StayNaughty on texting C9’s CEO, his grindset and more

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but admire StayNaughty and Cloud9’s journey. Their performance at the ALGS Split 1 Playoffs was nothing short of spectacular, earning them a well-deserved spot at the ALGS Championship. Despite missing out on the Esports World Cup, their resilience shone through as they prepared for the upcoming Split 2 Playoffs in Mannheim.

Xpsp speak to StayNaughty at the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs.

In Mannheim, StayNaughty and Cloud9 come with the aim of strengthening their remarkable display from the ALGS Split 1 Playoffs. As a recently established duo, they surpassed all predictions, demonstrating exceptional skill that propelled them to a highly commendable sixth place finish. This achievement not only impressed everyone but also ensured their qualification for the ALGS Championship.

The team missed out on competing in the Esports World Cup, so they stayed at home and watched the tournament unfold instead.

StayNaughty needed some time to adjust to Bangalore

After the Season 22 update, both Cloud9 and StayNaughty, along with every other team, have had to make swift adjustments. For StayNaughty, specifically players ChaoticMuch and Saucerorr, these changes have involved a rearrangement of roles to accommodate the new legends. Notably, StayNaughty has switched to playing Bangalore, who is traditionally the more aggressive role within their team.

How is he finding the adjustment?

It took a bit of adjustment, mostly because I was used to working closely with Sauce, our IGL, who would give orders like “let’s advance” and make strategic decisions. Now, I need to receive his relayed information from Crypto and then find the safest way to execute the play using my abilities, which requires some processing or calculation.

“I find it beneficial since I’m a controller player, allowing me to inflict slightly more damage compared to him. To be honest, it seems quite effective in our gameplay.”

How much of an impact is the Aim Assist nerf having?

In the Season 22 update, apart from tweaking game mechanics, there was an adjustment made to Aim Assist. Specifically, the strength of Aim Assist decreased by 25%, dropping from 0.4 to 0.3. At first glance, this may seem substantial, but let’s consider how it affects a skilled player like StayNaughty in practical terms.

Upon initially installing the update and giving it a try, I noticed a slight change in feel, but not significantly so. It appears this change targets the rotational Aim Assist feature, which becomes less effective when a player moves too swiftly sideways. This means that it might not lock onto them as accurately as it did prior to the update.

If you maintain the correct strafing direction, it won’t make much of a difference, especially in close quarters. In essence, it’s still like using an auto-aim feature on your controller.

According to StayNaughty, these alterations have achieved a satisfying equilibrium for competitive gaming. Nevertheless, for casual players, he believes that using a controller remains the optimal choice.

“I think controller is going to top ‘M&K’ on a casual level still. I don’t think it’s been nerfed enough to sort of sway that much on a casual level, for ranked not competitive. I’d still say jump on controller unless you’re coming from playing Mouse and Keyboard in a different game. If you already have the foundations I’d say stick with it. Only after the nerf though.”

“It’s important to actually have a balance and be responsible if you’re a pro player.”

Perhaps best recognized as a relentless streamer, StayNaughty was once notorious for broadcasting nearly around the clock during his grinding phase. Hour upon hour, he persisted in this grind, showing no signs of slowing down. However, since his ‘grinding period’, he has adapted a fresh approach to streaming.

What is behind his more balanced approach to the game?

As a professional player, it’s crucial to maintain a balanced approach and exhibit responsibility. This involves honing your skills and perfecting both your fundamental knowledge and mechanics within the game. Once you’ve established a strong foundation, shift your focus towards reviewing your gameplay videos (VOD) and other aspects outside of the game for continued improvement.

In the past, when I was deeply engrossed in gaming, I was thriving on the excitement of playing Valkyrie and Bloodhound. I was nearly unbeatable, consistently ranking among the top two players on my controller. However, it’s now clear that a multitude of new controllers have entered the scene, some of which are equally or even more skilled than me.

The primary purpose of my grinding was largely dedicated to my streaming. At one point, I truly enjoyed the activity, but it eventually became overwhelming. It simply became too much to handle. Consequently, I could no longer devote as much time to playing as before. Essentially, it was an overload for my brain.

“Ranked mode is quite different as you face off against Revenants and Conduits, but in Competitive play, it’s a new ball game with Cryptos and Newcastles. It feels like a whole other world!”

StayNaughty texted C9’s CEO to get signed

It’s not just grinding that StayNaughty is synonymous with. He’s also hugely synonymous with Cloud9, having been signed by the organisation not once but twice. You won’t believe how his second spell on Cloud9 came about.

“I have a soft spot for C9; I should mention Jack, their CEO, who’s an incredible guy I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Interestingly enough, I also had the same manager when I worked with Zach previously, so there’s a similar atmosphere. Recently, they seem to be dedicating more resources to Apex, which is fantastic. They’re churning out a ton of content related to it. It’s clear that they value Apex and its players immensely. They really go above and beyond in taking care of us.”

As a matter of fact, the tale unfolds thus: I reached out to Jack and said something along the lines of, “Hey, guess what? I’ve got a fresh squad, I think we’re going to excel together.” To my delight, he responded positively, saying, “Absolutely, let’s make it happen!” He seemed genuinely enthusiastic about it!

“We were recruited, which led us to the LAN qualification and finishing in sixth place. Notably, it was our initial joint performance, making us the greenest team at the time. Remarkably, we outperformed all other newcomers, placing us among the top three American teams currently, a significant achievement as we step into this upcoming LAN.”

“Double locked me in”

Choosing to bring onboard a team at the recommendation of StayNaughty demonstrates an immense amount of trust from Cloud9. How might this backing influence Naughty’s performance or standing?

“It felt as though I was ‘doubly confined.’ You understand how my old mentality works: if you make a mistake, you need to lock yourself in and focus on improving. So, this situation definitely intensified my motivation even further. I’m already highly motivated, but this experience added more fuel to the fire, which is quite exciting because it ignited a stronger passion within me.”

As the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs intensify in Mannheim, StayNaughty aims to honor Cloud9’s trust by returning their investment with strong performances.

2024-08-30 21:12

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