dupreeh from Astralis sat down with Slingshot for an interview, read the full interview here, here’s our favourite answers.

What were those early parts like? Before you had Audi sponsorships and other big-time sponsors, millions of people watching tournaments. What was the most difficult part about wanting to continue to do it when you first got started?

The game kept evolving whenever I got into it. I got my first contract, $500. Then I got my next contract for $1,000. The next one $3,000. So it kept growing on me. So it was really hard to say there was ever a moment where I thought it wasn’t working out for me. The thing that was probably the hardest thing was the time management, I suppose. I had to put in so much time to the game, so much time practicing and travelling. You have to go away from your family, girlfriend. Say no to a lot of family stuff and whatever you want to do with your friends in your spare time. So I guess dedication was probably the hardest part, but I’ve hung in there now, and right now we found a new system in Astralis and in general, everyone seems to be on the same page. Last year was too many events and too much traveling, so it’s only gonna get better from now. We’re gonna have scheduled vacations. We’re gonna have scheduled days off, and we’re only gonna participate in events we actually think are worth it.

Has your family been supportive of you being a professional gamer?

Not at the beginning. It was tough in the beginning because my parents were worried I didn’t make a living out of it, and I was spending so much time I maybe didn’t do all my assignments for school. I didn’t do all my homework, but I would rather focus on my game. I didn’t go to all the parties I could. I didn’t spend as much time with my friends as I could. But I just decided to stay home and practice with the team, play with the team, just to get better with the team. It’s paid off now, but I lost so much in the past. But right now my parents are my biggest supporters. They watch my games and they support me, and they respect that I have to practice and I’m not home for their birthdays. I’m not home for their anniversaries. So yeah, they support me fully.

And what’s your favorite part of your career now?

That’s a tough question. I just like the atmosphere of the games. I like to play on the big stages. I like the crowd. I like to hype the crowd. I like to play well. I like to show my face. I like to help evolve esports. I like to be one of the main guys in the scene who presents esports the way it’s supposed to be presented. Make it grow and be a pioneer that way.