Whether it’s in esports or anything else, having a fearless attitude can take you far.
The YGG Play Summit brought together leaders and visionaries from many sides of the tech world, one of them being Jonathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel. He was the undisputed king of FPS esports in the early 2000s. Fatal1ty was then able to leverage that to make his own brand and business, cementing himself as an esports legend.
He gave a brief talk about his career in esports and beyond at the YGG Play Summit. From a teenager with a dream to becoming an esports superstar, we can draw three important lessons from Fatal1ty’s journey.
Be Brave
Esports was a barely fleshed-out concept back in the early 90’s and 2000’s. As a teenager, Fatal1ty was already an exceptional player, dominating local tournaments and beating pro-level players. Then, one of his friends suggested that he should try competing in a major to see just how far he could go.
Unsurprisingly, the fresh-out-of-high school Fatal1ty met resistance at the start of his career. “My mother didn’t agree with it. I had to make a handshake deal with my dad during my first big tournament. If I didn’t win any money, I would go straight back to school.”
With only USD 500, Fatal1ty traveled to Dallas, Texas, to participate in the Cyberathlete Professional League for Quake 3 Arena. At his very first major tournament, he finished third, earning USD 4,000. The very next year, he was traveling to Stockholm, Sweden, to participate in his very first international tournament. He proceeded to win that tournament, with an undefeated record of 18-0.
“I had an ‘a-ha’ moment where I was really on to something. This was the sport of the 21st century,” said Fatal1ty.
He took his work seriously, just like any athlete, and proceeded to dominate the FPS scene for seven years. But he would not have had the career that he had if he hadn’t taken that first step.
“For me, I really wanted to find out if I was a good gamer or not. I really had to know so I went for it. I don’t think I could have lived the rest of my life not knowing.”
Be Bold
It’s one thing to take the first step, it’s another to figure out the next several steps. Even in those early years, Fatal1ty knew that he wouldn’t be able to maintain his career without help.
With all the brashness of youth, after winning the tournament in Sweden, Fatal1ty walked up to one of the sponsors of his grand finals opponent. “I introduced myself to him and straight up said ‘You should sponsor me.’ He looked back at me and said ‘Sorry, but we’re already sponsoring another player.’ And I said ‘Yeah, and I just beat him!’”
As he returned to America, he received a message from the sponsor saying that they’d agreed to take him in.
This boldness stuck with Fatal1ty all throughout his career. It allowed him to not just stay sharp, but to also be a top competitor in six different FPS games. His name only continued to grow in esports as he pursued his dream to be the best.
“If you know you’re on to something and you know that what you’re doing is something you enjoy and makes you happy, then you should go for it. People can say what they want but if you have a vision of where you’re going, then go for it.”
Look to the Future
What makes Fatal1ty remarkable is how he was able to use his name to bring him success outside of esports.
He told the story of how he was essentially the pioneer of large gaming mousepads after he used one of them in a tournament. He found a company that made printermats and after people noticed him using one he contacted them again. Apparently, their sales tripled thanks to him and from there they agreed to make Fatal1ty branded giant mousepads. That was the beginning of his successful gaming peripheral business.
“My brand got very popular in the scene so I started licensing my brand. I would go to manufacturers and present my brand for their gaming division… That turned into a multi-million dollar business in the next few months.”
According to Fatal1ty, he made USD 70,000 in royalties in the first month, growing to 5 million by 2006. He continued to work in the gaming peripheral space, even introducing the first headset with a removable microphone.
“For me, you need to see the potential of what you’re doing. Don’t think that what you’re doing is the same thing you’ll be doing in five years. You have to find your own path through whatever it is you’re doing right now.”
Banner photo from YGG Play Summit.