When abusing_r2 was the first to hit the Apex Legends 200K record on one legend, the community took notice. And it was with Mirage.
Apex Legends streamer abusing_r2 has been making headlines for getting 200,000 kills on one legend. That one legend? Mirage, who is considered one of the worst legends in the battle royale. But that didn't deter abusing_r2 from using who he calls the "Decoy Daddy."
Twitch streamer abusing_r2 is an OG Apex player, starting in the early days of Apex. He downloaded it on the first day it came out and it was the game's movement and the time to kill that endeared him to Apex Legends. People didn't die in 3-4 hits, and that you actually had to hit your shots in the game appealed to abusing_r2.
Esports.gg caught up with abusing_r2 to learn the secrets behind one of the most monumental moments of his long career in Apex Legends.
What made you pick Mirage?
I picked Mirage cause of a couple of reasons. One of the main reasons was that Mirage was a lackluster character. Everyone was playing Wraith, Bangalore, Lifeline in the beginning. I wanted a character I could grind and prove they weren't bad.
Do you feel you did that?
Uh, kinda. Mirage isn't a tournament character. It's hard to play Mirage in tournaments that revolve around the current meta — Valkyrie, Gibby, Caustic... I highly doubt there will be a meta where Mirage is going to be OP just solely because Respawn stated that a buff would make him OP at Platinum and below.
What do you think could realistically be done to improve Mirage?
The best buff and most realistic buff I could see them doing is something similar to Bloodhound... When someone shoots a decoy, they should be punished for it. When you shoot a decoy, it reveals your direction. Instead, it should be a scan, showing them moving — not just a bamboozle. Sometimes that gets me killed. They will kill five bamboozles in a row, especially if I'm ulting, so I have to take a guess where they are at. They should take damage for shooting a decoy.
I felt like the first 100K meant a little more.
Was reaching 200K kills always a goal?
No, I'm a streamer. I play the game for fun, grind the game, create content...
Are you a full-time streamer?
Yes, I'm a Twitch Partner, too. All my content revolves around Apex Legends. The community that watches me is very supportive. They know when I'm having bad days; they cheer me on and tell me to keep on grinding. They're there for me and my personality. Everyone has bad games. Everyone has bad days.
How did you feel when you hit that 200K? You did it live on stream
Honestly, it was a huge milestone. I felt like the first 100K meant a little more. But being the first to hit 200K was definitely great. I did it all streaming. I play a little off-stream but if I'm playing the game I'm usually playing the game.
Do you play any other legends?
I have 4K 20 bombs on eight or nine other legends. I have about 9K kills on other legends, spread across. That's 2K on Bangalore, 1600 on Crypto, 1K on Lifeline, I don't know. Those are the games where somebody takes Mirage. I'll play it out on whatever character I feel like playing.
But if another legend comes out and catches my eyes, I'll grind them. Sometimes a new legend does catch my eye but I always end up going back to the Decoy Dad.
What's next for you?
Honestly, I'm probably going to keep on playing Mirage. But if another legend comes out and catches my eyes, I'll grind them. Sometimes a new legend does catch my eye but I always end up going back to the Decoy Dad.
Yeah if you're gonna listen to a legend talk all the time... Mirage probably has the funniest voice lines.
He does have a lot of voice lines. I can't even quote them. Dude, I've played so much Mirage I just tune him out now.
Have you played the new map, Habitat?
I watched people play on it. It's interesting. The flow of the map seems nice. But I don't grind Arenas because I don't like Mirage in Arenas. And the kills are separate from BR.
Do you play any other games?
I play League of Legends here and there. I play Rust and Back For Blood. Just games where I can chill and relax.
Do you have any moments or memories on Mirage that stand out to you?
The person I killed — the 200K kill — is a moderator for my Twitch channel. He was in a coma for a month and I'm happy he came back from it. It was a great moment.
Wow, not only got to witness it but be a part of it.
Yeah, I was happy. He’s been a great friend.
The game right before I got my 200K, I actually broke my kill record. I had 31 kills left to the big 200K but ended up dropping 29 kills. I could have had 31 kills but I went down twice. It was due to minor mistakes on my part, nobody else can be blamed for that. That was definitely one of my better moments. I do use Mirage in ranked too but I'm looking for a team.
I'm weird when it comes to asking people to play. I have to vibe with them, enjoy their presence. I'm not going to play with someone just because they are good. I'm looking for people to have a couple laughs while we're frying people.
Anything you want to say to your viewers?
What it comes down to, without my community and people supporting me with heartfelt messages... All those little things added up and kept me streaming and kept me where I'm at. Without them, I wouldn't be anywhere. I'm glad I'm able to do this full-time.
Just because I have the most kills on a certain character doesn't mean I'm the best. I just play the game a lot. I just try to remain humble. Streaming is about your personality, not your skills in a game.
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