• Interview

ReadyUp esports E3 2019 panel: Fatal1ty on turning down $200k

Fatal1ty, Britanni Johnson, and a handful of other gaming pros and personalities give insight and advice at E3 2019.

Donovan Erskine

June 17, 2019 11:30 AM

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Shacknews held a series of interviews on our stage this year at E3 2019. One of the most insightful segments of our show featured the legendary Esports pro Fatal1ty along with a panel of professionals from different corners of the video game world. Fatal1ty is a 12x world champion across different first person shooter games such as Quake and Doom. He was also one of the pioneers in the Esports world, putting his all into widespread competitive gaming before it ever got close to the heights it reaches today. Joining him was Britanni Johnson, who’s most well-known for her performance as Angel in the Borderlands series.

The half hour interview (which you can watch in its entirety below) features valuable anecdotes from people who’ve broken into this industry in one way or another. If you’re looking to get into the world of Esports, streaming, or voice acting, this video has everything you need. Fatal1ty talks about how he took his career to the next level by developing his own brand and image. Specifically, the story of how he turned down a $200,000 brand deal.

It began with a mouse pad designed to give players a larger area of reach when gaming. He felt as though it just made sense to have a big mouse pad so that players didn’t have to constantly have to readjust their mouse in games like shooters, where every little advantage matters. After putting out this product, he was soon approached by a company that offered him $200,000 to wear their gear and pretty much exist within the confines of their brand. While the money sounded good, Wendel had the foresight to see that he’d be limiting his long term success by signing to someone else’s company. He made the gutsy call to turn the money down and continue on his own path. This gamble paid off big time as Fatal1ty ended up creating a brand worth far more than he would’ve ever earned from the initial brand deal.

It’s stories like this that highlighted the awesome interview on Shacknews’ stage at E3 2019. For more, subscribe to our Youtube channel.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_