What year and major are you in?
I am a senior majoring in Clinical Psychology. I also am minoring in Philosophy as well as Spanish.
How involved in Esports were you prior to IE?
I was very involved in Esports prior to joining IE. I have been playing video games since I was a kid and so eventually, I started seeking out competitive esports within the favorite games I played such as FIFA, Call of Duty, and eventually Rocket League. I keep up with many content creators and professional players through several social medias especially through platforms such as Twitch and YouTube. Having played many video games since I was kid consistently until now, once I made that realization, I decided to jump into Esports myself at the collegiate level.
What made you choose FIFA over the other games?
When I first joined the club there was not much attention towards FIFA and this was due to a lack of collegiate tournaments and leagues being promoted and hosted. It was not until this semester that I found out about a solo competitive collegiate league for FIFA 21 and did not hesitate to join. Prior to this I have always, and still am, involved with IE’s Rocket League team since my freshman year. I went from being a Substitute on their B team, to a Starter on their C team, and now as a Starter for their B team. I have played qualifiers as a part of their B team but unfortunately this semester we have not found much luck. Luckily there is a PlayVS league for Rocket League as well, so we are participating in this league that is occurring during the same time as the FIFA league. In short, I am playing in competitive collegiate esports team for two different games.
What does training look like before a match?
Training before a match often entails me playing skill games in FIFA to improve individual mechanics. I also analyze my own gameplay to pinpoint any improvements needed as well as what tends to work. In addition to this, I play against my older brother because we have played each other in every FIFA since 2006 so he knows my game style best. I also play ranked seasons and am ranked 5000 in the world in this game mode although it is not the most popular in the game, it fits the format of the PlayVS league.
Any interesting stories about a certain match or experience?
This past weekend I participated in the FIFA 21 PlayVS playoffs after competing in a 7 weeklong season where weekly matches were played. I went undefeated for the entire season but unfortunately lost in the semi finals of playoffs. Placing top 4 won me $350, my first earnings from a video game competition which honestly is a dream come true although I was heartbroken to not have made the finals. My opponent who beat me won the grand finals and afterwards we talked. He mentioned how he had watched my streams and studied my gameplay. Them defeating me in a best of 3 series demonstrated they did their homework although I managed to adapt. I am quite proud of myself as this was my first time entering a FIFA league at the collegiate level.
Any upcoming events our students should know about for 2021?
Now that PlayVS has had their first FIFA tournament this semester, they plan on doing more events and leagues possibly in the upcoming summer and fall. Nothing has been announced yet but the PlayVS staff I spoke with mentioned how they plan on having more tournaments with hopefully more contestants so for those students who love playing FIFA, give PlayVS a shot!
How can more people get involved with IE?
By joining the IE discord and checking out all the information provided there. I found out about IE through quad day and although that might be different nowadays, they gave me a card to their discord, and it all started there.
Anything you want to shout out?
Follow my twitch via the link here: https://www.twitch.tv/snoop_rl
I stream Rocket League and FIFA in addition to some other games at times while discussing Psychology/Mental Health to raise awareness and promote important discussions within the gaming community. I love interacting with viewers and getting to know them while also facilitating discussions between myself and the viewers in terms of mental health topics.
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Thank you so much again for Snoop for taking the time and interviewing with me! Seeing his love for the game has really inspired me to also want to try his tips and tricks in my favorite game. Follow Illini Esports on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to see what is next in store. And, if you want to follow me, Hanny, follow me on Instagram at hannykinz20! Until next time!