Like every Thursday, Kingsleague has once again interviewed a person from the professional sports-world. This time it is the esportsman EFE. Our correspondent Chris talked to him about how he got into gaming, what he thinks of the new FIFA and lots more. Read the full transcript of the interview here.
Interview with EFE
Chris:
Hello and welcome.
As a special for our Sportsmanship Thursday, we wanted to talk to one of our users and not just any one of them: EFE, the winner of our Season 1, who also has participated in our Road2FIFA21 and reached the top 3. If I remember correctly, you finished second, right?
EFE:
Correct.
Chris:
So you are definitely a familiar face in the Kingsleague community.
Today we want to talk to you not only about your experiences with Kingsleague, but also, about your career as an eSportsman . That will certainly be interesting for some of our community.
First of all, how and when did you start gaming?
EFE:
Gaming actually started relatively early. I first started to watch my brother play on the Playstation 1 and Playstation 2.
Then, when I was about 9 0r 10, I started to play myself and at the age of 12 I started playing FIFA. My brother had bought FIFA12 and I was enthusiastic about the game. I was already a football lover then. And yes, the video game with the hobby – fits perfectly together.
Chris:
And FIFA12 was your very first FIFA?
EFE:
Yes, you can say so.
Chris:
And since then? Every year?
EFE:
Yes, and since then, I have played it every year. Playing it seriously started with FIFA19. Before that I only played normally with colleagues or every now and then a few rounds of Ultimate Team. But when FIFA19 came out, I bought my own Playstation. I had more time to invest in the game and then I saw that I have qualities in it and wanted to develop them further.
Chris:
Yes exactly, I will come back to that in a bit. So, can you say, since you started with FIFA early, which FIFA you liked best?
EFE:
To be honest, I found the first FIFA I played, FIFA12, to be the one, which blew me away the most. I admit, that it was the most unrealistic FIFA, but I played with bronze players at that time and I enjoyed it so much. The bronze players just let you play like gold cards and that’s why.
In FIFA12 you could dribble super fast and you could score unrealistic goals, but that was the special thing about it – it was more of a video game, that’s why FIFA12 caught me very well.
Chris:
Yes, with each part, FIFA is becoming more and more realistic, but at times also more complicated.
EFE:
Yes.
Chris:
But of course, it also offers a lot more possibilities to find out where my strengths lie and how I can actually serve the players the way it should look like.
Do you play other games besides FIFA? Or is that your main title?
EFE:
Of course, if you try to be professional, you have to invest several hours a day in the game and you play Call of Duty or Fortnite with friends from time to time, just for a change, but 95 % of all games are FIFA. Also the Weekendleague comes on weekends and it’s hard to find time to play other games on the side.
Chris:
Sure, understandable.
You’ve just mentioned it before. At which point did you notice, that you’re quite good at the game?
You were always fighting with your friends and then you noticed that you were ripping off everyone?
EFE:
Hm, that’s a good question.
So, back in the days, among my friends people used to say to me, “oh Efe is good, Efe has some good tricks we don’t know yet” and stuff like that.
But I didn’t take it seriously and I thought they were just making fun. With FIFA 18 for example, I played the weekend in a party with a colleague and we talked together and both got excited about the game. I didn’t even think that I would win or ,that I had qualities to become better.
Back then I was a Gold 1 Elite 3 player, so nothing really breathtaking, and in retrospect I started to play the Weekendleague on my own from FIFA19 and then I saw that I could increase my performance.
I was able to reach the top 100 for the first time in December, 2018. That was also with a super weak team, 82-83 cards.
And then I started to get more involved with the game and from that moment things really went uphill for me, you could say.
Chris:
Okay and as a direct transition to the next question:
Do you think it’s an inner talent you have?
Or is it just hard training, as you mentioned before, so that you keep practicing and improving every day?
EFE:
I think without talent you can’t be one of the best anywhere, but you can train yourself a lot. I also think that without this training I would never have been able to do it.
Chris:
And the training, did you define it for yourself or did you get tips and tricks from the community?
EFE:
I only concentrate on my own game. When I see there are things that I can develop, then I analyze them and try to improve them. There are now also tactics and instructions in FIFA and I have adapted them from game to game. Every new FIFA is different.
This year, for example, is different from last year. I don’t like it as much as last year, but there will be patches.
And it is still at the beginning, I still have to get used to the game.
That’s why you can achieve a lot with training.
Chris:
That’s cool, and it gives hope to the people who haven’t quite reached the highest level yet.
EFE:
Right, always practice and train a lot!
Chris:
You mentioned just now – the new FIFA is out, what are your first thoughts in general?
EFE:
Honestly, it took a lot of getting used to. I have finished FIFA20 very successfully from my point of view, also with the Kingsleague Season 1.
It was like parting with the love of your life – because you finished it so successfully and then you had to start something new. It really takes a lot of getting used to – I hope that some mistakes will be fixed – e.g. goalkeepers are very funny, every lob goes in or the passes are very adaptable. But I still think that FIFA21 has a lot of potential.
Chris:
Yes, I am confident, especially at the beginning everybody needs time to get used to the new FIFA and with the first feedback there will be new patches. I am confident and hope that FIFA will make some adjustments.
Do you have a favorite team with which you always play?
EFE:
Hmm, do you mean in normal mode?
Chris:
Yes, or do you have a favorite team in real life, which you like to play with?
EFE:
Well, when it comes to winning, actually the French national team is always the best team. Otherwise, I’m a big fan of Fenerbahce from Turkey. Of course, that’s my favorite team. I watch football matches of that team every week and if I would choose a team with colleagues, it would be this one.
Chris:
Okay, cool.
With France we saw, what was also the most played team in the season, many people played with them. Is there a specific favorite player, whom you like to play or do skills with?
EFE:
Of course, and it also fits to my name Yaronaldo. I bet you can guess it already: Cristiano Ronaldo.
Chris:
Okay, all right and then of course the ultimate player.
EFE:
Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in every FIFA in my opinion. Okay, in the last FIFA the headers and the speed were a little bit weaker, so he was not the best player now – last year for example it was Neymar I think, from the gold cards. From the icons I found EUSEBIO the best.
But this year I played with Cristiano Ronaldo in the draft and he is a great player, so there is nothing wrong with him.
Chris:
Cool, that’s nice.
Now I wanted to ask again:
Did you dream of a career as an e-sportsman when you realized that you had skills in the game? Or were you certain, that it’s what you want to do and try to achieve?
EFE:
Yes, since FIFA19 I have been more involved with it. I had already looked at Youtube videos of eSportsmen. I also looked at their tactics, tried to find out, if there are things that would help me more – and that is of course also the case, because otherwise you would not stand where you stand today. And yes, after I reached the top 100 I can say that if I can do it once, then I can do it multiple times. So, why shouldn’t I take it seriously then and maybe too, become one of the best players?
Of course, I am still far from it, but it is possible and that is why I am working hard on it.
Chris:
Cool, yes, we wish you good luck and are looking forward to your further career.
Now you often have that gaming, especially maybe from the perspective of parents or the older generation, it is always a bit of a waste of time.
How did your environment react to it? Or your parents?
Do they support you?
EFE:
Yes, at the beginning it was like: my son, play less and do more for school. But in the meantime, after my parents have seen that I’m really serious, that I can develop something that can help me in the future – also through my successes – and through the fact that I enjoy it, they support me of course and also believe in me firmly.
And yes, my friends have been supporting me since day one anyway, they said go ahead, you have potential so do something with it.
Chris:
Yes you have to say, eSports is still a relatively modern phenomenon, but a huge industry. There are so many opportunities to work somewhere, so many numerous fields of application and so this is probably something that will have to build up a little bit of acceptance over the coming years and decades. We can already see how important it is and a career in it is definitely desirable for some people.
EFE:
You can also see this in the Bundesliga teams. So slowly every Bundesliga team now has its own eSports department / eSports team. Borussia Dortmund now as well and they were a bit skeptical at the beginning. But you can see that eSports has a great future and that is good for the sport itself.
Chris:
There are also different eSports titles, I personally like the sports games and FIFA has always been an all-time classic and I am very happy that such a big scene has developed.
EFE:
Yes of course, that is great.
Chris:
Ok, let’s get back to the topic. You have noticed you are getting better, you have won several tournaments now, even off the field – hence the question:
Your biggest goal in eSport? Is there a specific one?
EFE:
Well, in the Ultimate Team you want to be in the Top 100. But in Ultimate Team, in the Weekendleague it’s only a weekly or monthly result that you achieve. The most important thing is of course to qualify for the playoffs – the big tournaments and when you are in the playoffs and you want to be there. If you reach a certain point in the playoffs then that’s a reason for me to say – ok, I’ve really achieved it in this game and that’s one of the most important goals for me.
But it is of course very difficult, but I want to be the best in the world – it is unrealistic right now, but the possibility exists and that is why I would like to have a playoff tournament e.g. an offline event in Bucharest or in Atalanta. If I could win there, then I would be super happy – I work hard for that and I hope that it will become true some day.
Chris:
Well, we will keep our fingers crossed for you.You should always dream big because that is the only way to achieve really great things – you still have a few years ahead, hopefully, in which you can have a lot of fun playing the game and then see how far you can develop your skills.
This is a transition to us – in Kingsleague you have an unbelievable statistic, also with your aforementioned title win in Season. I took another look at your profile earlier and you now have a statistic of 59 to 10 with Fifa 20 and 21 together and of course you have won a lot of prizes.
Do you remember exactly how much money you have won in Kingsleague so far? Approximately?
EFE:
Everything so together?
Chris:
Yes.
EFE:
Also with the Season 1 victory?
Um… about 1200 € I’d say.
Chris:
And at the beginning? Do you know what you put in?
EFE:
Not much, I started with 10 €, I put in 10 € or 20 € I think .
Someone had challenged me for 20 €, because he didn’t know me yet – I thought it was okay and then we played for 20 € as far as I know from now and then I didn’t deposit anymore, so everything goes only through victories and defeats.
Chris:
Well, that’s the advantage, you get the Euro for free in the beginning, then you pay a little bit more and can bet a little bit more.
EFE:
Right, I always think when I get the €1 as a gift, playing for €1 is good, but people see your stats and once people see you win 7-8 games in a row, most people don’t want to play with you.
That’s why it’s important for me as a player to get offers: 15 € stake, i.e. to bet both 15 € and then play for 28 € – that I’d rather see that than play for 1 €.
Chris:
Sure, we try to be as transparent as possible, because on the profiles you can see what the rating is, as well as how strong the opponent is, and then everyone has to judge for themselves whether they they want to challenge the other player.
EFE:
But you can actually make a very good profit in Kingsleague with 0 € stake.
Chris:
Sure, it just depends on your own skills and the challenges you do.
I think you are an extremely positive example, deposit with 20 € and received over 1000 € in the end. Only thanks to your skills.
That’s the example we had in mind – it’s nice to have someone who can tell his success story like that.
I can imagine that winning is definitely fun but is there anything special you like about Kingsleague? Or is there something you particularly enjoy?
EFE:
Yes, the people are all in a good mood, nobody complains after the game and says “you played so badly” or something like that. So everyone is actually fair and friendly. The organizers, you guys, are great. You talk to the players, ask for feedback. So far I haven’t seen any problems in the Kingsleague App. Of course you would wish that there would be even more players, but with time this will happen.
So I have no concerns about the Kingsleague App and would recommend it to others, because you can have fun with it, even if you don’t win. So actually everything about it is great!
Chris:
Yes, we are trying very hard to build a community where competition and fun is the main focus and where people are fair to each other.
You probably know that online gaming is associated with a certain toxic atmosphere.
EFE:
Of course you get annoyed sometimes, but a GG usually always comes in the end. It’s not that you don’t talk to the opponent anymore or that you would like to ban him or something like that.
Chris:
Of course it’s part of it, a real passion, that’s what it is in real football – you’re happy when you win, but a true champion is characterized by the fact that he can also take a defeat.
EFE:
Yes, Fair play is the most important thing.
Chris:
Exactly, that’s what I think we should focus on, which is very important to us and we try to pay attention to it in our community.
That’s why we have this protection, that there are no cheaters, because they are banned directly. And of course we also pay attention to that and encourage our users to be friendly to each other and to be sportive with each other.
Now a very interesting question for the people who want to try it against you:
Are there online times or times when you are best challenged?
EFE:
It’s actually quite spontaneous, but I’m actually more of a fan of playing during the day, because I find that towards evening the body gets slightly tired and I naturally prefer to play most when I’m motivated and more active. Therefore I would say noon is the best time to meet me.
Chris:
All right and you said it before, 15 € stake would be your favourite? Then people can just come up to you and challenge you?
EFE:
Yeah sure, 10 € is also possible 5 € is also possible. So it is not that I say no, I play only for 15 €. I would also play for 5 €.
But 1 € for example is too much of a waste of time, because 20 minutes of playing for 80 cents profit or 1 € loss is a waste for me. But for many people it can be just training. Therefore, from 5 € on everyone can challenge me!
Chris:
Okay, great, we’ll definitely record it and pass it on.
The 1 € is also very common for people who are new to the platform and want to test it first. Ideally, people don’t test against our champion, but against someone at eye level and who notices that it works, is then invited to invest in their own skills.
Have you heard about our new Weekly and fixed challenges?
EFE:
I even had a quick look at it today, I got a message that I can look it up on Instagram, went on the story and actually liked the ideas. That includes the players again and makes them win several times, because I have seen that if you win 3 or more in a row you get 2 €. I thought the idea was very good and I think it is also very promising, so I would definitely recommend it.
Chris:
Exactly, so we try to bring in a little bit more action and excitement with the weekly challenges and to reward the people who are really active with rewards.
But we have also come up with some really exciting offline challenges and activities – one of them is to come by our office for a beer or something similar.
EFE:
But I thought to myself: How should you come by if you don’t live nearby?
Chris:
This is, of course, logistically a bit more difficult, but ideally everyone would like to go to Berlin and can simply drop by our office when they visit Berlin.
We’re currently planning our Season 2 and depending on how things develop with Corona, we might be able to hold a physical final in the future.
EFE:
Oh that would be great!
Chris:
I would like to emphasize at this point that you are welcome to come and visit us in Berlin. I would then dare to play against you again, but maybe you could give me a 2-3 goal advantage 😉
EFE:
We can do that, sure.
Chris:
I was very happy to talk to you!
EFE:
It was also very nice to meet you, thanks for inviting me!
Chris:
I would love to, then I would say see you in the Kingsleague App! See you there!
EFE:
Bye and see you soon!
Do you want to take your FIFA skills to the next level and become a pro just like EFE? Become a part of Kingsleague and challenge people on FIFA 21 for money. Challenge users on FIFA 21 and make every game count!
