Guile Esports reinforced their Pokken roster with new player

Having played Pokken since its release, Kevin Menz, better known by his nickname Oreo, has joined Guile Esports Pokken roster. Oreo will defend Guile Esports banners in various upcoming tournaments this year.
Guile Esports reinforced their Pokken roster with new player

Guile eSports has announced that they'll be expanding their Pokken roster with the new addition of Oreo. The Tri-state star will join Son_Dula in representing Guile at future events. With more support behind him, there's no doubt the veteran Mewtwo main will have a legendary year ahead.

Here's what Oliver Willis, CEO of Guile eSports, said about the addition of new player to the roster:

Oreo is a player who is respected in his game and has proved himself time and again in his local and regional scene. It is now time for him to take it to the pros and face off against the best. This is a lad who has bags of talent and heaps of determination and, with the backing of Guile eSports, is a player you will all be seeing a whole lot more of

We've got a chance to speak with Oreo and asked him a few questions. You can find the interview below:

Your nickname is Oreo. Could you please tell us how you come up with it? 

Oreo was my dog's name who I had for 16 years. When I would play Smash with my friends, I always would use the Oreo tag above my character as a joke. Eventually, I went to college and attended my first ever Smash tournament, and they asked for my tag. I decided to go with Oreo since I had already been using that with my friends. I debated changing it after college, but Oreo passed away, so I decided to keep it as a sort of remembrance.

How long have you been playing fighting games? What got you into this genre? 

I've been in fighting games for about 3 years. I had always played Smash with my friends and once I found out that there was a competitive scene, I wanted to test my skills. That first tournament opened up a whole new world for me and I never looked back. I love the feeling of competing and striving to improve.

There are many competitive fighting games out there. Why you decided to play Pokken competitively?

I had been interested in Pokken ever since it was first announced. The idea of getting the 1 on 1 Pokemon fighting game I always wanted was way too appealing. Once the game came out, I was hooked. It also helped that the community was extremely welcoming, and they are a huge reason as to why I enjoy playing the game.

Do you play other Pokemon games? If yes, could you recommend some? 

I don't play any other Pokemon games competitively. But I've been playing the main series since Red and Blue. I love every game that comes out and can't recommend them enough. If you are looking for a good game from the main series, I would highly recommend Sun and Moon. I haven't played the sequels yet but I found Gen 7 to be a very fun and engaging addition to the series.

You just joined Guile Esports. Congratulations! Have you played for any organizations before?

Thank you! This is my first time being a part of an organization like Guile. I used to be a team member for Hitbox Arena, a gaming venue that streams a multitude of games including Pokken and Smash. They grew into one of the most well-known streamers for Pokken and even hosted their own grassroots Pokken major, Final Boss. They helped grow me as a player and I think made me ready to represent an organization like Guile to the best of my ability.

What do you think about the future of eSports in general and your title\genre in particular?

So I think that eSports as a whole is only growing. League of Legends and Overwatch are continuing to see the increase in viewership and support over the last few years, and I don't think it's going to stop any time soon. My specific genre of eSports, fighting games, continues to see more and more support and viewership as well. ELeague and EVO have done wonders for mainstream viewing, getting games such as Street Fight onto TV and allowing a platform for Injustice and now Tekken to shine as well. In addition, grassroots FGC tournaments are continuing to thrive all over the country. I don't think eSports are going to slow down any time soon.

What would be the most optimistic course of actions for eSports and your title\genre?

The most optimistic course of action for eSports and the FGC would be influenced by personalities outside the eSports world. Someone who before had no investment in eSports coming in could bring a whole new kind of growth. Rick Fox, the founder of team Echo Fox, is a very good example. A former NBA star invested into eSports and now has one of the most successful and stacked teams out there. I think him coming in was such a good thing. And who knows what kind of personality could be next?

What would be the most pessimistic course of actions for eSports and your title\genre?

In my opinion, one of the most pessimistic things that could happen to eSports is if the community gets complacent with where they are. There is always room for change and improvement. And a scene is not dead if its community continues to play. Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite is a recent example. Because of lack of developer support and the game being dropped from EVO, many believe that the scene had died. The worst thing that Marvel fans can do is accept that. If they continue to play the game that they love and register for the tournaments that will host them, then they can make the scene thrive on their own. And that's a beautiful thing.

Can you tell us about your plans for 2018?

Sure! I plan on continuing to attend as many events as i can! Right now I'm already registered for Frosty Faustings and Winter Brawl. Currently I'm planning on attending CEO in June and Worlds/LCQ in August. Big E Gaming hosts a lot of events in the Philly area over the year, so I will continue to attend those as well. Finally, I plan continuing to support my local scene to the best of my ability. I'm fortunate enough to be able to attend locals and I want to see the scene thrive as much as possible.

Looks like a busy year full of achievements! Good luck in those events! Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Yes! Just that I'm unbelievably grateful for everything Pokken has given me in the last two years. I've had opportunities I never even dreamed of when I first started. If you haven't given the game a shot, I highly recommend it. I want to give a shout out to my friends and family who have supported me, Guile eSports for giving me this opportunity, and finally to the entire Pokken Community for being so incredibly nice and welcoming since day 1. I can't wait to see what the future holds!

For more info on Guile Esports, visit their official website and social medias, Twitter and Facebook. See what Oreo has been up to on his Twitter.

1 Comment

  1. Avatar photo

    Great article! Welcome Oreo! #YouGotGuile

    Reply

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