MrSavage on sacrifices and balancing being an 18-year-old superstar
At just 18 years old, Martin "MrSavage" Foss Andersen has already amassed nearly half-a-million dollars in prize money alone from Fortnite and has clocked up an incredible 1.2 million followers on Twitter, translating to some jam-packed streams and a heavy following on Twitch.
But finding fame at such an early age can be a double-edged sword, and the young prodigy claimed that there has had to be a lot of "sacrifices" to get where he is.
Shortly after signing for Red Bull, the Fortnite star is now preparing to become a champion once again, and we sat down with him to talk about his journey to the peak of the mountain and who he will overthrow at Red Bull Contested to stay there.
Sacrifices, balancing, and grafting to be an esports sensation
Click to enlargeStarting as an esports professional at 15/16, there have been plenty of life choices that MrSavage has faced already, especially as his online popularity has grown alongside the competitive side of his career, and that has taken its toll.
"There's been a lot of sacrifices on the way. The first two to three years when I first started paying, that kind of sacrificed my social life. Also like education too," he told GGRecon before Red Bull Contested.
"But I'm really happy with where I'm in life right now. So I think everything worked out."
Having found a good mental space, between being a Fortnite extraordinaire and a usual 18-year-old, MrSavage has put it down to "balance" and that's something he's strived to achieve over the last three years.
"I think I've found quite a good balance, but I think you can always work on it, you know? I'm still learning how to balance it, especially with working out and things like that. It's hard to sort of find time and effort."
Although the typical gaming schedule doesn't always suit a social life, especially with flying to so many events in recent times, working out is at the top of MrSavage's pastimes, something which he advocates gamers to do.
"It gives me more energy. I feel way more energized and also my head is in like a clear space and I feel way more concentrated. So I think working out is one the best things that I've started doing. I definitely recommend it for everyone."
MrSavage eyes world domination with Red Bull signing.
Click to enlargeHaving already ticked the box next to becoming an online icon, MrSavage has now eyed more success in real-life events after signing with Red Bull as a content creator.
"It's sick man. I've been talking to them for a while now and I've been looking forward to announcing it and then, I don't know if you saw the announcement, but, Amar just came into my room while streaming and surprised me. So yeah, it was a lot of fun.
"I haven't been with Red Bull for that long yet, but so far it's been really good. I already have some things planned with Red Bull. I don't think I can talk about them yet, but I'm definitely very excited for the future."
The first stop is Red Bull Contested, in Scotland, as the Fortnite star looks ready to lock horns and heavy snipers with the world's best talents just days after DreamHack Dallas. But that's the lifestyle that's worth grinding for, he says.
"Going to so many different events. It's, it's exhausting, but it's also the thing I like most about this career choice. I think it's fun and cool. I wanna go everywhere, man. Like I wanna explore the entire world," he added.
"I'm definitely having way more fun being a Fortnite Pro this year because there are so many more places to go and more things to do."
MrSavage on his main Red Bull Contested rivalries
Click to enlargeBefore global conquests begin though, McEwan Hall, Edinburgh is already playing host to a wealth of the best Fortnite players in the world, and as MrSavae prepares to step onto the stage, he's now identified who the main competition will be.
"There are a lot of EU players and EU players are very good. So there are definitely a lot of players like Harry ["Veno" Pearson] and Thomas ["Th0masHD" Høxbro Davidsen]. It's going to be a new season as well, so we don't know what's going to happen yet. So it's gonna be exciting."
The new season is definitely going throw a few spanners in the works, but it'll be raw skill that will prevail, according to MrSavage.
"I think we have the morning of the tournament day to prepare and like look at what's up for the new season. We won't get to prepare anything, really. We'll just have a quick look at the new season.
"It's definitely gonna be different because preparation for a tournament is off. There are some players that do really well because they are good at preparing. Some players are just crazy talented, you know. So we'll, we'll see who suits it the best."
As for his own chances at winning, there has to be confidence from the Savage camp given his previous earnings already, he's looking at channelling previous experience and a large streaming audience to help him stay composed in front of a loud UK crowd.
"I think there's definitely a chance of winning. I've done really well in solos before, so I know what it's like and I'm sort of a veteran, I guess, so I think I'll handle the pressure of having like a big audience and being on stage really well.
So yeah, it's just all going to be about the new season. Obviously, it's solo. Anything can happen."
Red Bull Contested will take place June 10, where MrSavage will want to show his new sponsors just who is the boss.
