Sceptic

Please share your experience as a streamer on your first day.

My first day of streaming was actually pretty nerve wracking and exciting all at the same time. My very first real stream was on my 13th birthday, but I had been planning and preparing since I was 10. You have to be 13 to stream, and my dad made me wait until I was old enough. I wasn’t thrilled about it at the time, but I now appreciate that he made me wait until I was old enough to handle it and old enough to not risk later losing my account for an age violation. My dad also bought me a gaming pc for my 13th birthday and gave it to me a few days early so I could set it up. So, as you can imagine, I was super excited in the days leading up to it. I made sure to have my logo, overlays, stream panels at the ready. When I did start my stream it was just me with my friends in chat, but we had so much fun that I was finally doing something I had dreamed about for so long. At the end of the day that’s what it’s all about; having fun and being yourself.

When and why did you start streaming?

I started streaming on my 13th birthday. I pretty much knew at the age of 10 that I wanted to be a YouTuber and streamer. That’s when I started creating content and posting on YouTube. I didn’t have the equipment that I have now, so I had to get creative. I would set up a snack table in front of my tv and place an iPad on top of a stack of books to record the gameplay on the tv. I also called my friend on the house phone and put it on speaker so the ipad would pick up our in-game play. My dad saw that and saw my passion for creating content, that’s when he put his full support behind me. I was a very shy and quiet kid in school, but I really felt comfortable when I was creating content and streaming. I really enjoyed entertaining people and giving people a place to congregate and have fun. That’s what my Twitch community became. That place where everyone came together to feel included and for a sense of belonging.

How do you balance streaming and daily life?

Balancing streaming and daily life was tough at first, because I was so you. I just wanted to keep playing and streaming as long as I could and as late as I could. My dad helped when I was younger. He helped me stay on a good sleep schedule and made sure I finished all of my school work. As time went on and I got older, I was able to self-regulate more and more. I knew when I was getting tired and at that point I wasn’t playing or streaming at my best. It’s really important to find other outlets to let off stress so you don’t burn out on one thing. I’ve really taken to working out, and I spend a lot of time in the gym. It not only keeps me fit physically, but mentally as well. Now that I have moved to Florida and have a great social network there, I am enjoying getting out more too. Touching grass really is kinda good.

Besides the first day, can you share some memorable moments during the live stream?

There are so many memorable moments that I look back on and smile. Going viral when I killed Tfue is obviously one of my top moments. That clip alone gave me the momentum to build off of. The funny backstory is that right after I uploaded it, I went on a family camping trip. I was sitting around a campfire with only spotty coverage on my phone watching the numbers tick up! It was a crazy experience that I will never forget. There was also my first large donation which was pretty crazy. I was overwhelmed, and I think it showed. Qualifying for the Fortnite World Cup on stream was pretty insane to me. That excitement on stream that everyone saw was just raw, unfiltered emotion. I’m also very grateful for the lifelong friendships that streaming has brought me. Some of my first mods are now my best friends, and I currently live in a house with them and a teammate from one of my orgs. Shout-out to Sauxy, Slushy, Gilbert, and Duster!

How many times have you considered quitting? How to change your mindset?

Believe it or not, I have actually considered quitting. I had been streaming and creating content in the spotlight for such a long time that I wore me out. I had to take some time off and focus on myself and my family to help reset my mind. When you start something like this in middle school, it is hard to balance the fun aspect of gaming with the fact that it has become a full-on career before most people are working their first part time job. My community has watched me take breaks as I evolved as a player and content creator, found my new focus, and came back energized and pumped. There are always new games to get you excited, other great gaming creators to collaborate with, and new tournaments I want to participate in. While sometimes it is overwhelming, I am very grateful for the life that esports has given me. My 10-year-old self would have never believed my 18-year-old self gets paid to play video games.

What tips or advice would you give to new streamers??

My main advice for new streamers is to be yourself and have fun. Being genuine is one of the most important qualities to have as a chat, or community, can see right through someone being fake. Also, take the time out to get to know your community and interact with them. Engaging with the people that spectate your stream can go such a long way in building that relationship and having your community want to come back to support you. It also humanizes you and makes you more connected to them. I met some of my best friends in my chat! Lastly, make sure to put yourself out there and network. Reach out to other creators and see if they’d like to collaborate through creating content together or streaming together. Finally, don’t worry about how many you are streaming to. Whether it is one person or 1000, they took the time to come hang out with you. Show them the respect that commitment deserves.

【Recommended Hardware & Software 】

Which features of the MSI Optix MAG274QRX and Aegis RS 13th do you recommend?

Some of the things that stand out when using the Aegis RS 13th is of course the great specs, the new 4070ti apart of Nvidias 40 series is an absolute beast and I can run any game I’d like. I believe that paired with the MSI Optix this combination is absolutely deadly for gaming and competing among others.

What are your favorite tools and software for streaming and content creation?

I have many tools I love to use while streaming and creating content. One of the main ones I love a-lot is the Elgato stream deck, while you are streaming you have full power to change a scene, turn on voice mods, or do anything you command with a click of a button. Another one of my favorite things to use would be the GoXLR, this is a game changer for me and is one of the best mixers out there. Any time I see fit I can turn on a voice mod whether it would be turning myself into an alien, or even deeping my voice with the click of a button. My last but not least favorite tool to use while streaming is my Logitech Brio, it’s an amazing webcam and extremely easy to set up. Basically, just plug and play!

Social channels:

Twitch: https://twitch.tv/sceptic
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sceptic
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@scepticg