Gonzo's 15 Rounds Volume 2 Feat. Dream

1. You mentioned your dad got you into gaming on PC but what made you want to take that next step and try for Pro League?

Honestly, it was just luck back when I started, GO4s were massive. I would play every weekend with my friend group and eventually they all quit playing. So I branched out and met new people and they introduced me to CL, won that and made PL. I always tell people it was just the right place right time, found a great group of guys that wanted to win above all else.

2. When you went Pro in 2018, you were grinding through qualifiers and racking up a few runner-ups and top 4 finishes. What was it like, just a year into your career, to make Pro League Season 11 and get picked up by Tempo Storm?

The only words that come to mind is a dream come true, we made USN & made PL in the same year I never could have imagined I was good enough to be a pro in a game. It felt surreal to me. It was something I had always thought about but seemed like a distant fantasy.

3. How did you stay positive and keep grinding through the COVID shutdowns? You finally make a Pro League season, but the finals get canceled along with the next three Majors and you end up a free agent. How much of an emotional rollercoaster was that time?

Barely even noticed COVID I kept doing the same thing I always did grinding siege day in & day out LOL

4. What drew you to the support role? Was it a personality fit, or did you find that role came most naturally to you?

I’ve always told my teammates I’m like a swiss army knife & I just wanna help the team anyway I can. That's normally the easiest on the support role, I can “support” everyone on the team from that position.

5. Over the years, moving from team to team, how has your personal training things like VOD reviews, aim trainers, and practice routines evolved as you climbed the T1 ranks?

The biggest thing that has changed over the years is the VOD review I do. When I started I barely did any VOD review. Now I watch VODs and learn as much as I can from other teams to expand my bag all the time.

6. The Unwanted run was obviously a huge moment in your career. Outside of that, is there another moment that stands out to you or holds a special place in your heart?

A big one that comes to mind is the Top 3 finish I had on OXG at the 2023 invite, Crowd was amazing and it was my first invite. It felt incredible to be up on stage at the biggest tournament of the year.

7. After the Unwanted split, you joined C9. Was there any added pressure joining such a storied org, especially one that’s already had some success in R6 and is making a comeback?

Not really any pressure no, new team, new environment and new players. We knew we would be punching up & had a lot to work on moving into the NAL & RELOAD at the time.

8. After Stage One, you made a roster change that also led to you moving from support to IGL. What led to that decision? Was it your pro experience, or something else? And does your time as support influence how you IGL now?

The team felt like we didn’t need to look elsewhere for an IGL; we could make one ourselves (me). Honestly what led to that was we just felt there were better individuals to pick up that weren't IGLs. I think the biggest influence on my IGLing was I have been very fortunate to work with some great IGLs Hotancold & FoxA. Just taking what I’ve learned from them and building that into my own style is what I'm trying to do.

9. What challenges have you faced transitioning to the IGL role? Are there any current or former players you’ve reached out to for advice, or even tried to model your playstyle after?

The only challenge really is there is a lot more pressure on you as an IGL, I also had to get used to the fact that I could make the right call in the moment but it doesn’t mean you just win the round because the call was good. I’ve really just tried to take what I learned from HotanCold & FoxA just building on that.

10. Obviously, Stage One and Two didn’t bring the results you wanted. Now looking ahead to the SI LCQs with what will be your third roster change, how do you keep loving the grind of VOD reviews, scrims, and dry runs without letting frustration or excuses creep in?

It’s just holding yourself to a standard and not letting anything get under your skin, every loss is a learning experience and I’ve learned A LOT this year.

11. Knowing that this next roster will go from LCQs straight into an international LAN, does that change how you approach player scouting? Are you prioritizing players with more experience this time compared to heading into Stage Two?

We just looked for people that fit into our team culture, that really fit into the system we were trying to build. Experience didn’t really matter to us because we wanted someone hungry that was ready for the grind & obviously had talent we think we can work with.

12. With the NA scene constantly shifting and the game evolving so much since you first went pro, how do you keep up with the ever-changing landscape of Pro League?

Just testing all the new changes on the TTS, a lot of VOD reviews to keep up to date. See what other regions are doing, how they are using the new op/reworks etc.

13. Looking beyond SI, what are your personal goals for the next few years? Do you see yourself continuing to compete long-term, or are you interested in transitioning into coaching, content creation, or maybe even a desk role in esports?

Over the next few years I really wanna take C9 to an international event and come out on top, other than that, just looking into content creation I wanna bring more eyes to siege and have people love the game like I do.

14. Outside of competition, how do you want your legacy in Rainbow Six to be remembered as a player, leader, or person behind the scenes? What would define a successful career in your eyes when you look back?

I just wanna be remembered for the positive light I try to bring to the game, sometimes gaming can be pretty toxic so I try to create a more positive atmosphere. What would define a successful career to me is just saying I left it all on the field sorta speak, looking back I dont wanna say I could’ve done more or I wish I tried harder. At the end of everything when I'm ready to retire I know I'll have done everything I could.

15. Your journey in esports feels far from over, but if you could go back and give young Dream one piece of advice, what would it be?

Cherish every moment, because this experience is something few get to feel & achieve. It's an amazing blessing and I get to be a part of it.