Mike 'hypoc' Robins · @hypoc
12th Apr 2019 from TwitLonger
The end of the road..
So it's no secret throughout Phase 1 of NPL I've been burning the candle at both ends so to say in regards to juggling competing and my role as a content creator for OpTic. Spending Monday to Wednesday in Texas, and then Thursday to Sunday in LA every week to still appear in videos and compete has been absolutely exhausting, but an amazing experience nonetheless. The past few weeks being back in Texas have changed my perspective and I won't be returning to NPL for Phase 2 with Why Tempt Fate.
When I look back over the last 2 years I can honestly say it's been a rocky road filled with as many highs as there has been lows. I've met some of the most amazing people that I am now proud to call friends. My journey in competitive PUBG started out way back with MACHINEGUNNER (@Owenusmc21) and I owe a lot of where I am today to this guy. We met at a pretty weird time in my life where I was ready to jack it all in and go back to living a "normal" life, but I'm thankful his positive outlook, support and encouragement convinced me to stick with it. I don't think I'll ever really be able to thank him enough for being just an amazing friend when I really needed one, and being pretty much the main reason I've been on the incredible journey that I've ended up on. I don't think I can ever repay you for all those nights we'd stream 12 hours of PUBG together and it was just constant laughs and good vibes. You inspired me to step way out of my comfort zone with streaming, and that ultimately lead down this path. Thank you.
Obviously following on from this I was privileged enough to be able to play with, in my eyes, 3 of the most talented players in the scene. And the last 12 months in particular have been some of the best of my life.
Bahawaka - From being my initial point of contact and roommate when moving to Texas and teaching me all about how to work the AC and showing me every single type of fast food worth eating, to the countless hours we would sit in our apartment going over in-game scenarios and theory crafting, I can honestly say it's been a blast. I'll forever be grateful for all the times you've helped me out both in and outside of the job. Still in my eyes the person I'm most jealous of with a bolt action.
Hetror - I still remember the first day we picked you up from the airport when you moved to Texas and you were too shy to say more than 3 words to us. Seeing you grow as a person over the past year has been crazy, and actually sitting back and comparing then to now puts a lump in my throat. It's not often I say I'm "proud" of someone but I know moving out here and doing this has been a big life change for you and to say you've smashed it would be an understatement. I'll never forget the Hetror that was too shy to go up on stage and do an interview at any event, to now compare the big dick swinging Hetror that drops 10 kills in a game and asks to do the interview so he can lap it up, absolutely priceless. I'm super thankful for the times we've spent together, and I know you have 2 amazing parents behind you every step of the way to continuing growing as a person. I'm sorry I made you cry during the OGN video, but I'll say it again, it genuinely took serious balls to pull that off (I was on the verge of tearing up myself when we first watched it back) and it really speaks to how genuine and kind hearted you are.
Valliate - Of all the people I've teamed with, possibly the most passionate person I've had the opportunity to work with. The way in which we work may differ, but I've always had a huge amount of respect for your work ethic and ability to speak your mind. You came along at a time where I felt as if our team morale was at it's absolute highest and even back from our first event at DreamHack to now I feel as if it's only got better. I probably owe you a huge amount for being my original duo in the OpTic content, just being there and showing up, enabled me to transition to where I am today. Thank you.
Frosz - Even though you were only with the team for a short time since the start of the year, I'm still grateful for the amount of effort and energy you brought to the team. I knew from the moment we even floated the idea to each other on stage at GLL S3 Finals that you would have a huge positive impact on the team, and it's safe to say you left a lasting impression with the 4 of us going forward.
As for what's next, I'll hopefully have a few things to announce in the coming weeks but for now I'll be focusing on myself and continuing my work with YouTube content, and hopefully getting back into streaming.
To each and every person I've met at events, shared drinks with, shared hangovers with, made memories with, thank you.