Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel is without question the most well known and accomplished professional PC Gamer, and is known in all competitive gaming circles around the world. eGaming is career, and as well as training and competiting like any other professional athlete, he also has his own computer hardware and accessories product line.
Our man Starks managed to get a second with the man himself to ask him a few questions about his career, advice for new players, the scene in general.
Starks: Hi Johnathan, thanks for taking the time out to talk to us. Could you tell us a little about yourself and where you got the tag ‘Fatal1ty' from?
Fatal1ty: I'm from Kansas City, Missouri in the USA... I've been playing video games and sports my whole life, and found a way to make a living at something I love... Playing video games :) Since I was 11 or 12 years old, I picked up the name "FATAL1TY" from Mortal Kombat which I was a huge fan of, and since then, its stuck... After that, I started competing in tournaments at the age of 13, and went Pro in 1999 with Quake 3 Arena. I've been a Pro since and won over $500,000 from competing in video games across the globe, even in your city of Melbourne.
Starks: So Gamerthon has taking competitive gaming to a new level in terms of presentation. What are your thoughts on the whole event?
Fatal1ty: I just played as a hobby, and hanging out with gamers online with IRC, community websites, etc, and my friends started getting me to go to bigger LAN parties in the Midwest, and met some really cool guys that were extremely great gamers, and got in the mix... Eventually I found out I was good enough to compete with the best in the world, so I travelled to my first tournament in Dallas, TX and won $4,000... After that, I started getting flown around the world and making over $100,000 my first year as a PRO.
Starks: Did you find the skill transfer between games such as Painkiller and Quake a determining factor in your dominance at the top level?
Fatal1ty: There was always skill transfer from game to game... Some new games that come out, are using weapons from a popular game from over 10 years ago, so since I already mastered that gun at a younger age, it was very easy to pick it back up again in a new game... So my learning curve is always faster than my opponents...
Starks: Of all the competitive titles you've played, what is your favourite and why?
Fatal1ty: PainkilleR is probably one of my all-time favorites... Just because of the amount of talent and skill that was required to play that game at all... If you suffered in one category, you lose... Where in other games, you could sacrifice your offense or defense for other things and still play about the same... The skill depth was just immense, and you could tell by where the best players finished every month... There was also some kind of hail mary type of gun, which was the stake gun, which made games turn on a dime and could make one hell of a comeback and a very exciting match.
Starks: What tournament that you have attended is your favourite and why?
Fatal1ty: My favourite tournament is probably the World Tour Finals in 2005 where they were giving away $150,000 for the 1st place finisher... I was totally stoked for this tournament and trained my hardest ever... There was tons of media from around the world covering the event, a lot of pressure on me to perform from companies, etc, so for me it was a thrill to pull threw the clutch and make everyone happy and also win for myself.. I really enjoyed the $150,000, but to live in that moment, I would of paid for it myself!
Starks: Describe the three elements or skills you believe are most crucial to being the best.
Fatal1ty: Fighting skills – Being able to outfight someone toe to toe with no advantages either way.
Strategy – Using the map to your best advantage to play the odds in your favour at all times.
Timing – Be precise with your math and time the items to perfection letting your opponent no room to breathe.
Starks: How have you seen competitive gaming evolve during your career?
Fatal1ty: Well, we went from where only a few gamers made any serious money from competing in tournaments, and now today with Championship Gaming Series we have about 300 gamers making their leaving from playing games... So I really like the moves and steps we have made as a community to grow this sport and make it a big success globally for the Pro Gamer.
Starks: Is competitive gaming becoming more mainstream?
Fatal1ty: Yeah, definitely... www.thecgs.com is where you can find out more info about what CGS (Championship Gaming Series) is taking gaming and where we are going next... It's a huge step to bring gaming mainstream and being televised globally.
Starks: Where do you see competitive gaming in 5 years?
Fatal1ty: More professional, more money, more sponsors, more spectators.
Starks: What type of legacy to competitive gaming do you hope to leave?
Fatal1ty: Respected for my game and loved for my dedication to the sport. Thanks a lot for the interview and wish the best for all the gamers down under. Game on and see you guys online!
