eMLS Cup begins today. The Quakes will be well-represented at PAX East, with Stockton's CaliSCG, the black & blue's first-ever esports competitor ready to go. For more on the rules of eMLS Cup & tournament information, click here. For now, enjoy a brief check-in with Cali before he jumps into gameplay today in Boston.
SJEarthquakes.com:PAX East begins today, and so does your eMLS Cup journey. How's the preparation been?
CaliSCG: Preparation's been good. It's been a lot of consistency, making sure that I get games against those who are either equally skilled or better than me and asking them 'What can I improve on?' and what I can implement into my gameplay.
SJEQ: Are you excited to be in Boston?
CaliSCG: Yes, it's my first time on the East Coast. Going to a city like Boston and checking it out - I've always wanted to travel, so this is a first step.
SJEQ: Have you been talking to some of the other competitors and what kind of advice have you shared with each other?
CaliSCG: Yeah, I've mostly been in communication with [Colorado Rapids eMLS competitor] Buck, since we're both some of the main streamers. I want everyone to do their best, but there's a special connection there because we're both streamers. We've been discussing how we should play it out and giving each other advice.
SJEQ: You're primarily an XBOX player, but this tournament will be played on PlayStation. How has the adjustment gone since you found out?
CaliSCG: It's been going well. I'm glad I was able to borrow a PlayStation. I didn't expect the gameplay to be so different. When I did start playing on it, it was completely different. It felt like a whole new game to me, so I'm glad that I did take the initiative to ask for a PlayStation in advance and get used to the gameplay.
SJEQ: Aside from yourself, who do you think are some of the favorites in the tournament?
CaliSCG: One of them would be Diddy from NYCFC. He's been killing it recently and been participating at events, so he knows the vibe and the nerves. He's familiar with everything. There's a lot of good players, but he''s been in the scene a lot lately, so he may have an edge.
SJEQ:Lastly what does it mean to have MLS get behind eSports in such a big way and to represent the Quakes at eMLS Cup?
CaliSCG: I've been talking to all of them, and everyone is so excited about what the league is doing, even people who are not officially participating. My viewers have been asking 'are they going to push it even more next year?!' And I don't know, but MLS seems very interested and wants to push forward. Everyone seems so excited about everything. I really feel grateful to be in a position like this - going from playing in your bedroom to playing at events.
