The Flycast - Kenny Talks Winning Champs, Offseason Beef and What Comes Next | The Flycast Ep. 159

Episode Date: August 22, 2025

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And have you signed anything? Right now? No. So it's all, it's open, so it's open season. Okay. Okay. So I'll give a little, technically I have, technically I have it. There's a little bit of more to be done.

Yeah. I hear Vegas is nice, man. You're going to like it. Yeah, yeah. I heard the same thing. It's called me Toronto. I was told I missed my flight of Toronto. So now I just got it.

You missed the flight. Yeah, I'll just join this other team, though. Go back to the episode The Flycast Episode Who gives a fudge? Man, we got a special guest today So I dressed up

See, this is me dressing up, man And it's still weak Because I see Kenny I didn't even know it I'm cool I mean I'm just on I mean

Yeah, you just do it on I thought Star Wars short I mean I don't even know What is it? What are their shoes? These are golden goose See this is how

Yeah they're dirty on They're dirty on purpose Yeah, they're dirty expensive. On purpose. Wait, actually? You never heard of Golden Goose? Uh-uh. They literally meant to look dirty on purpose.

They, that's how they come. They got me. There's all you got me. Can you look up, can you look up Golden Goose? Riley, can you Google Golden Goose? There's a, there's a shop in the casino that Alexis and I stay in in Vegas. Look. It looks like Converses.

Click on Shop, man. I see the prices. Coverses 700. Okay. I actually really like them, though. Okay, to be fair, I will say this, they are helic comfy. Now, I don't think they should be that much, but they got me, you know? I was like, I'll be a part of the social experiment.

Okay, okay. I'll, like, dabble a little bit. Who roped you in yourself? No, my fiancé, my girl. We wanted to go look, and then I started trying them on, and I'm like, ooh, these kind of look good on feet. She's like, you got champs money? Yeah, this was after champs to be. You're doing I.

Who's more of a fashion? What's the word? Fashionista. Yeah, I think so. You or your fiance. Me. Yeah? Not anymore.

It used to be me. Now it's probably more of her because she's into like looking for vintage stuff and all this like originals and oldies. Nowadays I'm just like I'm comfy. Dude, I don't know. I've been trying lately to like like I've been buying like nicer jeans, nicer shirts and I'm actually like wash it hanging up. Yeah. But it's fucking just like that. Because usually, well, it's like, back in the day, I would just dry the shit out of it.

Oh, I'll get rid of it. But it's just like, oh, next second. I know it's like an inch shorter on the stomach. Like, it just fits worse. I've been trying to step it up this year. But it's just like, I don't know. When did you start? When did you?

I mean, last. Last couple flies, maybe. Happy birthday, Nick, by the way. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Had a fun little birthday. 38? It's a big year, man.

Dude, wow. It's, I'm not, see, he actually believes it, that's the sick part. He said, wow. No,

I am 34, though. Is that crazy? Nah. How are you kidding? 25. I always, why do I, it's like,

damn. Yeah, not that I think about it. Damn. 25 is not down. When I turned 27, that's when I was like, fuck.

What happened here? You start, you start feeling. What happened here? James Sellers. No. Um, I can sort of tell you,

Wait, wait, wait, you went out with them? Okay, they did. This is how it went. This is how it went. First of all, we were invited to one of my boys' house, DeMarca, for, like, to go chill for a party. And I was talking to Josh, like, Hunter T. Josh. And I'm like, yo, there's this place called Greenlight Social. Like, I could like you want to go there because we want to go to, like, a club.

And no BS, probably an hour later, Nick, like, DM's like, yo, I got a table at Greenlight Social. What? And literally, I swear, it was like, that was just fate. I was like, we got to go. like, and I was like, I'm down. So, yeah, the whole day just went like, it went from it being like me, Bose,

my friend Isaiah and like APG. And we were like, yeah, me and APG got food. And it was just going to be like, let's maybe figure something out. If not, then fuck it. And then we just got an idea of, maybe we just get a table somewhere, probably stand around with their thumbs in her ass,

just holding drinks. You know how it always went. Yeah, like the scuffout. Like 32 and 33 and 31. Yeah. 27 and 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. I get you. You get a table. You get drinks.

And then it's just you and like six dudes. And then you're just showing for three hours. You go home. You spent $1,600 and you wake up. Pussyless. Yeah. So it kind of went like that. But, no, so we didn't know what we were doing.

And then I was like, well, let me see if I can. like round some heads and then like this memory flashed into my head of after y'all won champs and I think if it's turning up like on this stage I'm just and then we had an inner circle the next

day yeah oh shit really Ken did the whole inner circle like this and he was like yeah no P2 to P3 I remember I can't believe they made you all do that the next day oh I know wait wasn't it y'all one champs Celebrate Sunday night and then Monday?

No, I think it was Tuesday. It was like Tuesday. I mean, but even still like. But he hit one of those, the two-day hangovers. Oh my God. The two-day hangovers. That's all. I don't know what else.

That's just a hangover. It is. Literally. Bro, I try to go to the gym the day after the year, like the birthday party and I'm like, or the birthday night, I'm like, bro, I'm at the gym. I pull up first thing I do, yak. Really? Yeah.

Now I'm thinking I'm superman. I'm like, I feel fantastic. I get on, doing weights. And I'm just like, well, my head's moving. I'm just like, here it comes. It's coming again. Yeah. And it's like, bro.

One time, I think, I probably told the story before, but I think, I think we went out in Burbank one time. I remember miracles being there. Do we go to like a club? Yeah, it was a club. It was like BTH days like Kieran and miracles. And we were all out there. We were like, like I got really drunk. And then the next day, Optic plays rise in finals of Blackup.

three something. Yeah. And I go and I, there's one bath. You remember the Burbank Studios? You're like recording and stuff, right? I am there for vision. And there's only one bathroom in the whole arena. There's only one bathroom.

The players got to piss. Bro, I go in there and I'm, I have to be in there for 15 minutes in the middle of the series. Like, Jackie. And I opened the door and it's Looney. Looney was waiting for the bathroom to play his match on stage. And I know he went in there and I know it. And he saw. Yeah.

Just smells like puke. What the fuck's going on over there? And I was like, uh, sorry, man. Yeah. Sometimes you gotta get it out. That's how we used to, we used to, I mean, before I used to go to events and just get drunk. But it's like, I feel like I would get drunk every, it'd be an all, I'm drunk the entire time. That's, I mean, that's like, it'd just be all day every day.

That's what you. Because, like, Hax would just, like, fly us out and be like, let's just have a good time. Thursday night, Hax is getting drunk. Like, yeah. But that's when the events were, like, popping a little more. Now you show up. Fridays weren't that, like, serious. Yeah.

Seth used to get turned on Thursday nights. Seth would drink, which is crazy to think about the Seth. would be out on Thursday nights until 2 a.m. But yeah, that's the days where, like, people would be at the bar and shit. So, like, seem worth it. Then you'd wake up the next day so hung over that, like, I mean, I don't know if either of y'all do this, but you just drink again to feel better. No.

That's the same. You went in the kitchen and I hid everything I had in the, literally. I wish I knew that. Remember when we went to hung out with, I don't know if you ever heard of her, Selena Gomez? Whatever we like did that night? And then the next day we had the Opticverse phase shit. Yes.

And we were, I like felt bad. I was like, I'm like ruining this whole experience. I puked on the drive there and the drive home. See, I can't puke. It was so bad. I like can't puke. The only time I ever pooped. Poop poop pooped the only time I have puke in poop at the same the only time I ever puke is

Like food poisoning or something like alcohol just sits in it sits and I'll drink so much and it's just like I'll gag myself Paul's like but it just it just turns into me like Just choking and like getting red face and like getting a fucking headache like I wish I could puke because it Like I used to me it would feel so much better Literally instantly. Yeah. Unless it's like one of those crazy hangovers. Because then you feel, you feel great instantly.

And then an hour later, it creeps back in, like out of nowhere. It's like the body finds the rest of the alcohol. It's like, bro, who forgot this part? You got to get this out now. But yeah, but the birthday, man, we just, it was sort of like a last minute thing. I was like, let me see if I can like low-key round up some people. We eventually did. Somebody in my chat asked me, was like, damn, Nick didn't invite you to his birthday?

I was like, we're such good friends. He didn't even send the text. And the thing is, there was a few people like that. Like, I didn't text you because I know 100% you're not coming. But there's a few people that I like kind of knew that about. Like I texted scump just out of like respect. Yeah, yeah. Because like he's invited me to his shit, whatever.

And, uh, but like I know he's going to say no. And then I forgot to text like Andrew Peterman. But I was like, he's not going to go like. Seth and Seth and Izzer at home Kate and Zinn or fucking in Hawaii Like it's so last minute I was like there's no way he's gonna come But then I was like fuck I feel bad about like not inviting him

Because like they always invite me to like their little things or So I did kind of feel bad I don't think they would have came but it's the thought that counts Yeah but yeah we had a we had a fun little night Had a little tables You know a decent amount of people pulled up Tons of girls I was on Mars It wasn't it wasn't too

I'm telling you. I was on my... Were you pre-gaming before you... Yes. You were? Because you pulled up like... I was 12. A little, I think after midnight.

Yeah. What were you celebrating, Ken? No, I was just going to my homies... He was just having like a little get-together at his house. So we just pulled up, we're playing like little game, like, hard games, and we're just drinking there. And then I'm like, oh, let's go to Green Light. I pulled up to the green light. Nick's passing a bottle.

I'm like, I got to take a shot. The birthday boy passed a bottle. Like, you can't not take a shot. That's true. That's true. Take a shot. And Rod's apparently passed. guys been involved for us in the night, but I don't remember none of that.

So, like, all I remember is me dancing. I'm just dancing. I'm just like, well, whatever happened. That was fun. I wish there was, like, another, every single place, I feel like in Dallas, unless you go to, like, a hood spot or something. But I feel like every, like, club plays the same type of fucking music. Is it really?

Is it a house? It's just, like, popular songs mixed with house. Yeah, yeah. Like, they'll pull out a soldier boy crank that next thing you know. It's mixed with like, like, shit like that. Yeah. So, I don't know. Honestly, because I've been, I don't know,

my TikTok page been just full of this, that, like, music. I haven't wanted to go to, like, a club with that type of music. I haven't, there's one. Yeah, it's like house mixed, like, you say, like, the, it's like playing, like some popular songs, but mixing with, like, eating and, like, electric. And, like, there was one called, like,

something punk, and it was in the middle of deep element, but they closed it. And so I was like, I want to find something new. Wait, the, oh, is that? It's called something punk. It was like, C. Punk or maybe it's called like star I don't remember but they got really about a Google

fucking clubs and punk club deep elm yeah see because punk society there you go oh that was it yeah yeah I think it's closed but that used to be like me and Donnie used to like I think that friend with that one I think Seth and is met at a punk night no they met at um what's the place Legacy West something writers

no yeah it's something like bar that she used to work at. Yeah, I thought they had punk nights because I went Oh, a punk night? I thought you meant like this place. No, no, no. It was like a 90s. Oh, maybe it was.

I'm not sure. But yeah, I've been. Oh, yeah, it says permanently closed. Yeah, this used to be my spot. Been going out a little bit more. But, um, yeah, you've probably never gone out with James, but he goes so like the, like if they play sweet Caroline, pop, pop, b, like that's where James is at. It's like not a club.

Yeah. You think it's like a just a bar, almost loungey type of like over under how many times. Where the white girls are. How many times in James's life do you think he's bot, bot, bad, bad? Like 200. And you got to think he goes out, say he goes out two to three times a month, 12 times. They play it twice a three times a night. And he's been doing this for like seven years.

So I don't know, probably probably a fucking night. It's probably up there. It was a fun night, though. I feel like I've been going out too much because my fucking hangover and we'll get into some like call duty and shit soon. They don't want to hear about it.

I got nothing else to do. Fuck it, I'll pot all day. But, wait, what was I talking about? Here we go with this shit again. It happened on the hoot podcast where I'm about to say something and I'm like, wait, what happened again?

Oh, I'm about, or I've been going out a little too much. And then especially that night I drank so fucking much. Woke up the next day and did like a Like a pool day with just My boy and these two other people And then she drank all that day And then like Sunday I feel horrible

Monday doing the The Halo pod And then I might have hit the gym or something Tuesday I think I started hitting the gym And then here we are today And I feel like just today I'm like just now getting out of it Yeah

But then it's like here comes like Friday am I about to do something again? No, I've been doing the same thing. My girl even, like, was on our ass, like, last weekend because we've been going out just every weekend now, just for no reason. It's just randomly like, oh, let's just hang out. It's the off season.

Yeah, I'll just hang out. And my girl's like, are we going to start going out, like, way more now? I'm just like, I don't know. It's just like, it's like super spontaneous, though. Like, yo, is she kind of excited about it? Are y'all homebodies? I don't know. I'm weird, though, because I, like, I'm a homebody.

I'm not, I feel like I have to go out. Like, I mean, as obvious as it sounds, like, I have to go out of my boys, obviously. But, like, me and my girl be trying to plan to go, you know, bar hop just me and her. But it never happened. So it's just like, we, I guess I'm not really a homebody, but I do enjoy going out and having fun. Like, especially we're drinking. Yeah. But that was my problem in my relationship.

I don't like what people come and don't drink, though. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, I mean, I don't, you can have fun out drinking, but not around me. What about? You'd be too sober. And I feel like, they'd be like, like, my girl's even twill. And she was like, baby, you were tweaking that Nick's birthday.

This and this. And I'm just like, fuck, let me text Bose. Like, what I'm doing? Yeah, I was like, let me text boas. What about people who just like have a few? And they're just like kind of, don't drink, but that's cool. As long as you're doing like something. I mean, yeah, I just feel like, I don't know.

I feel like people be too sober and they notice everything. Like you know, like, then you start peeping like too much. And it's like. Yeah. You start. Oh, if you're not drunk and you're at a place where everyone's drunk, that's like, I don't even know why you're here. That shit like turns me off as a human.

Yeah, you're like, are you getting blackmail right now? That's how I look at people. Because like if you're sitting on the couch just like scoping out and you're completely sober. I would just be uncomfortable. What are you looking for? I got to. I think all they come out with is like complaints too. He's just like, ah, this person was doing this.

This person was just like, bro. So is that, I mean, we're in the off season. Has that been your, I was going to ask about your off season. Is that kind of where you're at streaming a little bit, going out a little more? Honestly, yeah, well. I've been streaming so much this all season. Like literally every day is like a 12 plus hour stream. It's crazy for me.

Playing everything. Yeah. Every time I tune in, it's something different. No, literally. Do you just like, do you just enjoy that? Yeah.

Like, that's what I do like just with my boys. We just play whatever game. And like normally I don't stream as much, but I'm just like, it's all season. I might as well. I just enjoy doing that and like playing whatever game.

Yeah. And the streaming part is kind of newer to me, but it's like I have nothing else to do. So right now I've been going to the gym in the morning. and stream. Right. And then it's like, oh,

well, we've been in the house for literally the whole week, let's just go do something. Yeah. Do you think you would be playing as much if you weren't streaming it?

Like, is that just kind of who you are anyway? That's what I'd do on the normal. It's just play. I'm jealous. We got TST fucking 300 hours deep. Yeah, that's not fun though.

Your game in 12 hours a day. I don't know, man. Ken's having fun. I'm clocking in. It's different. It's a lot different. Yeah, I guess so. After I beat Eldon Ring?

Because Elder Ring was like, I was like, okay, that's my shift. I'm going to grind out of the ring. And now it's downhill. I'm like, oh, shit. Like, I got to get Diamond and Marvel rivals. Yeah. I got to figure out how to play anything other than cloak and dagger. Because if they ban cloak and dagger, what am I going to do?

Like, that's how I'm thinking now? It's like, dude. Yeah, I might be all downhill. You're just really stuck on that game, right? You're only on the game, or how do y'all do it? There's 10, 10 goals, and we can, like, do whatever. Okay. So you're not locked in.

So I'm probably, I'm probably going to have to start playing Minecraft because I think because one of the goals is beat my hardcore Minecraft. I never beat Minecraft in my life. Really? And it's so funny because me and my homies got a survey and we started playing

and my homie's got a survey and we started playing and I'm just thinking like bro, you are a tryhard like how do you know all this? And he's probably doing the most basic. He's just getting like horses and just getting like that's how X feels when he like plays with me. I'm just like, bro, you're a tryhard. Like I don't know what I'm doing but it's fun. I was a Minecraft hater for a bit.

I'm not going to lie. but he kind of like sparked it for me because I'm like I didn't know you can do all this and he's just doing cool shit I'm just like oh that game is so fun yeah Minecraft is like especially if you haven't beat it it's I think I watch you got the final boss of the dragon thing

I was watching you and Hector play that one day I'm just like this looks so like funny like trolley it's just trolley yeah you see Hacks getting like flung around dying and shit but it is it is fun man Minecraft's one of the now out in ring

I don't like Elder Ring though I'm like a lot of Eldering hater But didn't you beat it? Yeah Didn't you beat it? That is so surprising I like Liza P over Lerner You've got to try Liza P?

The only souls like I've ever played is Liza P. Okay the only reason I don't like Eldering Because when I play Liza P Like the controls and like the smoothness of the game First of all you can play over 60 FPS That's number one. Yeah, you can't Yeah so it's locked to that

But then like I feel like the game is way more responsive On Liza P And that's one thing I don't like about Eldering is like, I'm gonna write this down. I don't like that. Lies of P. It's a story about Pinocchio, basically.

Oh, man. No, no, no, but it's like a good, it's like a dark version of Pinole. That is kind of funny, though. No, it's not, but it's like a dark version of Pinocchio basically. It's like the. Yeah, yeah. And it's, I think it's, bro. It's a soul's like game.

Like it's like in this game, bro, you can like change like your swords. You can put like one handle and put a different like blade on it's so cool. It's just like. Can you look at Liza Pee like first, first boss? Just so I don't want to. I might get spoiled. We got to change that drop pod title to like something negative about Hex yelling at the cod team or something.

Formal and Mounden show up. So Hex took over. Yeah, it was not really going in, but we want to make people think he was. So this is basically like Eldon Ring. Yeah, it's the same time. Same sort of. There's a different story, basically. There's also way more in this game than there's Eldering, but it's the same.

And then it's a game you can parry as well. instead of just dodge. You can parry in Eldering. We'd just have a shield, right? Oh, oh, you can parry just without a shield. Yeah, yeah, literally anything. I just like to dodge. So do some people play Eldon Ring just parrying the whole time?

Yeah. It actually looks kind of fun because you got to time it right with the... Yeah, this is, so are all Souls games? Is this considered a Souls game? Souls-like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, are they all just like this? Boss-a-boss. But the thing I like about Elder Ring, and I have nothing to compare it to because

it's the only Souls-like I. I've ever played. But I love the fact that it's open world. Yeah. Elden ring? That is like a lot about this. Nah, this is like straight linear.

It's just straight. Like you just run, keep running straight in your event you're going to hit a boss. Yeah. You can explore a little bit, but it's way more like exploring an L-Ring than is this. Like there's like way more secret bosses and stuff like that on like El-Ring. Yeah.

So why would you choose this over Elden Ring? I just like the smoothness of the game. Like the, you can customize a lot more. There's, I like the parrying like that it's on everything. Like, because I feel like you should get rewarded for parrying. Like dodging and Elderman, you don't really get it rewarding except you get a hit.

Right. And this game, if you parry like a certain amount like perfect in a row, you'll get like the repost, which is like, you know. Yeah, yeah, like the critical hit thing. Exactly. Yeah. And so like to me, I just like that, I guess. And then also like being able to change the blades and stuff like that. And this guy also has like a mechanical arm that you can like use, you can put like fire on it, a shield, electricity.

You can do a lot. But you've beat Eldon Ring. Yeah. How did you, did you play it on stream? Yeah, me and Donnie played a co-op. I haven't beat it solo. But I don't think I'll ever play it solo. That's what I'm saying.

So co-op is it? I think I want to play like the older ones, like, Sekiro and... I've heard Sequeiro or Sequeiro. Yeah, whatever that I've heard that one is like amazing. And I want to play that. Oh, I got to beat that's also like Bloodborn. You've heard of Bloodborn too? That was the first one, right?

No, no, no. I think Bloodborn is the first one. Oh, it is the first one? It wasn't Dark Souls. Okay, then I think it's Bloodbore is the first one? I think. See, I just, I don't know. I just can't.

I'd be thinking I'm just not a gamer. And I mean, if you just look at how much I've played in the past, like, few years, I'm really not a gamer. But then there will be something like, it's in there. Then there would be something like, I started playing Minecraft with hacks and I'm on like eight to 12 hours a day. Yeah. And like, because there's like, there's just something in my mind is like, all right,

I'm going to get on and we got to do this. Like even if it's just some dumb shit, like we got to fucking farm crops and got to work on this today and try to get full down. I'm in armor today. Like some, I need like a little goal. I can't just like hop, but it's also like,

you'll get off on a boss. Like you'll trust me. A boss will whip your ass for a good hour or two and you'll get, oh, trust me. Well, I couldn't because I was doing the Eldon Ring Marathon. Yeah.

So like I just can't fight it. But I would have to take breaks of just like, all right, I go outside. Oh, Demon Souls was the first one. Demon Souls and then Dark Souls after that. I don't.

Yeah, but I don't know. But then I, like I'm just not interested in playing anything. But then I'll play something like Eldon Ring. And it really sucked me into it. I used to be good, but I haven't played a mouse and key game in so long that I'm going to be horrible. Yeah.

Whenever I start back on. I just think like lately or past like a year and a half or whatever, I realized like how many games there are. Like there are so many. And in the, I like story games. Like I like The Last of Us. I like I played Detroit. Like I played, I played the bioterrorism. Sharks like I like them you you love Vioshock yeah that and fallout my favorite like my favorite

like my favorite two so again but like whenever people whenever I was like okay I like these games like you know little nine hour games like cod campaign length games yeah I like those and then I was like so like I was asking my chat because I was starting to stream this is like 2017 20 to 2019 I'm like what what are like your favorite games like I want the best of these they're like you got to play the witcher three I look up how long it takes to beat the Witcher 3 takes like 200 hours to beat it And I'm like, I'm not. God, I haven't been that. I'm like halfway through.

To like, to like 100% of it. I think. I don't know. But like, but like it takes like 80 hours to beat or something crazy. And I was like, well, I have no fucking time to beat this. And you can't. Those games like, you can't. If you want it to be a good stream, you can't do, you know, 12% of the game here. Yeah.

And then pick it up three days later. That's no fun. That's why, that's why like the marathon streams are so good. That's the only way I can see. myself playing them. Yeah. It's like just grinding it out. I can't do like a six-hour stream.

Do you ever feel like when you play certain? Because obviously people, I guess your best viewership's God, right? Like it's half. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's like when you hop on other games, do you and your viewership goes down? Does it ever? Well, recently, my- Is that get in your head or you ever like?

Recently, I've been surprised. That's honestly probably one of the reasons I've been way more hyped to stream is because I've been getting actually way more views than I thought on these other games. Like games you actually Exactly exactly I think the funny thing is the game That I probably want to play the most is league And that's the one I get the least amount of viewership off

Yeah Because people don't, people just come in and like I don't know what the fuck going on I'm out and I'm just like I get it Because when I first was watching league I'm like this looks lame And I really don't know what's going on But like now I'm watching Seth play it

And I'm just like I know how addicted And I know he's addicted I know I just know Is he playing on stream? Yeah Right now? I'm not right now But I mean like recently

He's been playing like yesterday Seth was telling me earlier today that he's been having preseason football on and playing league. I'm telling you. At the same time, just like chilling. It's one of those addictions that you wish that like you could do it for the first time again type of thing.

Like in league, I'm just like it was like MW, like when we were OJLA. I would wake up before scrams, keeping my scrimmed or like 12 or 11. I'm waking up early to get a few league games in. It was that addicted. Yeah. Before scrams. I'm just like, what a lot of people don't know is.

You got a spawn in with no dead silence. What a lot of people don't know is I used to grind league, but this was like season one, season two. This was like 2000 fucking 10 or something. Like early. Like early. I used to grind that game. It was so fun. I was like a diamond player.

I had, um, maybe like me, Cloud Clutch. I think Forum will start playing a little bit. Lethal start playing a little bit. My boy, Cloudy Cloud. A sought got to. Do you know a team with him in Halo? Yeah. I think you did tell me that on like the first podcast.

Yeah. How did that go? Teaming with. I was cool. I actually, I learned a lot from him, to be honest. Like,

well, playing with him was like cool because for me, I wasn't like super deep into like the halo, like lore, I guess. You want to put it like knowing who was like him and this and that. So it was like playing when it was kind of cool. Like a lot of my friends is you're like,

oh, you're playing your team with cloud. I'm like, yeah. Like, yeah. Yeah. I don't know.

Like it's not. It wasn't really that crazy. me, but I mean, I learned a lot from me. It was fun playing on them, but we didn't really, I don't think we team for that long, to be fair, but. Yeah, Cloud was my, I mean, wait. That's his jersey right there. That's his jersey right there.

Found it on fucking eBay or something. It makes me sad, man. I just, I hope Cloud's doing well. He was one of my best friends for a long time. Does this one make you sad? Reality check? That makes me sad, too. He was probably wearing that jersey while beating me for fucking.

But he had Frosty. Did you ever get reality checked? No. I think the Suds were retired by the time. Oh, I did. I know, no, I did recently.

Okay, the Suds, bro. Did recently. No. Wait, what do you mean? No, no, no, no.

No, no. I think it was, no, no, I think it was Sud too. Oh, bro. Because I, I, when I came into the community,

they were just seen as like, I don't even, I don't even, I don't even, yeah, just like, yeah. And I'm playing HAL Infinite ranked like pretty recently.

This is after we won chance, by the way. And, um, bitching. I'm like, bro, shut the fuck up. Like, shot bitch and like, by you ass. So he's like, you're fucking ass, mama, go back to card.

I'm like, go back to card. I'm like hearing you, your ass. And he's like, talk about I just team. He's a team with Shati. I was like, I am team with Shati. Like, what do you say? Bro, I literally just want a team with Shati. Like, what do you say?

You're a highlight of your career. You team with him? Yeah, I'm trying to think. That's what he said. He's with Frosty. He did team with, I don't know. He did team with.

Maybe he didn't, but I responded like, bro, what? I'm teaming with Shottie. Like, I'm winning with Shotsie. It was just like the weirdest thing because I know of him. I just didn't know. And then he started pulling some cheese about his brother or something. I don't know. No, they are just like, I feel like in the deepest part of their, like, soul, they are good people.

Yeah. But they are just, it's just that nerd shit when you get on the game and you have this, like, weird sort of common. to just like cause conflict. Yeah. And I feel like that's just where they kind of work. He's also just saying whatever comes to mind. He just bitch and he's just like bro, shut up. I have never met either one of them.

Yeah. But I have like a fascination with asking Halo people if they've been reality checked. Because everyone knows what it means. Everyone. Reality check. And every time I ask a pro, have you ever been reality checked? It's either fuck no or it's like I just brought up their worst. like deep

trauma. That was a bad loss. That was a bad loss. No one wants to It hasn't haunted me too bad, but like no one wants that. Yeah. I can't really can't think of like a worse way to lose. Never lost to killa. Losing to killa?

Losing to aches in like Blackups 2 ghosts. Who is the most annoying team in like Cod history to lose to? Nihil. Bro, he's screeching. Nihil and Oh my God, what was Nighto? I think I saw a clip of that. A screechy fucking Nelson. Nelson. I team

with Nelson in the AW&B. Did you? It was like one of the funniest thing. My first event were playing against, I forgot who it was at the time. But we're playing them and he's like, you and I, we're winning. He really flips the whole X, like the Xbox and the monitor just falls in the other team's lap. Like the guy

and we're playing against, the monitor is in his lap like this. And I am in tears crying. Nelson is just yelling at him. You fucking say, I don't. And I don't know. It was because I remember one of our first matches, too, like we're playing against General. Yeah.

And General's mom, like his dad, like they used to always be there. And she's in the background like, these kids are ass. Like his mom said, these kids are as. And Nelson gets up and says, sit your old ass down. And I'm just like, what is going on? This is my first event, by the way. And I'm like, what the fuck is going on? Dude, those, I miss those days, man.

Wherever Nelson and Nyhal are, I hope they're doing well because those, I mean, they used to be, you would hear them. Like I would be watching the mainstays matches and all of a sudden there's a crowd over there and people are screaming like a like a Gears a war event And then that just starts attracting people Yeah, what's going on over here? And then I would walk over and what's going on? I know I'm asking the crowd what's going on and I remember My buddy Pittsburgh. He used to run the team of revenge And he would he looked at me and he was like it's just Nihil it's Nihil like it's their team screeches they're just screeching I watched a in at uc niagara 2014 uh complexity they're on this like crazy run they won every event they lose for some reason round one of winners so they're in round one of losers yeah and they play

nigh hill's team nile nelson uh uh was chance on that team i can't remember who is there's a redhead kid i can't remember his name shit can't remember's gamer tech um but that series Offstream losers round one Goes game 5 round 11 Game 5 round 11 Game 5 it was literally And it literally complexity almost lost Got double first rounded

Yeah uh UGC Niagara Um yeah look at the look at the fucking Who was that redhead cod pro I think I know you're See scroll up yeah they lost XGN There's a guy named Stun got a 1B3 behind white truck It was like the craziest shit

So then scroll down So I don't know if there's losers bracket on here right there wild Cole versus wild that that game went game five round 11 and it was fucking crazy not right yeah chance yeah you're right

I'm on the team hey yeah that was in Hela yeah that was before oh no no I actually was on this team and goes and then I like so I joined this team and goes and we were scrimming

and I didn't ask my mom to like the last week of it like hey can I go this tournament? My mom was like, no. So this whole week I'm screaming with, I'm just like, waiting for the day. I got to tell them, no, I can't go. But I was really screaming. I felt so bad.

But I was also young and at the time. You just let them on? Yeah, I was feeling every young person did that. Yeah, I was like, yeah, no, I need a team. I'm going to this event. And then it's like, fuck. You just know, it's like, I probably can't hear it. That was literally, I did that a few times.

Wait, Riley, can you see if you could see that game on YouTube? Look up on YouTube. I don't know. You just see Niagara Complexity versus. whatever complex because I think some people like recorded because you know there's like open bracket matches where like people are just gathered around

yeah they're not gonna be able to find it wait that's the event but who knows that was stunts 1V3 stunn got a 1V3 gained 10,000 followers in one day really yeah and then people had like

people looked at as like was it a 1V3 like round 11 it was a 1v3 to win it got like 10,000 followers in a day and then people found out his final stats he dropped a 1, like a 0.06 0.6 or I'm sorry, 0.6 and people were like, damn,

it really just does take one moment, just one moment. That's all you need is this little hat on, bro. That's a big ass hat. Is that a fucking actual hat or like some troll like call of duty? I don't know what that is. I'm at war hat.

Bunkers. hat. Flat, yeah. That shit is oversized. All right. Those are the days, man. Those are the days. Everybody's so high, but you see crem-sex in the background?

He's so pissed. Then they go Game 5 round 11, beat Nihil's team, and then they don't lose a map the rest of the tournament. Just completely sweep the rest of the tournament. Shit was insane. Jesus. Those are good days. I'm mad I missed all these days. I was playing fucking like, hey.

Halo 4 and Just bullshit Probably playing League of Legends and Hurthstone The hell I missed all the good Call of Duty days

Yeah Yeah They podcast and shit Yeah That was my first podcast I was ever on The Sticks live I used to be on that pod

Damn Yeah Old old ass days man Old ass days Well Kenny we'll You know Wait I have one

Before we get into I've one One general question. What, as you look back on it in your career, what will Blackop Six mean to you? That's a heavy. That's a end of the pod. No, in some way to get started. In my career, I think, I don't know.

I feel like I learned a lot this year, especially by myself. I say that. Looking back on it, like, I think I learned a lot because obviously I would say it's my worst year in this, just in my career by far, because I didn't win and I also didn't play good individually. Like I've had years where like people call it my bad years like Cold War, for example, but I was really fucking good at cold war. I was even looking at this. Like we were looking at the stats on stream the other day.

Like I said, I did way better than I thought. I was like, wow, I was actually really good. So it's like this year I just learned a lot because I mean, there are just so many times this year I could have probably just bit my tongue and kind of been good. But then again, like there's so many things this year that I just couldn't control. And I feel like that just killed my mental for a bit. Yeah. And it's like those are the worst. Like the shit that you can't control.

And it's like you like for me, I'm just such a competitor and just like I'm just a perfectionist to the point where like I'm trying to look past it. Like for example, like the PC thing everybody brings up like how bad my setup felt. My setup felt ass. But he got to the point. Yeah. And I got to the point where I was like it can't just be the setup. This may be just how the game feels.

I can look past this and just try to get our team on the same page and still win hopefully. Like get something together. Like I'm pulling up every day. early as fuck with JP to watch Vod try to figure out something. I'm not even thinking about shooting my gun. I'm not thinking about how ass my setup feels. So like after every matcher we're losing,

I'm just thinking in my head and like I'm just bitching like, wow, I literally can't get a kill. Yeah. It's like I haven't felt something so bad in my life that like it literally felt like I had no aim assist. And people would be like, oh, that's excuses. But then I go play at Minnesota, not saying I had the best stint at Minnesota.

But the first few days I'm screaming there, I feel a difference. Like, this is how the game's supposed to feel. Oh. And like, I don't. I still to this day don't know what it was. Yeah. You know what I mean?

But it's like, I'll always like leave the situation like believe in, I gave it 100. Maybe 110. So it's like I just learned a lot this year, especially like I said by myself because I took a whole like two week, two to three week break just to, you know, reflect on what the fuck just happened because I just started point three also. It's like point three. That's where's Katie in the world? Like I just beat four most Katie.

And I'm just like, four more that shit, Katie? Yeah, it's like a point four. It's like that. I think he had the low one before that. I can't remember. I'm pretty sure. Matt had the break of the I wish I knew this

Yeah I want to say it's up there It's definitely up there But it's just like I don't know It's a lot of things because Watching I guess Like watching the event Like while I was like out

I'm just like wow I want to play No matter how bad I just had a bad set I just want to play And people think I just went to the rocker team To just play But it was like I went with the mindset Maybe I can turn it into a winning team Not with the mindset

I just want to play cod Right It's like I always look at first. Like that's one thing outside of my chat the other day. They're like, um, because we're having to argue about if Neptune had a good successful year. And I'm just like in Neptune's mind, probably not. He got second a lot. That's not good. But I think they were saying like, oh, maybe you're just so used to winning. I'm like, no, everybody wants to win. That should be the mindset regardless. You want to win. And so I'll take second. I would have sex. You would have

taken second. I mean, well, but when you start getting second, then you're like, fuck. I got a way. That's what I said. But if you're getting top eight, top six, you might get a top three. Like, I understand he could have, he could think that as successful because he went from challenges to place in second. Right. But I think once you play second, then the bar just goes higher.

Right. Now we need to win. But then again, like, then JP and Damon text me like, yo, the, because I think Caesar hit me up. I was like, yo, this piecey fucking ass. Like, I'm getting shit on. I'm just like, you're like, no, it's fine. I literally text me.

I literally respond to good luck. I just want a good luck because I'm just like, bro, I don't know. I don't know the, I don't know the fix to it. And I hate blaming shit that's out of my control, but it just literally felt like I couldn't get a kill. And then JP and Damon text me like, the PC you're all died. I'm like, that makes a lot of sense.

Bro, I'm shit with that. PCs are weird, man. I hate these problems. These are probably got to be one of the worst shit. Yeah. Because I don't think you're going to, say we were on consoles still, I don't think there's going to be, because once you start changing like,

Nvidia settings with monitor settings, and then G sync on or off. And it's like, I feel like you don't know, because I feel like I had similar issues. I mean, I wasn't competing. But in like 2020, I was like a crackhead. And like nothing felt right about playing Halo 3. And like, it just felt off and felt so hard.

And different days, it'd feel fine. Other day, other days, like most days it'd feel like shit. But then I'd get on one day, I'm like, oh, this is easy as fuck. That's true what it was. But then the next time, I'm like, bro, this is like, even like certain jumps. I'm like, bro, why is this jump hard to me? Yeah. Like, on like pit just jumping on like top.

of the bridge where this little I think they called it banana but even like jumping up there it's like bro I can't make the fucking jump like what is like it was fucking my PC was fucking my mind so I didn't know if it was my internet I don't know if it was like an Ethernet port

I don't know if it was there's so much shit There's so much shit that was literally like you like can't Then like people will look at it Nah you just ask bro and then they'll move on Then they move on with their day And that's like how I kind of looked at at the time was like can you're just not playing like lock in like get the team because that's always been my mind said it's that like if the team is all four

players are on the same page nobody's going to have a bad series especially if you're considered a talented player yeah like all my teams i've won with if we're on the same page it just look dominant like that's just how it works and from my in my mind and so at the time i'm just like let me just get these boys on the same page like i just need to like i'll figure it out i just need to lock the fuck in and like i said i don't i don't think i'd have been dropping one point twos if i had a better piece here or whatever but i think we would have been able to win maps or beat these teams that shouldn't have been beating us. You know what I mean? But we're 0 and 18 map count.

And there was also other shit going on. Yeah. So you're trying to... I can't imagine what it was specifically you. Yeah. Especially to me being the most... I'm the most vocal and I feel like I'm like they see me, like people see me as this leader, IGL. But I don't look at it like that.

I'm just being a teammate. Like I'm literally just being a good teammate. I don't walk into the room like, listen to me. I'm the leader. It's just like, I just like, you know what I'm. I mean, it's like, I'm a good teammate. Yeah. It's like, I don't know.

But I don't mind it. Like, I don't mind if my team thinks, yo, can't we need you to tell us what to do? Do that. That's how, that's going to make us better. Okay, cool. I'll do that. But I think for our optic team, it was always better when all four of us were talking. And that's why, like, after the major four stint at NW3, that was like, we all had

a call with each other and was like, yo, going forward, like, we need to all be, like, giving our opinions and scrimms. and that's pretty much it so when after like our champs like grind bro we were grinding and like it was good sometimes days got hot like we were arguing cool keep it moving

we won champ and it's like I feel like those conversations got harder this year like it was just like we could even have them I heard them and you can talk about this as much as you want but I think people always thought like people had problems with Pratt on the team but Shotsie

I can't remember Where did he say this? It might have been on stream. Might have been on a podcast. I don't know. But Shotsy said there was like the arguments, if you want to call them arguments, would be like between you and him.

Yeah. Because you were the only two that would talk on the team. And what team was that, was that regardless of if Predd was on the team or Hook was on the team? No, I think we had less problem with Kyle was on the team. We didn't have problems so we lost at the event with Kyle on the team. Realistically.

I think we're really good. Because you're the number one seat. Yeah. And I want to talk about that as well. Exactly. Between you and Shotsie, like... Well, me and Aunt, even when joining the team, like, me and Aunt, look at the game the same.

People still think that, like, since we look at the game the same, we can't disagree. That's just not real. We disagreed all MW3 at Tom's. And it's not, like, play-to-play. It's not me telling, like, Shotsie, like, yo, you need to play it this way.

You can't tell Aunt what, like, Aunt's Aunt's. Right. Because I don't just fuck up his game. Exactly. It's more of like, what do you think our team should do on this hill? It's like, okay, he has a sub. He has a different mindset because he's running a sub.

I have a different mindset because I'm running an ER. Okay, so then we need to find a median that works for both. And, like, that's what we would disagree on. Like, yo, on this hill, at this time, maybe we should take a route. Maybe we should go left. And then maybe first guy needs to go this way. The three need to go this way. I might think, maybe it works to go two, two.

Maybe two can be going this way. And, like, that's what we would disagree on. And, like, it wasn't like me and we're going at each other. They were just like, okay, which way do we want to try? And it's just like nothing. Right. And it's just like, okay, we don't really agree on how to play the game all the same. So it's like, let's just say me and aunt never agreeing and aunt still makes to play, it kind of gets me tight.

Then if I still make the play, it might get aunt size. And it thinks that we're all in agreement, but really not. So it's like, yeah, yeah. That's like what it was. And nobody like, bro, I'd have no problem with any of my teammates personally. If we suck in the game, we suck. I'm going to call your play bad no matter who you are, the play is bad. You know what I mean?

Like, I don't have a problem with you. I have a problem with the play. Right. Like that's what it, no matter if you made it or the other person made it. And then like when I refer to mistakes and scrimms, it's meant for everybody to listen, not just the person I'm talking to. Right. Like if we're all in the same team, I'm talking to you, I'm like, yo, hitch on this fucking play, you should have did this. I'm hoping Nick is listening like, okay, let me not make the same mistake.

You know what I mean? And that's how I look at it. So it's like I didn't. Do you think everybody was listening? No. No, because then we make the same mistake. Like a different person would make it and that's like going back to step zero. Yeah, yeah.

And it's like, it just hurt a lot because I'm, I feel like I was so focused on those mistakes. and I also was playing bad. So it's like... Like how, like, it feels... I don't know what the word would be, but it's like, you're playing bad. So it's like, do I even have a voice to fucking speak this? It's like, everybody sees me as this person on the team,

but it's like, I don't look at the score. Like, Pam, 10, and 20? It's like, do I really bring up this P4? I don't fucking see. Do I really bring up this P4? No, that is a thing. Like, you go... Especially like Owen, we're like Owen 15.

And it's like, ah, that's... He just got three-old But it's like, do I really bring it up? I also want to ask, and we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I heard that the initial text that said it all off was you texting Damon. No, so I text it.

So I don't remember after what match, but one of the matches we lost, and I was just fucking raging because I just never rage out of every loss. Like, that's just me. Like, I just, like, there's so many plays. After the 18th. Yeah, yeah. It's just like, that's the 18th loss, I'm just like, bro.

Oh, good, G-G's. But I'll keep it a sack because I feel like in the room, it just didn't, like, everybody's pissed, it just didn't feel like it. And that's the thing I brought up on if y'all seen my clip,

I was like, it's just passion. If we lose in every map, I want us to be in that, we want to be in the room fighting at this point. Like, we know hands at this point, show some passion and scream at each other.

I feel like if that was me, I'd probably get to a point where I'm just depressed. Like, we lose and like, there's no passion. Yeah, he won one tournament.

I hear that. Maybe that's, maybe that's right in one more. I've seen the passionate version of all of them. Yeah. So it's like I know how it can get. Yeah. And it just felt like everybody just gave up, in my opinion.

And like, I'll give him his props. He was always saying like just, bro, like, we're good. Like, it's part of the process. I'm just like, fuck. But it don't feel like it. Like, bro, it don't feel like we're getting any better and we can't win a map. So it just like. So it felt different.

Yeah, it just felt so much different. It just felt like the whole vibe of the room was like, it's chalk. So I was just texting Damon and JPM's like, yo, listen, I don't want to do this, but I feel like y'all should try something new. We need a spark. Like, we need something new in the room. Either that'd be me or somebody else on the team.

It just needs to be a different spark. And I think it needs to be me because I'm just bitching at this point every day. It just feel like I think y'all just chops with the new. And then JP and Damien is like, I feel you. Like, I don't know what to say. They didn't really know what to say at the point.

And I got a call from JP. He's like, yo, we're going to look a different direction. I'm like, okay, cool. Like, that's cool. I mean, this gives me like a mental reset. Like, I have no problem with the boys. Like, it does, as a leader, it does feel like in the back of my head, I gave up. You know what I mean?

Like, I gave up on my boys. But like, I really, at the time, just didn't feel like I was helping the situation at all. Like, I'm just bringing up so much stuff and we're not getting better. And it's like, I'm kind of almost talking to like a brick wall. Yeah. No, I think as a leader, it wouldn't be more so giving up. It was the leader will do whatever it takes for the team to get better. And I feel like maybe in your head that's, that's, that's like,

where you thought you were at. In the moment. Because it felt like I was giving 110. And Vod in the game, nothing was working. And then that just felt like the last straws was like, okay, can't take a break. Right.

You need a break from this. Was any part of it the fans in the community just destroying you verbally? No. I've never thought about that. Daily. Like, obviously I see it, but it's like, no, none of that like ever phases me because at the end of day,

it's like what my team. think of me. And he was like the, I mean, you were the optic reaper for years. I've been hit, like, selling me. So you, you've been trained. Exactly. And it's like, none of that matters. Like, even our MW3 team, people were just kin to be dropped.

Like, because we were playing bad at Major 4 or AJ. Like, I don't look at, none of that matters to me. I'm not going to. I don't even look at it. Like, I just, fans are going to be fans. Like, even how I think about is, like, even when I watch other e-sports, like, I watch the league, I have a favorite playing league. I'm watching him.

I'm like, what the fuck are you doing? You should be doing this. thinking in my head like wow that's how fans think of me like they're thinking like damn they say i'm their favorite player and they're just like what the fuck is kin doing i'm just like that's low-key me like i'm telling this guy who's a pro like maybe you should neck i'm just like what the fuck he's playing so bad and it's like i understand where fans come from so it's like you need to give them some to cheer for and it's like i just felt like i gave them my all and i was like i need to take a break i just need a mental reset and i'm hoping that they can find a spark that

makes them play better because o-18 ain't it and obviously playing for a team like optic that's not acceptable like i know that from i know that from being a player like it's it's not good so it's like i'm looking to win but i don't feel like we're about to win so it was like i'm i need to just sit this out i don't think there's another player who would have especially i feel like every call of duty pro's goal is to get on optic yeah and like sort of live that dream i don't think there's another player that would have sent that text like they just would have waited until shit hit the fan they got that text that they were dropped or something.

Yeah. And I guess maybe you kind of explained it, but like, what was it that, like, gave you the balls to, like, are you just sitting there one night? And obviously, it's not one night. It's a month of just fucking negatives. What gave you the balls to, like, send that text and have the confidence of, like, damn, I might not be on this optic team any longer, but, like, I think I can find my way back. I think, well, another thing, too, the community thinks that, like, I just hate it the players

or hated how the players played, and I didn't want to play with them. That's why I, like, left or whatever. I didn't want to look at it. No, that was not the case. The case was literally, I just felt like nothing was working. I wasn't giving nothing.

It didn't feel like as a team we wanted to give anything. I'm just trying to talk about. But I think what honestly made me send the text. They weren't giving you a new PC. It's just like, fine. But it's like, no, I think what I was just watching back all I lost is literally in one night in my Discord.

I'm just looking at the match and was looking at the main map and just like, fuck, we look. Loss. realistically. And I'm also just like, I'm not getting a kill. I know my setup feels as, but like this just doesn't look good

doesn't look like us at all. And I'm just like, maybe they need to try something new. Like that literally was all I'm thinking in my head and something new, something of spark in the room. Like even if we moved our setup. Because we moved our setup.

Before I was off the team, we moved our set up to a different room. Before this match, I already knew I was off the team. Like, JP told me before the match, like, yo, like we're looking in different direction. So I'm just like, okay, I'm about to go out there

and maybe just win the last match and I'm on the scene. We moved different, different room, we win the match. In the back of my head, I'm like, damn, maybe.

Same PC? I don't think so. I think it was different. I could be wrong. I don't remember exactly. Did it feel fine? Yeah, no, that felt fine.

We won that match clean. It was a good match. Obviously, we played up. We didn't play a good team. We didn't play the best team. It was L.A. at the time, but at that time,

it's like, we could lose anybody. We could lose the challenges at that point. So it was like, in back in my head, I'm like, damn, maybe we could have made something work, But also at the same time, just like sitting in the room, just waiting for people to tell me. Yeah. Now you're in that room that you just want it and you're like, wait.

Let me sit. Let me text. Let me take some bad. Let me make sure. One more math. Forget that. You just unsend it. Yeah. There ain't no proof. It's funny. Like, literally last week, they were moving the production team around their office. And so we were going to move the Halo team into that room that you guys were in.

And so they, uh, Hex was like, yo, by the way, Matt, the teleformal, we're moving you guys into this room. And he was like, the cursed room? I'm not playing in the curse room. You don't fuck with that kind of. That's like, dead ass felt like that. I think it out saying, like, whoever has my voodoo doll, put it down.

Because they initially felt like that. Holy. Holy. Even the Halo team, when they, I think it was when they first joined, they started coming here, scrimming, or whatever, doing, like, online cups. It only took, like, one. And they were just like, we're not playing from here anymore.

Yeah. Like it just, it feels different. The PCs aren't as good as what we have at home. It's so crazy. But, I mean, that's not for the fucking comments

to bash on optic production or whatever, like not supplying them with the best. But people will, the production team will buy them $5,000 PCs and then they'll come down here and use them once every two months. Never touch it again. So that's what I'm saying, y'all are going to play here.

We'll do it. But our PCs also, like, provide it by the league. Yeah, it's not optic PCs. They're old, their old Overwatch PCs. So, You never know what the hell is all that.

Like, you know what I mean? So it's like... They've been factory reset six times and who knows what's hiding and all that memory. And then again, I have an expensive-ass PC at home. I still have problems with it. So it's like, you never know with PCs. It's just like, I don't know. And it's like I understand the PC problems.

It's one of the most, like, because it's out of your control. You're just like, I don't know what to do. Would CDL make it to where everyone is playing on the exact same settings? Like, did they have like a guy go in there and like you couldn't change? Before the match, they do like a... look at it to your PC base to see if everything's the same as they're yeah like everyone's thing has to be the same

in terms of like graphic I'm thinking like Nvidia settings oh no not those like you can change like Nvidia like like uh like set like monitor setting like I change monitor settings

and stuff like that and like not like actual like I guess some people do the Nvidia in game settings I never touch those but they don't really mess You couldn't touch with like the performance no no you can't do that yeah okay like a lot like they

they check like GPU updates and all this and everybody's on the same thing. It's, I don't know. It is. I guess that's what I'm saying. I'm looking at my left like, damn, like we're all in the same shit, but I can't get a kill.

I must just be asked. In the back of my head, I'm thinking that, but I'm just like, ain't no way I'm assing. I know. Did you ever get anything like that? Play on your shit.

And be like, yeah, play on my shit and tell me this one. Bruce, let's switch setups. See, but that never works though. They'll get on and they'll just play decent. They'll start beating. They're like, damn, I like this PC. You're like, shit.

I guess that's Caesar, because Caesar was the one that that Skies played on my setup, the exact same setup. And he was just like, I can't get a kill either. So the league just won't send out a new PC? I don't know how that works.

Because we had a bunch of them and a bunch of them weren't good. Like, we literally had so many pieces. And because I had a PC, I had to take out whenever, in MW3, it was bad. It was like, I was lagging.

We had to change that out. And I started using Damon's PC for a minute. It was, it's, man. Low-key, I'm convinced I'm, I'm, like, cursed, because even on my LAT team, when we live in L.A., my setup would always just get fucked. And I'm not doing anything.

Do you think you're like a little head casey about it, though? No. I always, I was always head casey about PCs and even controllers and dead zone settings. Well, I feel like it would be different if, like, the PC wasn't literally blowing up. Like, bro, the LAT one would literally just reset and blow up just black screen. I'm just like, oh, okay, that's cool. Now, maybe it was head case. Oh, okay, that's cool.

Yeah. I was like, all right, that's cool. Go next. Yeah. And this year, maybe it was a little head case. Casey, maybe eventually it was a little bit better and I just was so far gone. But I'm telling you, it just didn't. Like, when I went to Minnesota, it just, like, I wasn't frying, but I was playing,

like I could play the game. It felt like normal. It felt like I had aim assist. Like, so like, I don't know. To this day, I don't know what it was. I just consider it by a shit stint. Yeah. And a lot of people are going to hear that and be like, bro, Kenny, so many excuses.

Yeah. But there's no. I don't think. It's never happened. for. That's the thing. It's not like... It's not like... It's not like... It's not like some shitter that came in the league. I mean, that's what they consider me. Now I'm the shitter now.

I'm just like, I'm arguing with some guy. He's calling me shit. Immobile. I'm just like, I'm immobile. Holy fuck. That's a word. It's that the most recent... Taco, right? Taco. Barito. Marito. That's the most recent beef, bro. The burrito versus Kenny.

There's a new BenJ on the block. Yeah, it seems like, you know, bad start of the year. But you got out of that. at your things you're looking up now going into black ops seven or whatever the hell game we're on. Things are definitely looking. And, uh, you know, now you got fucking beef. Now you got to be beef. All right.

But I'm cool with the beef. All season has been boring. So if it got to be me to make the all season a little interesting, fuck it. I mean, how did you get picked? How did you get picked out of it? This is what happened. I woke up. And he's going to fucking love that.

We were just talking about this. I let me woke up to a, uh, uh, and got on Twitter. First thing I see is a post saying like, this is why Kenny and Chachi did. disagreed on how to play pacing and engagement issues or something like that i'm like let me see this clip what the fuck watch a clip clip clip's brain dead by the way i'm gonna keep it oh it's because it's not it's not even like what he's saying is not facts like it has like and then the funny thing is he brings up pacing but he doesn't even involve the whole minniemap like every other player it's only me come to find out i said the clip's brain dead basically i watched i reacted with like right this my stream with it

and then my stream tells me no can he has a three hour long uh live stream of him just only watching your gameplay. And so at that point, I'm like, this guy just hate watching. Like, you got to be hate watching because there ain't nothing good than Black Up 6 to watch. So what are you watching my gameplay for? You know what I mean? So it's like... From like the optic? Yeah, exactly. So I'm just like, old, old videos. And so then it just became like, oh, I want to, okay, he analyzes my shit.

Let me analyze his gameplay. And I'll try to find gameplay. I couldn't find it. And then somebody gave my chat was like, yo, Dante's watching his gameplay. So I went to Dante stream and we were just throwing. Uh-uh. And now he's like... He's obviously bad, so it's... Yeah, but he tried to say that. He tried to say that just because he's bad, the gain doesn't mean he has a high,

high IQ when it comes to cod. And he compared himself to Greg Popovich and Bill Belich. I did see all that. Like, who the fuck do we think we are? I don't know. What are our thoughts, Hitch, even you? What's your thoughts about criticism from those who've never done it? Those who...

I think you got to, you have to go in humble. You can't go in... Agreed. You can't go in with no experience. I mean, JP's a perfect example. JP told me that his peak competitive experience was S&DGBs, like XPGBs. And he's one, you know, he's helped get two teams to a world championship and win it. So like, and he understands, and now he understands the game probably better than anyone else who doesn't touch a controller, you know what I mean?

But like, it's a learning experience. I can't, I can't be the number one halo. analysis person next week just off of a week of practice a week of watching Shopify scrimms and just think that I know better

than anyone else I don't think you can do that well he said he's been doing it 10 years he also claimed that he's doing it to the highest like at the level he's doing it nobody's doing it he said at the level he's doing it nobody's doing it so it's like to me I'm thinking who the fuck do you think you are that's all the end keep in mind before he made the three-hour stream

he did me a week ago asking to play apex with me so let's also keep that in mind let me also rephrase it he said yo if you need an apex hard carry I'm like who do we think we are

that people will say that and then you'll play with them and they just ask what makes you think that's just their I don't know that's just who they are it's their mentality it's there's always going to say you've been doing it 10 years there's no one

The thing is, I don't even care that he critiques people or people critique. You should be able to, but we should be able to, like, respond to you. It shouldn't be like, oh, we responded. We're insecure. Like, that shouldn't be how I see it. It's like, okay, if you would ask 100 pros, what is the bad play here? Are they going to say that Ken did the bad play or somebody else is the bad play? If all the pros say otherwise, are you not wrong?

Is that not how that works? Yeah. So it is just like, we should be able to respond and give our response. And that's all I did at first. And then the trolling about his gameplay was a little trolley. but I'm just thinking in my head, bro, if you analyze Codd all day, it's like the Ben J thing.

Yeah, yeah. I'm just like, Ben J, you analyze Codd and then you did this Ben J route shit. It's like, come on, right, right, you at least got to learn something.

But like Ben J is different. I said Ben J's different because of the fact that at least he has people around him to tell him otherwise and kind of like, I guess, he gets checked all the time. He gets checked all the time.

It's like part of the show. Now that's the issue with like someone like this guy is like, he'll never get checked. Well, he just got checked online. But now I look at that's in the real world. But now it makes me look back. I'm the bad guy because I checked them.

But it's like, brother, you're saying you're doing the highest level that I for 10 years? I've been watching Cod for a long time. I've never heard of, I've never heard of burrito. That's what I mean. Never heard of him. Do his thing. I don't know all of his content. I just know that that one clip was bullshit.

You know what I'm saying? Whatever else you're saying might be right. I don't know. I don't know all your content. But what you said in that clip? Bullshit. Also like this is not, this is not like, oh, you're wrong. Don't ever make content again.

It's good. make content. That's what I'm saying. But like if you make content about super and how bad he's playing and super says you're brain dead in Spanish, then you can't get mad at super. That's what I mean. It goes for every player. I don't know. Who was the, who was the Halo coach with the gloves? He had a coach with the gloves. He had a gamer gloves. I remember a player with gloves, but it wasn't a coach. He called himself the best coach in Eastports history. Was it Boston? Boss nasty. See, like, that's who I think this guy might think he is.

Like, boss nasty was some... Boss nasty. He wasn't even a halo coach. He tried to become a halo coach to where, like... There he is. Wait. But it was like... Boss nasty.

Sometimes people are just, like, psychotic. And I think he was one of them. Not necessarily psychotic in a negative way. It's just, that's my word to use that saying their brain's just a little different. Yeah. Like he thought he could take an average halo team of just like some decent players, move them into a house. And with his coaching, they'll be the best team in the game.

And I'm like, bro, that's not how that works. And like he would break down people's game plays and just think like things could just be done so easily and perfectly. And he doesn't add any of like the random variables. And he just, he used to break down gameplay, like whether it's pistola snip down, he would just break down people's gameplay. down. He would just break down people's game plays. Are we sure? He swore if he got four people that were like level-headed enough and humble

enough to trust him, he would turn them into a winning team. And he swore on it. He did nothing. He did absolutely nothing. I think they even tried it. They got nowhere. A team was bad. But like some people just have this kind of

I don't know, that kind of brain to where I guess just a little delusional. I don't know. It was the first thing. He also, okay,

let me also, let me also preface this. Like, as the day was going on, people were just showing me other stuff. And like, here's a video where he was talking about,

like, players that cannot play in the hill or something like that. And it was like, I'm telling him those most brained list of all time. Like, can't shoot in the hill,

it doesn't slide. Like, these are like the bullet points that he's saying. And can you guess the three players that are on the list? I'm trying to. Okay.

I'm one. I'm one. Is Bruce one? No. that can't play in the hill. Oh, that can't play in the hill. Let me also put this. Let me also say this.

There's three people that got dropped from Optic. AG. Yes. Huk. Caesar. Caesar. Me, Caesar, AG, are the three people that can't do this. The three people that got dropped from Optic.

So then that to me is just like, that's why y'all are losing. That's a piece. You weren't sliding in the hill. I wasn't in the hill sliding. I wasn't getting hurt in the hill. Like, fuck. And then he wrote to me for city. He said, then he said some like, oh, Mercury.

defaults to the hill. I went to the hill one time. He says, I'm in mobile. I'm like, oh, okay. So then, like, are you just, are you just, are you actually an hour? Like, you know what I mean? Are you giving real announcing to Dron? Because, like, then again, like, bro, I give props to when props are due.

Like, I think Mercer great player. Obviously, they won fucking champs. Like, I don't have no issue. But comparing me to him, there's two different teams. It's the same players, but we were on two different teams. Like, that's not the vibe that our team was at. I guess what before we dropped Kyle of A. It was kind of like that.

Because, like I said, because we didn't really have many. any issues except the land we lost at the land yeah and people thought I hated Kyle after that

and it's just like okay I do want to go back to that whenever you guys were um you guys were the number one seed yeah we're really good

um this was and this was with Hooke was your gameplay was there any like gameplay issues there where did you feel like you weren't playing your best

okay was it in your head already like damn I'm not really like playing that good but like I'm playing that good but like I'm playing

I'm playing how I should, so we're winning. Yeah, it was more of like, okay, I'm, a team game, we're playing really fucking good. I'm obviously not playing the best individually, but I'm knowing, like, how I'm looking at this is like, okay, if I can step up individually, we're dominant. That's what I'm thinking. We're number one here already, and I'm not playing my best.

I'm like, okay, we're in a good spot because I'm going to, now I know that I just need to focus on me only and we're dominant. That's kind of what my mindset was. So then going to the land, I just, that was like kind of what I was thinking. and we lost at the land and then that was pretty much it is there anything from the because obviously you're going to number one seed

is there anything that because at this point I don't remember who y'all played I don't know we lost to Miami if you even remember but lost to Miami I don't remember who else we lost to did you feel like you played bad at the land too I don't or was it just like a team like damn what's going on yeah it was no way no one doing shit

it literally felt like we came on the stage we forgot everything kind of thing that's literally what it felt like from my perspective. I don't think I played the best, obviously, like individually, but I mean, we're... So lost to Miami,

beat gorillas, lost to Ravens. Yeah. And the Ravens one I troll, like the first map protocol I played, I did, me and Sam Reed were talking about I made some brain dad plays on that shit.

Like, everybody makes bad play. So it's like, but it just felt like even in all the game modes that like we were really good at before, like previous,

we just didn't do anything that we did. That was good. If that makes sense. Were you, whenever you went on stage to get your ring, was there, was, were you thinking it was going to be awkward at all?

No, no, no, no, no, no. Because I think Paige checks in me, it was just like, hey, we're doing a ring ceremony.

You don't have to come. You don't want to. I'm, I'm there. Yeah, yeah. I have no issues with the, that's my ring. That's my ring.

Yeah. I had no issue with them. Yeah, obviously wasn't really expecting the fans, like I guess the cheering the cheering was kind of surprisingly not surprising in that sense but like them just yelling my name I guess was cool

yeah yeah I really appreciated that but it wasn't like awkward I mean I talked to the boys before that and I really had no issue I thought it was cool I think it's crazy what I think before Krem joined the like the dynasty team he was considered like everyone

everyone hated him I don't think people remembered but like aches and in crim were in the same conversation and before you joined optic you were the guy was like if i have to see him laugh at his webcam one more time when he beats us i'm gonna rage yeah yeah and then you joined optic and people kind i think the fan base kind of realized like oh you're just like that's just you yeah literally and uh and then when you're depart like when you departed like i think there was like a like nobody none of like real optic fans were like happy it was just kind of like, oh, fuck, like, I'm, I wish this team would have worked. Sad to see, sad to see you go type of thing.

I mean, that's what me, I talked to all the boys, even, like, the players, like, that was like the whole thing, even me and Brandon. Like, me and Brandon got way closer now than, because I, oh, J-Late there's obviously, like, the fight thing. Like, we were not close in. Like, me and Brady got super, super close, especially with this team. And, like, that was one thing me and him thought about, like, this is not how we expected it to split as a duo, especially, like, because, like, I just considered

him my duo, like, the AR duo. right we're getting nice ass car we're parked next to each other in the park getting it wrapped at the same spot this is not like how we expected to split so it's like it was tough uh obviously and like spread getting emotional probably probably were you were you emotional up there once they started yeah i mean i'm just whenever i get like in front of a lot of eyes i just get emotional anyways it's just me like oh there's again also also you just had the most turmoil yeah like the most insane too much We would have fucking bald, bro.

I would have cried. At the end of the day, you just got to remember, like, we won champs last year. Literally. We won champs. Yeah, that's crazy. This was cool. I do appreciate this a lot because I didn't expect, like, the ring ceremony is usually big, but, like, I think this was like, because this was like before the tournament even started. So it was like, that was way different because usually you get the rings during a, like a match.

And it's like, oh, here's your rings. Go backstage. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm going to start. Is that like at the Optic major.

Hector gives you the rings, like that type of thing. Whenever you joined Optic, was it weird to play thieves? And whenever you join, I guess next year, or I guess Minnesota, was it weird to play Optic? Yeah. I think joining was super, super weird. First of all, that was like weird. Like to even sit, because like, just being that guy that loved playing Optic, like, just it felt weird saying that I was joined the team.

That was number one. especially because a lot of people didn't expect me to be even in the conversation to join the team at the time. But playing thieves is always funny because obviously like Cap and Shane, some of my best friends, like, and just knowing how they think. You know, it's like that back in the mind, like, I know how they think going into a match. I know what they're looking at. I know what they're paying attention to. It was weird. But it also felt good to like reverse sweet them at champs.

Yeah. So it was like, that's my boys. I get to talk shit to them. But it's like, obviously they're not playing, but it's also just fun banter. Yeah, yeah. So is it going to be, I mean, I'm trying to think how to, so is it the same playing optic? Like, oh, playing off. Yeah.

Oh, whenever like that. Because our first, it felt like, hey, it felt like, it was like, our first match back. My first match back is against optic. I'm like, no way. Like, this is how it sets up. And it just like, the way it ended was so, like, anti-climatic. Like, I just died to a RC car round 11. Oh.

I got blown up on my teammate, round 11. And I'm just like, there's just, and I actually had a really good series. So I'm just like, it felt good. Obviously, it felt good to play my old team. But it wasn't like, I'm looking for revenge. It was just like, it's my old team. I want to beat them. When you get blown up by the RC car, you're like, this fucking year's insane.

No, literally. There's no fucking way. There's no way. If you would have joined another team, come back, beat Optic. Then it's just like, what the fuck is going on? being like before joining Optic you said it was weird

because you were always like the guy known for you know it doesn't matter how good or bad your team is you're gonna beat Optic and that you can I'm guessing you had to have taken pride in that there had to be a sense of like if people are calling you the Optic Reaper

you're like oh shit I hated playing but I think it was more playing against the fans than it was the players of that makes sense yeah of course that's what I'm saying it's like I definitely felt like because I'm going on the stage getting booed, I'm just like, I know I'm going to have a good series. Yeah, yeah. Is that how it

feels when you go up on stage you're getting booed by the optic fans? Like, what's really going through your head? Like, is it like... I just know, like, if we're in the middle of the map and it's quiet, we're doing really fucking good. That's how I think about it. I'm like, if there's no let's go optic, we're doing really fucking good. And like, I'm telling you, like, and

to me, like, I think a lot of players do get shook by that. Like, as weird as it sounds, like that let's go optic chant be having people shook. But to me, it's like a few. It's like I, I want to shut them up, especially if I'm not on the team. Like, I just want to literally, like, have the venue be quiet, I guess, is the best way to put it.

So that was, like, my mindset when I'm getting booed. But I'm obviously not going into the series. Like, let me try harder because it's Optic. It's just like it felt like the way I set or like, way my teams were how we played the game, just countered the way Optic won to play the game. Right, right. As I always felt. Going back now that, you know, now that you'll be playing Optic, do you think?

is going to be different this time around? Because I think the fans had kind of like a competitive animosity where it's like, this guy's always beating us. Like, we've got to boo him. They put you and Drozah in the same thing. And now you're not there. Now it's like, this guy won us a chip. You know, like we're not going to treat him that way.

So is it going to be weirder? Or is it? I think it might get more weird. No, like actually, because I feel like there is some fans from Optic that probably still, you know, support me a lot. and I think it would be weird for them. For me, it's just beat whatever teams across the stage. So it's like, obviously, it's going to feel better beating a team that's super highly, you know, popular.

But it's also just not like a revenge tour for me. It's not like, oh, I just only want to beat Optic. It's just like, I know they're a great team. So beating them in front of their fan base is how I look at it just to be good. There's nothing better, huh? Yeah, it's like, that's just how I see it. It's like, it's not the highlight of the tournament, but it's like you want, like, especially for momentum and like adrenaline brush like if that's my first match winners round one and we win

it's like that's like that's like super super confidence running through the bracket so yeah i think that's just how i look at it um and also be good because like i said ann and and brand and they're still my boy jp everybody part of the team still my boy so yeah it'd be good to like talk to jp i mean it's still fucking hopping back on i don't know what you were doing with roger but like you're still over here on some videos wow can't get away man we talked about an hour around the bar he's now. He's only ever been on hoodie orgs. He's only ever been on content Bade. He was on TK, then

went to thieves, then went to us, then whatever you go next? Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, it's just only been hoodie orcs. I was about to say it's nothing's been like announced for any team, right? No. It's looking promising, though. Rostermania.com is a website. Actually, a really cool website. I won't lie. What the hell? Yeah.

So these are all alleged teams. Wait, LAT. Yeah, allegedly. Allegedly. That alleged phase team is crazy. It's weird to look at, right? Yeah. I think all the teams is just weird to look at.

You really like, I don't know. It's like AG and MC on the same team. That just looks weird. With XNid. Exactly. It's like, wow. Who's their alleged fourth maybe? I mean, it's all alleged.

I thought it was draws. It was weird seeing draws on phase. But I think it's close. I think the new rumor is Kismet. I think, pro, I swear I heard, um, Kismet. Yeah.

Dude, I swear as Zuma said, Celium got some insane bag for the Falcons. The, Scrap said it? Did scrap say that? Jesus, I mean,

is it, is it rumored of who their fourth might be? Wait, that surge team might be. Yeah. Kismit as a fourth. All legend. All legend, man.

We don't know nothing. We don't know. We don't know as much as burrito. So have you signed anything? Right now? No. So it's open, so it's open season. Okay.

Okay. I'll give a little, technically I have, technically I have it. There's a little bit of more to be done. Yeah. I hear Vegas is nice, man. You're going to like it. Yeah, yeah. I heard the same thing.

It was going to be Toronto. I missed my flight of Toronto. No, so now I just You missed the flag Yeah, I'll just join this other team though I want to go back a little bit Not to dive into the dark times Yeah

But when you were when you guys Was there I'm gonna have two questions First When you guys got top eight Was it immediately Just like we're gonna We're gonna make a change

Was that top eight with Tyler? Especially yeah you guys were the first seed Go to the event Get top eight Was it immediately? like fuck what i think everybody thinks that it was just that we all saw it and i'm just in the group chat like oh we can't get there fuck kyle off the fucking team like that's just me that what they think because i went on stream and talked about like a lot of our mistakes at the tournament

and they weren't even like i wasn't even i didn't even come at kylel at all uh i hope he don't think that i didn't feel like i did obviously i said his name in the moment like go kailish because there was like a play where like kiler and aunt didn't hear my call out and i was just like oh either one and i'm could have responded it would have been better cool whatever and then one of one and he'll, Kyle said he thought he blocked and the guy's spot behind him and I'm like,

I mean, Kyle said he thought he blocked. There's nothing like, you can't really, he thought he blocked. At the time, the game wasn't like found out so nobody knows everything.

He just thought he blocked. So, no, at the time, it was a whole conversation with the team. Like, it took us a minute

to actually decide on what we wanted to do because like I said, we went into it with the first seat. Like, we were a really good team. Scrimmed were going well. Everything was going well.

I would compare it to like my LAT team in Cold War because we had like a young game roster where we were doing really well and then we picked up kiler uh for no reason and then we got we didn't get worse but we just didn't even get to play with that team as much and it didn't go as well as we thought so i would compare it to that kind of so then was it did it seem like the team was lacking us like when you got to that event and you had hook instead of pred was it did it feel different like damn we don't got someone like energetic like energetic like energetic popping a two piece talking shit

that kind of gets the team going was that like something you guys sort of a mean I immediately thought about like yeah I think if we brought back Pred like there was something special with that for because I remember I think I sat down with Pred on the flycast or something and I was like man we're excited for you to be back like I feel like the team with Hooke yeah it wasn't especially when you get to the event like like Pred someone I would want all my team at the event online practice I could picture him like bullshit and around but at an event like I feel like Pred is kind of that guy you want I think it was more like okay we've out, we're trying to figure out how to play the game. Let's bring this bond back that we had, like, this champs roster like bond. Uh, because maybe it pushes us through the bracket. Like, obviously, Kyle's a great player, talented. It just, like, uh, okay, we can just fit Aegee into what the fuck we're doing now.

And hopefully it clicks again type of thing because in our head, we wanted to go back to back. Yeah. Because before we even, like, AG was off the roster, it was all, it was automatically, like, all right, we're getting Kyler. Like, we're about to win this next event. like everything was good. Like, so like the talks about like, oh,

as you get this bond bag type of thing, it was after we lost. Like there was no in between while we had calendar team. It was just like soon as the loss happened. We went home for a week or two or something like that and then it started having the conversation like, yo, should we try EG again?

What y'all think? Then, yeah. When you brought him back, was it you were hoping for this immediate, first off he was behind. Yeah. were you hoping there was this immediate immediate bond?

Because I can only speak for the one team I won with. But it just seemed like when us four played together, there was something there that would consistently work. Exactly. And you had confidence in that. So bringing him back, that was basically the whole vibe. Like, yeah, this is our working formula. We obviously didn't have it good at first.

But shit's going down. Let's bring him back. let's get this formally back together and then like obviously like I said that's like probably a time where I thought

could have bit my tongue because I just didn't want to accept the fact that like he was behind right I just wanted him to fit in lock in listen to how we wanted to play

and he catch up as fast as possible like you don't want to just accept losses because he's behind yeah and I should have for sure but it's just like I mean that's like like I said a lot of things I learned about myself this year

I learned a lot so it's like that's just one thing thing I think looking for is like just being more acceptable to like I guess stuff that like I said not in my control I guess because like he's behind but it's not his fault. He was not on the team but it's like we were losing so many

scrims for a good minute I'm just like damn when do we catch up this is the run that was the 0 and 18 run yeah during this oh and 18 run what was I mean we already know you explain like the scrims the PC

how everything felt like shit. Yeah. Was there, where was your mental at outside? Did this stint of going 0 and 18? Did it like, I don't want to say fuck up your life. I'm trying to think of less harsh words,

but like I'm talking, are you going home? Just depressed your girls? Like, what the fuck's wrong? You're like, I don't want to talk. No, I don't want to go out to dinner. Even before like, because a lot of people just like, even like I was just, we were just talking about this before.

Like I just play a lot of games. Like that's just like my, at that time, I wasn't playing nothing. I'm going home. I'm just looking at Vod. I'm literally just eye deep and just Vod. And I'm just looking at air. It's just like, even when I'm watching other teams, I'm just like, I'm just cod, cod, cod. Because I'm just like, that's just me. I'm a perfection. I want to figure this out. And then me being that person, I just want to figure it out for my team. So it's like, no matter how bad we're doing, I'm going to try to figure out something, at least coming to

the day with an idea. Like, yo, today we should try this. Like, that's just my thought process. So like, yes, I'm depressed because scrimms aren't going well. But it's like, maybe I wake up tomorrow with a new idea that works. So it's like, I don't know. At the time, that's like when I started taking the gym super, super serious. Right. Like this whole thing was taking a toll into just your life. Because it is your life.

Yeah. Another question that I didn't think about until right now. What was it like, like you have a fiancee? What was like home life? Yeah. She was, I feel like she tried to become super understanding of like what was going on. Like she wanted me to explain everything and just try to get an understanding of it. And it's for me,

talking to somebody that doesn't really understand. It's so hard. I love you for trying to understand. Exactly. And I'm trying to make analogies. Like, if this person did this and this person did this and it's like, if you go to the grocery store and you don't get this,

it's like, I'm trying to make analogies and it's just like, bro. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's like, obviously I appreciate her. Like, I love her to death. Like, her trying to understand made things a little bit better, but it just also was just like, I still didn't have figured out.

So it was like even me explaining to her which is like we still have you know you can't get me an answer you have no clue what's going on. So it's like it's like you just kind of want to just stare at the ceiling. Literally. Like I wanted to just be I want to be like the Queens Gambia. I'm just seeing like the map.

Yeah. And I'm just like figuring it all out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I saw Shotsie's girl at the run club. What is it called? 214 run club. Yeah. And I was like, hey, how's Shotsie like at home?

And this was like during that whole stint. And he was like, he really just doesn't talk about it. Like he kind of just leaves work at work, I guess. And I was like, that's good. So it sounds like something that Shotsie can do. But I'm like a shot, but if Shotsie like just holding it in, like is he like, I don't know what's worse. I don't know.

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. But I just like to talk cut. Like if you know me, you're like I just love. of duty, especially talking about it, like, on this level, I guess the burrito level. Like, I love talking on the brito level. So it's like when I'm talking cod, I just like to just yap.

And at the time, I'm making analogies. I'm thinking they're really good analogies, by the way. I'm just like, oh, yeah. Like, realistically, yeah, that kind of works. So it's like, I just like to talk. And especially like in Discord, like I watch a lot of Vod. Like I said, and my boy sometimes watch with me. So I just talk a lot of cod.

And whoever wants to hear it at the time can hear it. If you don't, like, she just would ask, like, how does scrimms go? Not good. Why? Because we didn't do this on this hill. And then she's like, I don't know what you're saying. I'm like, okay, well, then if you didn't do this at the grocery store, but you did this stuff. It's just like, okay, then that's like the best way to put it.

Yeah. Did you ever think you were overthinking it? Yes. Like, damn. I mean, how about I don't go home and put on fucking Vod and. I think I had, like, too many, like equations. I didn't think that until, like, after I was off the team, basically. Like I said, looking back, reflecting.

And I'm just like maybe I was doing too much vibe. Like, learned a lot of yourself. That's what I'm saying. I learned a lot. I just like, maybe I'm looking into it too much. Should have gone home grinded league for a couple days. Sometimes you'll be thinking, but like that's not when you're playing your best cod. Yeah.

Like you're playing your best card when it's just you're trusting your gut and it's just instinct. It's six sense. Even during my whole career, like even my old coach, like cap, he would always tell me like, you need to be more selfish. And I've never just like. And like at the time, it's like, what do you mean? I'm like, why would I ever be selfish? I'm not the type of player. I'm the whatever you want me to do for the team I'll do.

But it was more sort of the fact that like, because I was talking to like a performance coach, he's like, they're telling you to be more selfish because they know you wouldn't take it to the far, like the point where like it's detrimental to the team. And so like, I think in Vanguard that helped me so much.

Like the last two months, I was probably the best player in the game. And that was just my mindset. And I was trying to get into that mindset this year. And I'm just like, put your PC. It's just like, I'm not going to kill. I just like, I can't get a kill.

It's like, fuck. When you change teams, did it kind of... What was the feeling like to leave Optic? Did you have an immediate home somewhere else? Or was it like, I'm gonna figure it out? There's a few. I had offers from a few teams. It was really the ones that I was gonna go.

It was either Carolina or Minnesota. Okay. Minnesota was a little bit easier of a decision because they were here in Texas. And I mean... I don't know because it didn't, it didn't, like, hit me. Like, I left Ovidig until, like, we played. Because then it's just, like, that's, like, the realization.

Like, I don't know. And I wasn't really looking at it from a fan base, I guess, perspective, more of just like a teammate, homie, like, oh, I won't be around these people for a minute. Like, me and Brandon, A.G., none of us talked for a good minute. Right. And it's like, wow. We were talking, like, every day. Now it's like, you know what I mean?

So it was like, that's like the perfect. And, like, seeing, like, you guys around. Like, HQ, like, I'm not seeing these people like every day. Now I'm just pulling up to a new, I guess, home and trying to mess with some people I've never talked to, except for like Looney. Looney was our coach. I knew him before, but it's like just trying to fit in. And I try to go into that team with the mentality that I'm joining their team. And I'm just trying to learn from them and just do my own thing type of thing.

Yeah. Did you ever feel because of your individual performance? then we all know you're Kenny we know you're fucking one of the best but obviously for a little bit that individual performance was a talk did you go into your new team almost like damn can I even really come in here

saying much or is it like no I'm just coming here and beat me I went like I said I went into the team with the mentality that I'm joining them and kind of just laying low and so they wanted more out of me I was just playing my game like I said at the time I was learning about myself like maybe I'm watching too much

Vod. I just want to shoot my gun. I need to have good series. I need to be me. I need to get back to that. Oh, you can have takeover series type vibe. And I didn't, I didn't really speak too much on that team until they, until we lost our first event. And the team was like, yo, Ken, we want you to speak up more. Like basically like, be that guy. And I'm like, okay, cool. And that's my green light. Right. Cool. I'll speak up more. I'll be this type of person. That's me. Cool. Where the, did the stress start to kind of alleviate? Did you feel like you're on like a fresh path. I know that those few months

had to be so fucking stressful. So once you got on like a new team, even if the team wasn't performing up to your standards, was it still just like nice to be on a new path and less stress? I think the difference there was that

no matter how bad we were playing in matches and we were losing game five's like a lot. It was just a still vibey like environment. I think that was the difference here. The environment here was not vibe yet all. We were just like, Everybody's just mad, depressed. Like, we're just all silent, whereas that room was just like a little bit more funny.

And I guess, like I said, Vivey, we did more stuff as a team on the Minnesota team, even though we weren't playing well. And I thought that was good. So like that, I think that helped me mentally. Just because, like, I were going, we were going to run together. We walked together. We just watch movies together. Like, I joined that team.

The first week, I had them watching all the Star Wars movies, literally. Remind me, a movie theater. Remind me, Estriel, Gio, and Nero. Okay. You said you never, never, like, talked to them before? Really? Not even, like, Discord call, eights. And they were cool.

And they were, it was a fun team. Like, we were homey. Like I said, we were in there watching. They had a movie theater in their house. Big guys' house, by the way. And now we're just watching Star Wars. And I'm just like, this is vibe. Like, this is what I envision, like a team, like a fun team to be around.

And, like, no matter how bad the matches are going, we kind of stuck to that. Right. So I guess out of game was fun. In game, it wasn't. But it also just felt like we were beating ourselves. those a lot of the time. Like, we should have won a lot of our series, but... Right.

That is what it is. But you weren't as stressed as much. I was more stressed on the sense of, like, we weren't going to make champs. Oh, okay. Wait, did you guys make champs? No. No. And we lost some heartbreaking series.

What was that fucking feeling, like? Terrible. Because I've never missed champs ever. So it's like... Kenny is at champs. Exactly. And I was... Playing for first.

Yeah, in finals. Yeah. And that's what if... I'm just like, and I'm just watching champs and just like, wow, Optic is just running. Like, if I knew everything's going to play... pull up and just bullshit. I would have just...

I'm also just like, if every team is going to pull me just bullshit, maybe we could have made a run. Like, I don't know what the hell I'm watching. I'm just like, maybe we could have pull a T6, T4 out of our ass. But, no, yeah. I mean, not playing a chance was definitely like the wake-up call.

Like, that'll never happen again, like, type of thing. Yeah. Did you know team changes were just going to be imminent? Like, not immediately. At the EWC or a chance? I mean, both, I guess. Yeah. Like, you knew for yourself,

something was going to happen somewhere. For sure. And you were going to try that. I knew my idea of who I wanted to play with. And I mean, a lot of the, it's funny because a lot of the players that I thought I wanted to play with or I wanted to play with is like,

they hit me up first. Really? Like we talked, like it was kind of like a mutual talk, I guess. So like that kind of felt good because obviously not the best year. Yeah. I was going to say after,

I'm not trying to like shit on you. But after the year you had, were you a little scared of, teams not reaching out to you? Or it's like, damn, can I make it back onto like a top roster again? Am I going to get it like, I'm going to have a spot in the league? But it's like, damn, did this one year just fuck this up to where I'm like, were you ever worried about that? I think I wouldn't, but I think initially I wasn't.

I think it would have got worrying. But I don't know. I think I just knew like for me, because how I look at it is like whatever roster I join is a winning rock. Like I don't care what anybody says I think I can make it until a winning roster. This is how I look at it. I feel like the way I look at the game is obviously it takes some talent. I'm not saying I can bring some damn pub kids. But it's just like I obviously wasn't looking like, oh, maybe I'm joining phase or joining

this team. Like none of that is like what I'm looking. Like I'm just, I don't even know what I was thinking, to be honest, like going into all season. I just know I was already talking to kind of players. So I kind of knew the realm of like. what I could pull off. I was obviously hoping that, like,

I got on a good team because I want to win. That's the only reason I'm in this league is to win, like, and just have fun, I guess. So that was another thing, too, is, like, be around an environment, that was fun. Is the, what was the goal? Just because of the Minnesota team, for sure.

I think, like, the fans can't, like, a lot of the fans would probably be, like, oh, no, Kenny might be done, man. That's what I was about to say. This might be it, man. But I think the pros have a... The pros, no. Who's a good motherfucking teammate and who's not?

Even if they didn't do good for a few events or whatever, like the pros fucking no. Bro, during that 0-18 stent, people were saying that Dashie's the most overrated AR of all time, that Shotsie's the most overrated. Even in my head, I started thinking, drop Shotsie and shit like that. And then like...

I didn't say that one. And then, you know, you'll see, like, interviews with, like, players. I think they did an interview with a couple players. It was like who was like the hardest player to play against or who would you pick up if you were to make a team. And they all said like different variations of like Shotsie, Dashie, Kenny. And so it's like who cares what the fans think? Because at the end of the day, the pros know like, yeah, sure, fans, go ahead and say drop Shotsie if you want.

Drop him. Yeah, go ahead. Drop them. And let's see. And I mean, it was the same. As soon as as as soon as everything went down with that team, you know Pratt's going to get picked up. You know Kenny's going to get picked up immediately.

And it's just like how many champ finals have you been to? Four. Yeah. It's fucking crazy. Four. Champ finals. No one's finals. That's why I'm just like, we're not going to champs.

Yeah. That hurt the most because EWC was supposed to be my champs is how I looked at it. Like, yeah, we got to lock in. We got to lock in. I felt like we were kind of going to lock in and then it just did not look at any of C so I'm just like fuck that doesn't help my situation at all Like I said I was already talking to people in the realm of like the players I wanted to play with so

Yeah, and I got called a moron for wanting to play with draws So I'm Ben J You can't catch a break Ben J's my agent though I'm calling him my agent he's gonna get me on the good team Oh is he? Okay good good good good yeah, that's my point Yeah so so where where you're how are you feeling right now man you got the trailers are starting to drop for the new game Are you feeling confident, feeling confident about the team you might be on? I mean, yeah.

After such a rough year. Yeah, I mean. Where are you at going into the end of the year? Obviously, my mentality going to next year is win. When? For sure, obviously. But like I said, I think I learned so much and I'm just ready to like, I guess, apply that to a new team.

Like, I learned that about myself, like, learned so much by myself that I want to just apply that to a new team. But I'm confident. I just, I'm excited from the trailers. I see Cod as Cod. So next year, it's going to be a great year for me. I just know that. Like, I'm not allowing it to, you know,

I'm not allowing this year to like the, like, just change my mindset on myself individually or, you know, I know what I bring to a team. And so for me, it's just like, show up, Ken. Like, that's it. Like next year, you just show up. Give you all. And that's one thing I always, like I said,

I'll say it by myself is I'll never leave a situation or be in a situation where I'm not giving it my all. So like I said, it's just show up and right now I'm feeling confident. I've been going to the gym a lot. I think that's been helping a lot with self-confidence. I need that. I like have to go where I'm just like, damn, I'm a loser. Literally. Like literally. It's just like it feels good to be in the gym and doing something. I have like a good schedule. That's another thing. Like routine is big for me. Like my routine, getting up, going for a run, going to the gym, streaming. What time you wake up? Right now I haven't. waking up at like 9.30, go for a run at 10, go to the gym at like 12.

How many miles are you run? Two, two to three. Okay. Yeah. And then, so like that just feels good. I got to get back on my shit. I'm running shit. I think that's just it.

Like, show up. Like, even to like this stuff, like streaming. Show up. Like, that's just how, that's my mindset right now. Just show up. So. Oh, you're right. Well, I'm, I'm happy for you, man.

Hit you. Unless you got a question or something. I got a few more questions and then. Yeah. It'll just be like one. Oh, yeah. Boom, boom, boom. Yeah, yeah.

Let's start with... We also usually do a freestyle at the beginning of every... But we can do it at the end. Yeah, we can do it at the end. Dude, I hate when you say that. If I was on a podcast and some... If I was a guest on a pod and someone was like, yo, we usually freestyle at the end.

And then suddenly a beach is, I'd be like, I'm not fucking doing this shit. My favorite one was when we did Dead Zone. Penguin. Yeah. That made me uncomfortable. Pingway came on and I started beatboxing. And Nick, I'd do it to piss Nick off, mostly.

Yeah, I just had like a few random questions. If you could take one teammate from the current optic roster and bring them with you, bring them with you for the rest of your career, who would it be? Eh. Okay. Didn't think about it too long. He don't be overheating, though? I mean, that's it.

I don't know. Sometimes that heats real nice. It's really good. Sometimes you get a crowd screaming and it's like, oh, that's great. Who was your favorite teammate of all time? I'll always say Lamar, just because he's the one that gave me my shot. Okay, okay. What were your favorite years or year of computing?

Favorite years? I would say my favorite year in terms of call a dude, like the game was fun, was Blackouts Four. I think one of my favorite years is Vanguard, because I think... When was Vanguard? I always hear people say... 2022, 2021. Okay. We won in 2022.

I was just saying that year, because we started out of the year really mid, and we ended up just being so dominant. So I think just like, looking at that year as a whole, it was like, was a good year for me. Wait, did I ask this already? Who was your favorite team of all time? No. Who is your favorite? Last question.

Who's your favorite team of all time? No pressure. No pressure. That's a hard one. I'm all right. Which of the two? I would have to give it to... Why not even be the winning team?

I want to say it's my Blackouts 4 team. Oh, it's like me, Enable, Octane, Austin, or Slasher, and Prista. And an F3, Farrow was on the team as well. Oh, the five-man roster. Five-man roster. Who was it again? Me, Enable, Slasher, Octane, and then we have Priesta and Farrow. Like, Farrow got dropped for Priest's up.

Okay. What about that team made it... You know, you've been competing for a while now. Why is that your favorite? It was just a really fun year. I think, like, also, too, like, that was one of the years where I started off really bad, and I thought I was off the roster. And then they gave me a different role to play.

We became really, really good. And granted, we didn't win champs together, but I think, like, the friendships with them have, like, stuck over the years. And, like, obviously, I'm not saying the friendships my team now are, like, done. But it's, like, I feel like that one's been soaked in for so long that it's, like, they've become some of my good. good friends and just a year's a whole was good so it's like

obviously winning champs those are going to be some my favorite teams I think that's like too cliche to say it's like that's easy answer but to pick like a non champs winning team I was just say to be a 14 all right pitch you got anything nah man I did I interrupt you enough?

I'm wishing you the best of luck man I hope you get second at every event you know what I hear that I hear that hey man we believe in you over here Kenny we believe I appreciate that Got a good year coming. But yeah, thank you so much for hopping on to the flycast. And Riley, play that outro music.

Peace all right.