The competitive esports scene is one that many gamers wish to break into for a variety of reasons. Be it the prize money, notoriety, or just plain love of the game. Teams hardly, however, keep their athletes for a long period, and there’s always a revolving door of talent that graces each grand esports stage of any big-name game out there. (Such is life!)
Post-competitive life is different for each esports athlete out there, but most turn to streaming (be it Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, etc.). This is a list of five great esports athletes who took their talent straight to your computer screens at home.
5. Daniel “dafran” Francesca
“Dafran” is no stranger to controversy in both competitions and streaming during his career.
He played Overwatch for Selfless Gaming in 2018 (where he was suspended for throwing games as well as other unsavory actions) and the Atlanta Reign in 2019 (where he flip-flopped on participating with the team at least four times within four months) before retiring to stream a multitude of less stressful games on Twitch.
An interesting tidbit about him is that despite his infamous reputation online, he has quite the following and had the top selling Overwatch League jersey in the 2019 season.
4. Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag
Perhaps one of the most popular Call of Duty professionals out there, “Nadeshot” was a force to be reckoned with in the COD competitive esports scene from 2010-2014, showcasing his talents on the team OpTic Gaming.
He retired in 2015 and has since thrived in the aftermath. Other than utilizing his business degree to form the competitive esports Team 100 Thieves (of which he is the current CEO and co-owner), he regularly streams Valorant to his 1.6 million fans on Twitch.
3. Marcus “Dyrus” Hill
“Dyrus” started from humble beginnings in Honolulu, Hawaii. Despite familial misgivings about a career in gaming (what family didn’t back then?), he landed on the biggest stages of many of LoL’s history in 2012-2015.
He became one of TSM’s brightest stars in LoL’s early days. He was recruited as a replacement for The Rain Man, being their main top laner and an absolute powerhouse in his craft.
Retiring in 2015 to the comfort of his own desktop, he has amassed an impressive 1.5 million followers on his Twitch, mainly due to his popularity with TSM, constantly streaming games such as GTA, Apex Legends, and Conqueror’s Blade.
2. Brandon “Seagull” Larned
Becoming one of the favorites in Overwatch League’s inaugural season was an accomplishment for “Seagull.” Watching him play for the Dallas Fuel was a delight for many of his followers due to his playful personality and downright clutch plays.
However, in mid-2018 the Overwatch powerhouse informed everyone of his competition burnout and went on to retirement, much to the dismay of OWL Fans.
He regularly streamed Overwatch along with his cat Arthas to his 1 million Twitch fans until January 2021, when he announced he would be taking a break from streaming for the foreseeable future to focus on his mental health. Thoughts and prayers to you, big guy!
I've been struggling with burnout/depression, don't expect to see me on for quite a while.
Don't forget I exist though, and I'll see you guys next time.
— Brandon Larned (@A_Seagull) January 25, 2021
1. Michael “shroud” Grzesiek
One of the biggest names in esports, “shroud” has had a storied career in professional gaming. Starting in 2013, he bounced around various CS:GO teams such as compLexity, Exertus eSports, and Manajuma (all excellent teams), before eventually making a name for himself on Cloud9 as an efficient IGL.
However, in 2018 he retired ceremoniously and began streaming full-time on Twitch along with creating content for his viewers. He became one of the most-viewed variety streamers out there, streaming titles such as PUBG, Apex Legends, and Valorant, just to name a few.
He famously made a jump to Twitch's competitor Mixer (but we all know how that company turned out) and returned less than a year later to a staggering 516,000 viewers.
And there you have it! Despite the beast that is competitive gaming, many athletes are still able to leave their mark by streaming to their fans.
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