Interview with 2x Finals MVP, LevELzZ

AP: "This was truly an incredible breakout year for you. You have come a very long way from season one to become one of the league's very best players. Statistics show that your breakout performance was game one of last season's finals. You posted a then league record 50 kills on hardpoint, and it has only been uphill ever since. What fueled the sudden dominance? Was it the change of this season's roster, new play-calling, or something else?"

LevELzZ: "Well.. As I'm sure it is no surprise to you or anyone else who has been paying even a modicum of attention to this playoff season, we've been viewed as nothing but lesser than ever since the 0-3 loss that put us into losers bracket. Everyone thought we were trash for whatever reason (as if we haven't already won this league 3 times in a row before), but it is understandable. No doubt about it, this seasons competition has been tougher than ever before, at least for us. Very evenly matched games and all the matches we lost have been close. Small mistakes are what put us into the losers bracket hole. While everyone else was calling us washed, we took our time and realized that if we freak out now, then we won't last much longer. So we put our minds together and actually thought. As dumb as that may sound, it is the absolute most important thing when playing any competitive game. You need to think. You don't need to have the best gun skill. If you can outsmart your opponent, that will always give you the advantage over them. Going into today we realized that we've been losing first match hardpoints [3 times total]; however, we also realized that we would win the S&Ds. So we didn't freak out whenever we lost the first map. We really put emphasis on the bans and protects this playoff season. After we realized how much people were doubting us, we decided to take off the blind folds and show the people why we're the best in this league. In conclusion, we played as a team, and won as a team. There are no "most valuable player(s)". One person doesn't make a team. It is an amalgamation of information put together to make a powerhouse, that just so happens to go by the name of Trauma Gaming. We as an organization wish nothing but the best for every team we played and we would like to say that it was an honor to have the opportunity to play in this wonderful league yet again under the name of Trauma. If nothing else, just know this: it goes up."

AP: "How does it feel to be the first player in CACL history to win multiple Finals MVPs?"

LevELzZ: "It feels amazing. I feel honored and blessed to know that not only by my performances, but by the affirmation of others, that my skills have improved. You'd think after 5+ years on a game you'd be at least decent at it, but I think we've all been proven wrong before by that theory. I am in no way undermining the amazing opportunity of having been the MVP multiple times in this league, but as previously mentioned: I am one man. I am a man with some hands and a controller. I don't make the team. WE make the team. I hope that makes sense. Without my amazing teammates I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today. If one of us is having a bad day, the other will step up. It is a collective effort with one common goal, and it cannot be reached by one player alone. This doesn't only apply to gaming, it applies to every aspect of life. Don't think of competitive gaming as just that, gaming. Think of it as something that you can use to better your understanding of not only the game, but the world in which you are an active participant in. You don't learn anything from winning, so take the L, and learn from it. That's what we did, and that's what you should do. Be great. Be the best at whatever you set your mind to. Just do you, and the reward will be greater."

AP: "Who has been your favorite teammate in your eSports career and why?"

LevELzZ: "I want to say not Entity just because I know it'll make him so upset, but I'll just answer truthfully. My favorite teammate by far has probably got to go to Trauma Entity. Not only is he one of, if not, the smartest player I've had the opportunity to play with, but he's also been with me from the beginning. He's like a leech that just sits there and sucks the blood out of your body while you sit there and slowly wither away, but eventually you come to tolerate the leech because you realize that without you, it'll die. So you just leave it be. Sometimes it's really annoying and you wanna just cut if off, but other times you can't help but let it sit there and slowly kill you... In the nicest way possible. In all honesty I've known Vic (Entity) since I was born. We've been together since quite literally day one. One day we just decided to start up this little thing we all now know as Trauma. The only reason I'm playing is because of him. If I were to be dropped or he were to put up the sticks, I'd probably follow right after because I'd have no drive to compete. It sounds weird, but I guess this all started because of him. We've been together since the beginning and I believe that we intend to keep it that way."

AP: "Coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win the finals, where would you rank this on your list of favorite championships runs?"

LevELzZ: "Best championship win has to be this season. As previously mentioned, we almost got knocked out very quickly in the playoffs. Since our 0-3 loss we realized that every match could be our last, so we struggled, we struggled a lot. Coming this far was not easy in the slightest, but we pulled through as a team; as a collective effort. I put emphasis on it because this was not my doing. My teammates are the team. I am just there to support. This championship win felt really good to say the least. Being an underdog to then not only win the championship, but to get the [near] reverse sweep, is a feeling that is indescribable. I just really appreciate the position I am in. Would not be here were it not for my teammates.... I've said it before and I'll say it again... Keep underestimating us."