Rambeau: “I’m a controller player. So just give me a gun.”

Rambeau is the super sub for GMT, standing in for previous super sub Maydeelol. The controller player is borrowed from Torrent.

Tom: So obviously you're subbing in for Maydeelol. Who's subbing in for Max-Strafe. How much notice did you get? When did you get the call that you were going to be playing , like Rambeau you're up?

Rambeau: Yeah. So I had no expectations of playing of course, when I showed up here on Wednesday. Actually, on Wednesday night I ended up going out hanging out with a bunch of the people in APEX, drank a little bit of course, had myself a good time.

Thursday morning came around and I woke up to my phone blasting and I'm like what is going on? And GMT boys were all calling me say, Hey, Maydee tested positive, you gotta play come in now, come now, come now. I'm like, holy crap! So I literally packed up my stuff, showered was out the door, I had like five minutes and had to get to a hotel for COVID testing.

Tom: How practiced were you then? Did you scrim with the boys at all? Did you know what the strats were? Or was it just literally last minute?

Rambeau: Literally last minute, I hadn't even played. I took a little time off this summer from the game just to get a mental reset. So I literally hadn't played the game for like two weeks up until Thursday or whatever, hadn't scrimmed with them. Like nothing. Me and Del have never even played together really me. Gnsake and I have played a bit of ranked from time to time. Gnaske, gave me a rundown of their strats in like, 10-15 minutes, pretty much before we started playing and that was like, Okay, let's roll.

Tom: how did you feel then stepping out? Did you feel prepared?

Rambeau: Yeah, I mean, I feel prepared. I'm a pretty confident person. You know, I'm a controller player. So just give me a gun. I can shoot, you know, do what I do best? I always feel confident especially with them. I already knew they were like really good players.

Tom: I wanted to ask about you on Valkyrie. Because obviously we know you back from your Wattson days. How did you decide who played who?

Rambeau: Yeah, so Maydeelol and Max-Strafe play Valkyrie. So I just wanted to step in and make it easier for everybody you know, nobody switch characters.I played Valk in the past a little bit back when I was on benchwarmers with ImMadness and Knoqd, so I'm a little comfortable with it. And that that's what I always take pride in. I'm a jack of all trades when it comes to character selection. I like to think I can pretty much play anybody, so it wasn't too hard for me. I enjoy playing Valk and getting some off angles with her and having some fun with it flying around. So I like it. I like it.

Tom: How are you feeling having to sub in for Maydeelol and Max-Strafe? Do you feel pressure to perform for them?

Rambeau: Yeah, a little bit. I want to make them proud. You know, the circumstances for both of them are, extremely unfortunate, so I definitely want to make it easier on them that we're playing good and performing for them. So, I'm not taking it lightly, and I'm trying to just to make them proud.

Tom: This is the first time we've been back in front of a live audience for a very, very long time. How different is it playing down to playing at home? You know, is it more pressure? Is it loud?

Rambeau: You know, it's weird. In some big, bigger online tournaments, I would get maybe like, a little nervous before the tournaments, it's so weird. Like, when I'm in front of a crowd, I feel more happier and less nervous. I don't know why, I know that sounds like maybe it should be backwards or something. It's just so much like fun in front of a live audience. You feel that energy it gets your adrenaline pumping, and like there's really nothing like it.

Tom: when you're actually down there playing Can you hear the casters? Can you hear the crowd or when the headphones are on are you locked in?

Rambeau: Yeah, so the headphones are pretty like, soundproof, I guess? You can definitely hear the screams you know, when a big play happens or something. I made a pretty big play last night. I heard the crowd go crazy. So it was pretty cool. Pretty cool to hear.

Tom: Is it not distracting?

Rambeau: No, no, not at all. Like, gives you like, motivated hyped and it's super awesome. Super cool. It's unlike anything I've experienced. For sure.

Tom: Obviously, one of the things that your team has attracted a lot of attention for is the communication. I'm gonna use the phrase, maybe not by the book. When you're that sort of attitude, is it because some people would look at that and say you're not serious. But yeah, that's your way of keeping morale high?

Rambeau: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I watch some teams and they just have normal comms, it's fine like hey man, whatever works for you, but like personally when we just are joking around having fun making jokes about you know, some things, it just makes it easier for us, it keeps our vibes high and makes us happy and you know, hey, if stuff goes wrong stuff goes wrong. We just go next, no problem at all.

Tom: You guys have got now in the second round of a loser's bracket.  What are your expectations are you expecting to make the top 10? Are you just gonna see what happens?

Rambeau: Yeah, absolutely like confidence right now for us is at an all time high like after last night. We rebounded and that gave us the confidence that I think we needed and we know we can do it. We know we can do it. And especially if we start off hot. I feel like it's like a snowball effect. What will happen is we get like a good game one good game two it's just gonna keep on rolling we're just gonna keep getting the vibes keep joking around keep laughing and and good things are gonna happen I definitely expect us to be there on Sunday.

Tom: And finally then, just looking at ALGS more in general, you think oh just needs to start introducing legend bans?

Rambeau: Tough tough to say because you can maybe make like a gentlemen's agreement but among like players and maybe not like play specific player. I think it brings like a good like competitive diversity. Gives people more selections, you have to maybe counter more things or be ready for more things more obstacles, and it makes it more like challenging.

I think it like increases the skill cap like a little bit you know, like, even if people don't agree with characters like Caustic being, too easy or something that makes you have something else to think about.

So maybe down the road I can be talked about but I think right now I think it's I think it's fine right now.

Tom: Do you think it is healthy when you have legends like Valkyrie on like a 98 plus percent pick rate?

Rambeau: Yeah, I think for a certain time it is. I think it definitely the meta can definitely get boring after a little bit. And it definitely needs to be changed. Maybe not necessarily like, like a ban, but a slight nerf just like changing meta. Because players and spectators don't want to see the same thing over and over and over again after a certain amount of time. We're all ready to move on and play new things, try new things. So yeah maybe it maybe in the future Valk will get a nerf and she'll not be so high.

Tom: And then looking at ALGS year three, what are you looking for? When they make the announcement, what are you hoping to keep what you're hoping to change what you are hoping it looks like?

Rambeau: I would like to see just 20 Team Pro League, among every region. So like, 20 NA teams, 20 EU, 20 APAC- North, think 40 is a little too much. I think you have a clear top 20 teams, really. I think it should just be like that and you play like, you know, every every weekend or however many times a week, I think that'd be a lot better and a lot more like healthy for the scene.

We'd like to see just overall, like you know, better, better things. I think there's somethings that could be maybe addressed when it comes to LAN, when it comes to certain things. But we've been giving good feedback in the Apex legends discord and stuff. So I'm hoping that they take account some of those things and actually listen to the players.

I realized that not everything can be changed for us, you know, because we are the very small percentage base, and casual players probably come first for the most part but I think I think that something like 20 teams and stuff other than that would be it'd be a good start.

Tom: What would be the benefit of the 20 teams over the 40 then?

Rambeau: Yeah, you know, I think it just makes it easy. Like the quality I think would be a lot better. It's kind of[ tough to say but I think just 40 is too much. It makes like the the lobbies, I guess unpredictable, or less you know, I don't know the exact word for but I just think it'll be better for the game like overall.

Tom: Yeah, and then just to circle back to someone I missed. Obviously, Apex is such a team game, how important is it to swapping in and you said you've not had a lot of practice you said you had the phone call for a night out? Yeah, how important is it to have an idea like Gnaske who knows his stuff? Just slot right in? Yeah, pick up the roller and just start you know, one clip people.

Rambeau: Oh, it's I mean, it's amazing Gnaske puts so much time into the game like probably more than just about anybody I know. He really knows where teams are gonna be out on rotates, how to play certain zones, how to win certain zones. It just makes it so much easier for me you know when he screams "yo Rambeau go one clip this guy" it just makes it so much easier for me like I've always said I can kill just about anybody or you know, you just got to put me in a spot to do it and so far has done a good job with that.

Tom: And then do you feel like having this experience obviously with Torrent you know, didn't qualify this time. Do you think when you're looking to whatever year 3 format format as you think this experience has been good so when you join up back with Torrent will this benefit you?

Rambeau: 100%, like to be honest with you I was losing maybe like a little bit of passion for the game just because we really haven't had many comp related things. Especially since we didn't make this one or Sweden but it's reignited my passion so definitely after this I'm gonna start like grinding, grinding, grinding super, super hard because I want to be here every time. It's just like once in a lifetime experience and I never want to miss out another one.