“It means a lot — the people who believe in me,”
After duking it out in front of a live audience in Hollywood, FL, Coldless came out on top at the Red Bull Tetris USA National Final! He fought his way to the top 32 before battling through a top 8 bracket stacked with tough competitors such as Amy H., Andrew Vu, Gladdon, BeastinShen, Amberdoodle, Promooooo, and Sodium. Esports.gg sat down with Coldless for an interview!
Coldless wins Red Bull Tetris USA National Final
In the interview, Coldless shared that it felt good after claiming victory and that he would like to compete in more live events. He also recalled how he discovered the Red Bull Tetris circuit through a Discord community. Someone mentioned it in passing, and when he later saw the game on mobile, he decided to give it a chance.
"I thought it looked fun, so I tried to [qualify], and I got in," Coldless said.
He continued, adding that he already plays modern Tetris with lots of T-spins, combos, and downstacking. Therefore, he was pretty comfortable about adjusting to Redbull's version of the game. For more context, Red Bull Tetris features twists like gravity flips, speed boosts, and power-ups.
"I think I adjusted pretty fine because I normally play modern Tetris, which rewards T-spins, combos, and down stacking heavily," Coldless said. "So I just had all that experience, and it really worked out."
When esports.gg asked about playing in the National Final with the crowd cheering and so many friends and fans supporting him, he said it meant a lot. He was also quite humble, adding that while most people probably expected Sodium to win, he was happy about his victory. He then added that most of the people he knows play modern Tetris and not the classic version of it.
"It means a lot -- the people who believe in me," Coldless said. "I know most people wanted Sodium to win, but I'm happy I won."
Top Red Bull Tetris players head to Dubai
By taking home the gold in the Red Bull Tetris USA National Final, Coldless earned a spot at the World Final in Dubai. He said that he's hoping to take on top players like Atler from Turkey. He then mentioned that he hasn’t traveled abroad in over five years.
As for his recipe for victory and his plans for Dubai, Coldless told esports.gg that it's all about trying to adapt. He also went into his pre-game ritual, which involves doing hand exercises if his fingers feel stiff, staying well-rested, and taking breaks.
That's all for now. Major congratulations to Coldless! As noted, his next stop is Dubai for the Red Bull Tetris World Final between Dec. 11 and Dec. 13. To follow his journey and this upcoming tournament, stick around on esports.gg.
