First, thanks for sitting down with us.  Many coL Community fans (a/k/a radicoLs) may not know all the details about your professional gaming career.  Please tell us the different games you’ve played at a high level and tell us a bit about each experience.

coL|carnage:  I started playing video games competitively in the Quake series with Quake I (One) and have played each Quake game all of the way through the most recent release of Quake Live. I have also played Painkiller, Halo, and obviously, Team Fortress 2, all at a high level.

Most recently your efforts have been centered around TF2.  Tell us a bit about your TF2 history and the teams you’ve played for.

coL|carnage:  To be honest, I don’t have much of a TF2 history.  I got a late start compared to some of the other players, as I picked up TF2 in Season 2 of CEVO.  I initially got introduced while lanning with the Quake player, Lost-Cause.  I asked him to let me scrim with him and he told me no.  At that time I had no idea what class I wanted to play AND my computer sucked so it made it hard to play :(.  I ended up needing to buy a new computer.

Once I got my new computer I started off as sniper cause I love the railgun in Quake and its pretty easy to hit people in the head.  I heard about #tf2.gather.us for TF2 pugs and in my first pug I got picked last.  In my second game I got picked first!  I was extended an offer to play with the old Pandemic roster playing as a demoman.  However, that wasn’t my forte.  I took an interest in the scout due to the speed and the mobility/damage you could do to the enemy.  At that time I was really looking for a team.  I had known Animeman who was on FragDominant, as I had played with him in the past,  so I hit him up to try to get a spot on his lineup.  He took me on.  When I joined the squad I had no idea what the heck was going on really.  I had to be babysat for a bit to learn the ropes.  I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.

From FragD, we went to EXIMIUS which participated in ESWC/NVISION in California.  From EXIMIUS, our team went to eMazing Gaming.  Unfortunately at this time a few of our players got sucked into Warhammer and it showed in matches, so I departed.  I ended up creating a team of my own which was eventually approached by Pandemic.  During a time of change in TF2 our team ended up playing for Pandemic, Loaded and coL enroute to winning both ESEA and CEVO multiple times.  We currently feel good about being supported by the #1 gaming organization in North America (if not the world) and look forward to continuing and growing our relationship.

Although you’ve been able to achieve solid success in your career, compLexity seems to be the strongest organization to officially back Carnage.  What does it mean to you to play for North America’s most famous organization?  After years of hard work does it mean you’ve finally made it to the top?

coL|carnage:  I will never consider myself to be at the top until I have the opportunity to play in Europe against the continent’s top teams, taking 1st place.  Once I have done that I will say that my career in TF2 is a success.  I love supporting compLexity.  I have always wanted to be a part of The Syndicate and now I am.  I will always represent coL to the best of my abilities.

With a famous management team like Lake, Bass and Conroy expectations on you and your teammates must be higher than ever.  What changes have you and the squad made to elevate your level of professionalism and performance?

coL|carnage:  Joining compLexity gave us even more of a reason to dominate.  I have always wanted to be a part of The Syndicate.  As far as changes to the squad there haven’t been many.  We’re all dedicated and know what it takes to be the best.

Where do you see Team Fortress 2 in the big picture of eSports?  Now that ESEA is offering a true LAN stop do you think the game finally has the respect it deserves?  What do you see for the future of the game?

coL|carnage:  If a game is to survive competitively then there must be tournaments.  I commend and respect ESEA for having a LAN playoff. Perhaps other sponsors and tournaments can learn from ESEA and select TF2 in large tournaments and LANs.   As for the future of the game, it mostly relies on teams sticking together and moving up in tier by playing with each other familiarizing themselves with the game and their teammates.  All sustainable games rely on new blood and coL|TF2 hopes we can set an example of what can be achieved through video games and TF2. 

Any shoutouts?

coL|carnage: I’d like to give a shoutout to MEATSHOT #8) love you guys, my past teammates who I have played with. I wouldn’t be where I was if yawl didn’t help me out. Shoutout to everyone who participated at GXL. Glue, Animeman, Relic, Solid-snake, Enigma, Jaeger, Pure.. thanks for trusting me, it worked out! :D~~ SHOUTOUT TO OPLAID for helping me the first day I started scout showing me those neat-o jumps. Others: Usurp, Paladin, Tonybone, Rem, Virulent, Syckness, Whaz, Ruwin, Technasty, Evolution, Justin, Solidsnakes brother, Chris Lemley, maxf, stevo, bowt, Ice, ruwin, thefragile, daniel, johnxthecannuck, wicked, sequel  ALL OF THE MEATSHOT SUPPORTERS….. if I left you out I still love you.

I’d like to thank our sponsors, Creative, XFX, PureTrak, and G8, and a MAJOR SHOUTOUT TO COMPLEXITY STAFF: MR LAKE, BASS, JAXMONEYMILLIONAIRE, lets do it live. 8)