Ever since I was little, I’ve had an interest in gaming. The very first game I ever played was Hercules on a PS1 that I got from my grandparents, and that kicked off a lifelong passion for the medium.
In my late teens, games like Halo and Battlefield became my main focus, and I spent a lot of time actually trying to get good at them instead of just playing for the sake of it. I liked learning maps, mechanics, and the small details that could give you an edge. Back then, I played for five to six hours every day and became good enough to earn some (very) small sums of money by competing in online competitions and helping content creators out. I was also a reviewer for a small Dutch gaming website, so I had access to tons of free games from smaller publishers.
Aside from playing, I have always been someone who likes to tinker, tweak settings, and optimize setups, whether that meant adjusting in-game options, experimenting with hardware, or simply switching to the wildly uncomfortable-but-much-better claw grip for Halo, so when I got the opportunity to write and work around gear, games, and strategies, I happily took it.
These days, I don’t have time to play for hours every single day, but I still love gaming and everything around it. I still spend entire days at LANs with friends, still care a lot about good gear and smart setups, and still get excited when a big tournament is coming up. I turned one of my hobbies into a job, and it’s very satisfying to be able to say that.
