I got a chance to interview Lassiz about how he got into the SMITE scene and what it’s like to be a pro player in one of the largest eSports circuits in the industry.
Usually a fan of MMOs and RPGs, Lassiz had tested the waters with previous 3D MOBAs, but none as refined as SMITE.
Lassiz fell in love with the game to the point that he was putting in 10+ hours a day. He found himself above the skill curve of new players joining, and that his history of games such as Bloodline Champions helped him make the transition to a skill shot type of game. Still playing games for fun, he didn’t think much of how much time he was playing SMITE. But he did know that he wanted to start streaming.
While many of those players are still active in the SMITE community, it is Lassiz and Mattypocket that have come full circle and are playing on a team together again for Season 3. A lot has changed since that original team, and now Lassiz is one of the most entertaining streamers in the SMITE community.
With all of the fun he has on stream, he realizes this is still a full-time job and it’s something he takes seriously. Like anything you want in life, Lassiz realizes you have to work hard for it, because it won’t come without a fight.
With that stress and the hard work comes disappointment as well. For all of the success and the good times that SMITE has brought Lassiz, the ultimate prize has eluded him. He has missed out on going to the SMITE World Championship the last 2 years. Like a true grinder, he brushes it off and has climbed his way up into the SPL from the Challenger Cup each season.
Lassiz is once again trying to make it to that big stage this season – trying to avoid becoming the Ken Griffey Jr. of SMITE (a top player who just kept falling short). It weighs on his mind as he continues his chase for glory.
While Lassiz still has goals he wants to achieve in SMITE for Season 3, he has plenty that he has accomplished already. One of his goals was to own a home by 30, and last year he was able to accomplish that goal thanks to his successful career – even to the point that he had his teammates from last season living with him in Florida. He found it was a great way to build the team and enjoyed the overall experience of it.
A big difference between an eSport athlete that streams and athletes of more traditional sports is visibility. An eSports player and streamer is always in front of the camera for the most part. Fans can interact with them and see the players emotions on the spot. Needless to say, this can be very stressful.
Early in his career, Lassiz was known as someone who would go on tilt pretty bad. But over the years, he has learned to take things in stride – and it has helped him grow his own Twitch community.
Lassiz is now currently in the middle of the Spring Split for the SPL. He’s playing alongside Incon, Mattypocket, Oceans, and DaretoCare as part of Team Allegiance. They recently split with the second-ranked, Team EnVyUs.
Back when the scene was smaller, dmbrandon said I am the guy who wears my heart on my sleeve – which is true, I am an emotional guy. If I get angry, I get super angry, and tilted really bad in the past. I have learned to keep those emotions in tact a little bit better. But at the same time, your emotions are constantly up and down as you are playing."
I’d like to thank Lassiz for taking the time to chat with me about his experience as a pro SMITE player. If you are interested in checking out Lassiz, you can follow him on Twitter @ALG_Lassiz or watch his stream on Twitch. You can also catch up on all the SMITE Season 3 action on their eSports website.
