Like many gamers, Matthew Wayne Turner (TLG) of the LA Trollz, forged his love of playing video games as a child. “Me and my brother grew up in a not-so-great neighborhood. But we were more scared of mom than the streets, so we went straight home after school,” Turner said.
The brothers passed the time playing Streetfighter 2 on their Sega Genesis. “I was addicted,” explained Turner, “I hold it dear. And it’s a way of relieving my stress.”
He found Ultimate Endgamers League (UEL) four years ago when a friend who had seen an ad about the organization on Facebook brought it to his attention. Turner had never done massive competitive gaming in esports but figured he would give it a try. “Moving into esports, there were a lot of new things to learn,” he said, “It’s a different mindset.”
Turner, an Amazon driver, balances his time between work, family and gaming. “My thought process is, I find the balance because it’s important to me,” Turner said.
When he’s not working, gaming, or spending time with his family, Turner can be found running the UEL streams from the lounge or helping out around the facility.
“I believe in the vision of what [the UEL] wants to do. I’m hooked. Even if I’m not a player, then I want to do production and things of that nature. I can do anything in the building. I want to make this industry grow and I want to be in the room where it goes,” Turner explained.
He added, “I’m waiting patiently … I want working for UEL to be my last job.”
Turner finds some of his motivation for UEL in the environment itself. “When you come in, you know the people and you’re going to have a good time even if you’re playing against the other team,” he said.
“It’s cool that we can talk smack all day and then go to IHOP. But when it’s time for the game, all bets are off,” he said.
Turner doesn’t hesitate to say that he wears his emotions on his sleeve. “I don’t hold them back,” he said, “I say how I feel.”
He said it’s all about finding your moment and keeping the mindset. “You have to center yourself… Everyone has issues at home but when you’re in the league and playing, whatever else is going on at moment disappears.”
“Even if lose, I’m still gonna talk trash,” he added, “At the end of the day, I’m still gonna get better. I’m always one step closer.”
– To Herb, for making me better at Tekken and Black Diamond
– To Titus, for your overall acceptance and introducing me to the league.
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