Interview: SypherPK talks Red Bull Tetris, Fortnite, and what’s next!

The Red Bull Tetris USA National Final 2025 crowned Mok Shik Thaddaeus "Coldless" Fam as its champion, and the lead up to the final match had extra excitement with a showmatch featuring Ali "SypherPK" Hassan and Simply. The event also invited creators like Emily "Emiru" Schunk, who streamed live from the venue. Esports.gg sat down with SypherPK, who helped announce Red Bull Tetris tournament, for an interview as well. We talked about event, what it means to be a Red Bull athlete, and what the gaming and Fortnite community means to him.

In his interview with esports.gg, SypherPK shared how the Red Bull Tetris circuit taps into his long-held interest in classic video games. He's no stranger to different Tetris modes like battle royale and ranked online play. He said Tetris has always had a universal appeal because nearly everyone has played it at some point, and seeing it adapted into a modern professional esports format is exciting.

"It is a game that I personally played growing up as a kid," SypherPK said. "And even in my early teenage years, I was playing competitive Tetris. So to see it in a real professional esport environment -- it's exciting to see where the limits are in such a game that hasn't really changed much for decades."

He also told esports.gg that he keeps a classic arcade Tetris machine in his office.

"I do have an arcade machine that has Tetris on it in my office, and I'll usually have like a binge where I play it for a few weeks and then take a break from it," he said. "But I'm excited to see it in this new environment."

Speaking of bringing Tetris to a modern esports environment, the Red Bull Tetris World Final will take place in Dubai and feature the top players from around the world. The event will run from Dec. 11 to Dec. 13 and include music performances plus special guests. The live final on Dec.13 will be made extra special via the synchronized show using over 2,000 drones above the Dubai Frame.

"I was shocked at the scale of this event, but once I knew Red Bull was involved, I wasn't that surprised because Red Bull is always doing big things and they're trying to set new standards," SypherPK said, recalling his reaction to learning about the World Final. "So take a classic and surround it with Red Bull. It's the perfect combination to make something grand and memorable."

Earlier this year, SypherPK officially joined Red Bull Gaming and brought both his content creation and competitive Fortnite experience to the roster. He also teamed up with pro player Moxie for the 2025 Fortnite Pro-Am. According to SypherPK, the partnership came together because Red Bull recognized his dedication to Fortnite and his interest in fitness.

"I think Red Bull has always had an eye on creators that are trying to take their brand to the next level and are doing things a little bit differently," SypherPK said. "So there were some things that I've done in my career that made Red Bull interested, whether it was my dedication to Fortnite or my fitness and athletic content, that kind of set me a little bit more apart as not just a gaming creator, but someone who's in touch in the fitness scene as well."

He continued, "So between all those things, Red Bull reached out and they thought I was a great fit. And the partnership is very exciting because they don't want to just sponsor me. They want to work with me on creating better content. And we are working on something for the year 2026. I can't really give the details yet, but there will be a big event with me in 2026 through the power of Red Bull."

SypherPK credited his parents for instilling the strong work ethic that has driven his career this far as well.

"I do want to give a shout out to my parents for instilling the work ethic that I have right now that has carried me throughout my career," he said. "I also want to give a shout out to my fans who have been watching me. Some of them have watched me for almost a decade now, and their consistent support throughout the years has allowed brands like Red Bull to be interested in not just myself but the community that surrounds me.

He then reflected on how gaming has evolved over time, from playing nostalgic titles like RuneScape, Double Dragon, ExciteBike, and Donkey Kong to becoming internationally recognized in a positive way.

"It's honestly so incredible to see because I could have never imagined how things would play out, not just for me personally, but gaming in general," SypherPK told esports.gg. "I was one of the few, if only, content creators in my high school. And now in any high school around the world, there's gonna be dozens and dozens of content creators who are trying to achieve this dream. So it's just grown so much over the last 10 years. And to now be a signed Red Bull athlete, you know, I am a gamer athlete, but to be among these incredible professionals in their own fields and to have my own field recognized in that way is such an honor."

In terms of how he stays motivated, SypherPK said meeting fans in person reminds him of the impact he has on people's lives. Just knowing that he makes people laugh, inspires them, and sets a good example keeps him motivated to keep creating for as long as possible.

"One thing that really motivates me is when I do come out to these events and I leave my house and touch some grass, I meet fans out in the wild," he said, referring to the Red Bull Tetris USA National Final. "I meet fans that have been watching me for multiple years. They have gone through college, they've gotten married, they've gone through their entire early adult life while also watching me."

He continued, "And I also meet fans that just found my content in the last couple of years. They're young, they're in school, and they look up to me. So when that happens, it reminds me that I'm having a positive impact on people's lives. I'm helping people get through some tough parts of their lives, helping people just be entertained and pass some time, and I'm trying to be a good role model. So that is such a fulfilling part of my job, and it makes me just want to be a content creator for as long as I can."

As for parting words, SypherPK shared what he's excited about next.

"You know, I took a much needed break in the last month or so. I haven't really taken a break like that ever since Fortnite came out. So it's been about a little over eight years, and it served me so well, and I feel so motivated and excited to get back onto the stream, to get back to creation, and I just know 2026 is gonna be my biggest year ever."

That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more Red Bull Tetris and Fortnite news, interviews, and updates!