Shaun ‘Shellzz’ Springette, winner of club’s first e-Premier League title for the 2020-21 season speaks with Games MEA about his journey with the e-Sports and the joy of winning his first trophy.
How long have you associated with e-Sports as a player?
It has been 5 years since my first e-Sports tournament which was in Paris in 2017. The time has really flown by and it really feels like yesterday. I plan on being around for many more years.
How would you describe your journey with Manchester City e-Sports?
It has been a crazy one especially because I got to see where they started. They had a few players before I joined but when I started, I got to see their projects and it has been amazing to watch. I am looking forward for the years to come and they will hopefully be dominating the e-Sports scene just like how they are doing on the football pitch and hopefully we can win some more trophies.
Aside from your incredible success in last season’s e-Premier League, what are the major milestones of your career?
Since joining Manchester City, obviously the biggest accomplishment was winning the e-Premier League last year. That was the first trophy that I had won in my career. I have come close several times but have never done it and bringing home the trophy – which was City’s first and with it being the e-Premier League, it was one of the best titles that I could win, so winning that competition was definitely one of my biggest accomplishments so far.
Which games excite you other than FIFA? Would you be interested to become an e-Sports player across multiple categories?
I play a lot of games when I am not playing FIFA. I play Call of Duty, GTA, Fortnite, Football Manager and I do play a lot of other games as well as am a good gamer. I could have made it to the professional level in NBA 2K and had the chance to fly out to the United States but due to my obligations with FIFA at the time, I couldn’t make that step.
What does a day in the life of an e-Sports player look like? How long do you practice every day?
It is different for everyone and this year I have changed my routine a lot. Before, I used to wake up and stay in bed for most of the time until I am on my PlayStation. But this year, I would wake up at 9 or 10am, work out for an hour in the gym, come home, eat lunch and then chill online. I’m always on the PlayStation but it doesn’t mean that I am constantly playing – sometimes I would be looking at steams on Twitch.
I turn on the PlayStation around 2 pm and that would be on for the rest of the day. The routine can sometimes be to play for two hours, have a break, play a quick 30 minute game so altogether it would be 4 to 6 hours a day of playing.
What does it take to be a good e-Sports player?
There’s a lot of attributes and qualities that people have that can help them succeed. I would say dedication is number one followed by determination. The will to win is the biggest thing because if you can motivate yourself and battle through the tough times, you can sometimes get the results you need. I also think being able to grind out as that is one of the hardest things especially if you’re not doing well. But you should really pick yourself back up and keep moving forward.
How do you see gaming in the Middle East and what advice would you give to the players from the region?
I would advise the aspiring players to look at some of the big names in the region such as “Msdossary”, from Saudi Arabia who is possibly the best player of all time. He has been incredible and I think a lot more players in the Middle East are coming up from out of nowhere. COVID has made things slower but people just need to keep working hard and believing in themselves and who knows they could be a champion as well.
The e-Cup is happening this weekend do you hope this could be one of many more happening around the world?
The more tournaments hosted around the world would boost everyone’s chances and raises more awareness. I think it will get more players involved in e-Sports who may want to compete in more tournaments once they get a taste of it.
