walshy and Final Boss. It seemed too good to be true that out of every team that could defeat Final Boss not only once, but twice, that it would be Carbon. Carbon were now in the drivers seat heading into the National Championship in Las Vegas – as the fans began to truly wonder – can Carbon really defeat Final Boss to win the National Championship? As always, only time would tell, and it all came down to one final event of the season: the MLG National Championship in Las Vegas.

MLG Las Vegas 2006 – Final Boss vs. Carbon – WB Finals

Once again, Walshy and Final Boss fell short to Carbon, losing 3-1 in the Winners Bracket Finals. It didn’t seem real that time and time again, Carbon would defeat Final Boss. For so long, Walshy and crew were at the top of the Halo world, looking untouchable. However, the Carbon and Final Boss rivalry showed what a difference a single player could make to a team. That one x factor player that can elevate you just enough to win championships – and it was already far and away proven that Ghostayame was the man for the job.

Final Boss would once again fall to the Losers Bracket Final to play against Str8 Rippin, and dominate them in a clean 3-0 sweep. Now, it all came down to one final best of 11 series. Final Boss. Carbon. The match that would make competitive gaming history was about to occur. It’s hard to say if anyone saw the outcome coming, but whatever the case, it was nothing short of spectacular.

MLG Las Vegas 2006 – Final Boss vs. Carbon – Game 10 – Grand Finals

Carbon did it. They did the unthinkable. They defeated Walshy and Final Boss 6-4 in the grand finals to win the National Championship and $100,000. Carbon did it not only once, not only twice, but three times – defeating the undisputed best Halo team in the world to become part of unparalleled competitive Halo history. To say this defeat was devastating to Walshy would be an understatement. After dominating for so long, to lose the last 3 events of the season including the National Championship, it felt like the world had collapsed around them. However, in typical Walshy form, he would not let these defeats tell his story. He would come back in 2007, better than ever, with a new fourth teammate by his side, and a point to prove anyone doubting one of the best players of all time.

2007

Entering 2007, Walshy and the Ogres remained together on Final Boss. However, just like Carbon the previous year, the team felt that a change was necessary and they needed a player who could do just about everything. To the curiosity of some, Final Boss picked up StrongSide for the 2007 season. StrongSide, oddly enough, had been dropped from Carbon in 2006 to make way for Ghostayame. StrongSide had been known for being a very good player, but was also known to be weak mentally and that it could cause problems when playing alongside the undoubted best 3 players in the Halo world. While all these questions and concerns floated around, everyone knew that none of them could be answered until the first event of the 2007 season, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

For the fourth straight event, Final Boss and Carbon would meet in the finals. Although it was only the season opener, the stakes were astronomically high, especially for Walshy and Final Boss. The ending to the 2006 season was heartbreaking for the team, and especially with a new teammate, Walshy had even more of a statement to make as the team captain.

Final Boss would win the final series 3-2, and were back atop of the MLG world. It was an event of pure redemption for Walshy and the team. After the heartbreak of the previous season, defeating Carbon to win the season opener was more than a satisfying victory. It was getting the giant monkey off your back that had held on for months and months until you finally had the chance to shake him off. Walshy got that chance and most certainly took it. He was right back where he wanted to be – in 1st place and on the best Halo team in the world.

The rest of the 2007 season would be much of what Walshy and the Ogres saw in their previous years – even more success. Final Boss would win MLG Meadowlands and take 2nd at MLG Dallas falling to their old nemesis Carbon once again. The team rebounded and won MLG Chicago and would go onto lose MLG Orlando to a new Str8 Rippin lineup that came out of the woodwork to dominate the event. Last, but certainly not least, Walshy and Final Boss would defeat Carbon at the 2007 National Championship in Las Vegas. This was Walshy’s 3rd National Championship, all 3 being won with the Ogre twins by his side.

2007 MLG Las Vegas National Championships – Final Boss vs Carbon

Not only did Final Boss win the event, but they won the event without dropping a single game – a feat that has only been accomplished 1 other time in Halo’s decade long competitive history. This win was the ultimate redemption for Walshy. Putting in all the time, all the effort, and continually falling short over and over again in 2006 to winning the 2007 National Championship without dropping a single game was the definition of how Walshy was his entire career. Similar to the Ogre twins, Walshy wanted nothing more than to win and be the best, and he was willing to do anything to regain his spot back on top. He proved that and much more in 2007, adding to his already incredible competitive gaming resume.

2008

The beginning of the 2008 MLG season was another filled with change and growth for MLG. Not only was Halo 3 now the flagship title, but MLG also had a partnership with ESPN to further improve their online tournament broadcasts and overall reach of competitive Halo to thousands of new people. While MLG might have been changing around them, Walshy and Final Boss remained the same going into the season. While they were coming into the season as favorites at the first event, there were questions and concerns surrounding the team. Walshy had said himself before the event that he felt as if the team did not have enough time to practice and he was not feeling as confident heading into the event as he usually did.

Even with this somewhat lack of confidence, to go along with a few bumps in the road along the way, Final Boss found themselves in the championship match of the season opening event against a team no one could have expected to be in the Top 2, Classic.

MLG Meadowlands 2008 – Final Boss vs. Classic – Championship Match

In the end, Walshy and Final Boss would win the event. With that win, it was now the 4th straight time that Walshy had been on the winning team to start the season. Even while coming out on top, Walshy knew that the team had a lot to improve upon going into the rest of the season. However, it was clear that what would happen over the course of the next 2 touraments were events that no one could have foretold. The competitive Halo world was in for more than its fair share of surprises, all beginning at the next MLG event in San Diego.

MLG San Diego would be the beginning of a long and tough road for Walshy. Final Boss placed a shocking 7th place at MLG San Diego. This placing was not just a bad event for the team – it was a historic defeat. This was the first time that Walshy had placed outside the Top 2 in over 4 years, since his first MLG event in 2004. Over that 4-year span, Walshy placed in the Top 2 in 29 straight events over the course of 3 different Halo titles. For the Ogres, this was the first time they had placed outside the Top 2 in their entire careers. It was a fall from grace that made the losses of the 2006 season look completely insignificant. Unfortunately for Walshy, things would not be getting better anytime soon.

Final Boss would place 5th at MLG Orlando, and the end was near for the world’s most famous trio of Halo players. For Walshy and the team, everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and this event would be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

In what is still the most infamous team change in competitive Halo and MLG history, Final Boss dropped Walshy, and picked up Neighbor from Str8 Rippin.

As Str8 Rippin chose to pick up the rising star Snipedown to add to their team, Walshy was not left out to dry for very long. He would soon join Instinct alongside another set of twin brothers in Roy and Lunchbox, with Soviet to round out their team, another up and coming player known for his raw slaying ability.

The storylines heading into the next MLG event in Toronto simply had the word “revenge” written all over them. Matches now became more than just steps to win a tournament, and they now became personal. Beating your former team seemed to be more important than winning the event itself. Walshy wanted nothing more than to defeat Final Boss and make a statement – and he would get the chance to do that on MLG ESPN Saturday Night when Instinct and Final Boss met on the mainstage in a primetime fight – with the end result, and Walshy himself, – giving us one of the most historic moments in competitive Halo and MLG history.

In commanding fashion, Walshy got what he wanted, defeating Final Boss 3-1. This particular taste of victory was one that Walshy had never experienced before, but any fan watching could tell that it was very, very sweet. This win would give Instinct the momentum they needed to reach the finals of the tournament against Str8 Rippin. Unfortunately, Walshy and Instinct would place 2nd and fall to Str8 in the finals. Even with this defeat, Walshy showed everyone that being dropped from Final Boss was only motivation to win even more than before, and that he was going nowhere anytime soon.

Instinct would surprisingly place 5th at the next event in Dallas, and then place 2nd at the National Championship in Las Vegas to finish off the season. Although it was not the finish Walshy had been looking for, he could still go into the off season with his head held high knowing that he had faired better than his former team and proved to everyone that he could still be one of the best Halo players in the entire world.

2009

After the up and down roller coaster ride that was the 2008 season, Walshy came into 2009 still on Instinct, but with a coincidental new 4th player on the team. Instinct dropped Soviet and picked up Neighbor, who had been picked up by Final Boss in 2008 to replace Walshy himself. Almost all pro players agreed that Neighbor was the best overall player during 2008, and this addition to Instinct sent the teams overall slaying power to another level.

Instinct would place 2nd at the season opener at the Meadowlands, losing to Triggers Down in the finals. Although it was once again a tough pill to swallow, it was the 3rd Top 2 finish for Walshy in his last 4 events. While some might be happy with this consistency, for anyone who knew Walshy, they knew how competitive he was and how he wanted nothing more than 1st place.

Unfortunately, the rest of the 2009 season would be an average season at best for Walshy. After a 5th place finish at Columbus, Walshy was dropped from Instinct and joined Defy, Naded, and Shockwave on Carbon. He placed 2nd at Dallas, and finished off the season with two 3rd place finishes in Anaheim and the National Championships in Orlando. Coming close again and again, but never getting over the hump, was the theme of the 2009 season for Walshy. This was also the first season in Walshy’s career that he did not win at least 1 event– another sad low as he had come close so many times to only fall short time and time again.

2010

To begin the 2010 season, Walshy still found himself on Carbon, now alongside Best Man, Defy, and an old friend from the Final Boss days, StrongSide. The reuniting of Walshy and StrongSide made this lineup an immediate fan favorite, and fans were hopeful this team could contend with favorites such as Triggers Down, Instinct, and Str8 Rippin.

Carbon ran into Str8 Rippin the LB Round 6, losing the series, and placing a very disappointing 11th place at the season opener in Orlando. This was the lowest placing of Walshy’s career, and the first time that he had placed outside the Top 8 in his entire career. Carbon would somewhat rebound in Columbus with Naded in place of StrongSide and place 6th, only to have back-to-back 13th place finishes in Raleigh and D.C. With an 8th place finish at the National Championship in Dallas, it was a poor ending to the worst season of Walshy’s career. It seemed as if retirement was an all to real possibility heading into the next year. With Halo: Reach as the coming flagship title in 2011, fans were hopeful that Walshy could wipe the slate clean and have a fresh start in a new game to hopefully bring back some of the magic he had just a few years before.

2011

Walshy would miss the first event of 2011 due to personal reasons, and come back at MLG Columbus to play on Ambush, an amateur ranked team at the time. Walshy would place 25th, the worst placing of his career at the time (and worst placing of his career overall). It would not be long before Walshy was back on a pro team, as he joined Turning Point for Anaheim alongside Best Man, Mikwen, and Ninja.

Turning Point placed 7th at Anaheim and 9th at Raleigh with new teammate Adrenaline in place of Best Man. After picking up Naded for Adrenaline going into Orlando, Walshy and TP placed 9th then 12th at the National Championship in Providence. Another overall disappointing year.

2012

After another disappointing year that saw only 1 placement in the Top 8, Walshy decided that it was time to hang up his controller for good. On March 1, 2012, Walshy officially announced his retirement from competitive Halo after an incredible 7-year career. Over those 7 years, Walshy won 3 National Championships, 23 MLG events, and was apart of some of the most famous teams and moments in competitive Halo history. But, as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

Conclusion

While the final few seasons of his career may not have ended the way Walshy would have liked, he had a career that left absolutely no reason to hang his head in disappointment. He was apart of the greatest Halo team of all time in Final Boss – taking part in runs that no team in the history of console eSports will achieve ever again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tOErUJlCU8

However, Walshy was more than just a champion and a leader. He was an innovator and a superstar. From making the special way of holding your controller “The Claw” famous to being Red Bull’s first sponsored competitive gamer, it is no doubt that Walshy is a pioneer of eSports. If there is ever to be an eSports Hall of Fame, Walshy is a no doubt first ballot Hall of Famer. He was apart of so many moments that fans still speak of to this day. He was a showman, a champion, and more importantly – one of the greatest Halo players of all time.

With Halo: The Master Chief Collection releasing in November, the entire Halo community is hoping to see the return of the “Uncle Jesse of Halo” in David “Walshy” Walsh, to once again bring us moments of laughter and excitement that we as fans can talk about for many years to come. No matter what he decides to do in his future, the halo community wishes him luck – and we Halo fans will always remember him as Walshy – the showman, the champion, and one of the best to ever play the game.

Be sure to follow Walshy on Twitter for any updates regarding himself and a possible return to competitive Halo this fall, and you can discuss Walshy’s story on our forums now.