apeX.Collapse are one of the most renown names in the Call of Duty console scene right now, and with the players having an array of achievements to their name, it is no small wonder they are regarded as such a top tier team. The team currently consists of Parasite, LyaR, Dedo and NameLeSs, who is their latest addition to the team.

Recently they placed an impressive 2^nd in the WGL PROAM Tourney, knocking out some of Europe’s top teams in style, all on European host! Unfortunately TCM proved too much for apeX to handle, losing 6-3 in the final, however it’s not all doom and gloom, as they can keep a small smile on their faces, having took away a cool $1000 prize. I caught up with the lads to ask three of the team some questions about the scene at the moment and their future.   

Mayhem: Can you introduce yourselves to those who aren’t too familiar with you?

Parasite: Hello, my name is Christopher Duarte otherwise known as Parasite! I have been playing Call of Duty competitively for 5 years and I have placed in the top 4 at multiple LAN events, including MLG. Currently I am the captain of Team Collapse and we are currently under the apeX eSports flag as apeX.Collapse.

LyaR: Hi, my name is Ray "LyaR" Loftus, and I've been playing Call of Duty competitively for around 6 years.  I was a runner up at the national event on the MLG Pro Circuit for Black Ops in 2011.  I've been with Collapse for several months now.

NameLeSs: Hi, my name is Anthony “NameLeSs” Wheeler and I am a veteran Call of Duty professional player.  I have been playing competitively a little over 6 years.  I competed at every MLG event in the 2011 Black Ops Pro circuit and achieved pro status first event placing 2^nd.

Mayhem: Firstly, my commiserations on losing out in the final of the WGL PROAM Tourney to TCM, you did incredibly well to get there on a European host. Did this factor make a major impact on the way you played and your overall performance?

Parasite: Being from the West Coast of the United States I played on a 2 bar connection the whole PROAM Tournament. I quickly learned to adjust my play style to something a bit more passive in nature. I believe that even though we were dominant for most of the event, the 2 bar held our full capacity back.

LyaR: The European host lost us the tournament, no doubt.  Besides 1 map (Lockdown CTF), every map we lost was by either 1 flag in CTF or 1 round in SnD.  There's not a doubt in my mind that we would've won against TCM on an even connection.

Mayhem: Shortly after the tournament had finished, you came to the decision to drop Revan in place of a new fourth, that fourth being NameLeSs who seems to be an under-rated player in the scene. Many have disagreed strongly, stating Revan was one of the key players in the team. What was the reasoning behind the decision?

Parasite: We simply let Revan go because he was not the role we required on the team. We need a slayer or someone who could pick up kill after kill after kill. Nameless fit that role perfectly.

LyaR: The reasoning behind this decision was that Revan seemed like an outcast on the team.  The only time we talked was during practice, so he didn't feel like a true team mate.  Also, his performance in games leading up to the WGL final and the final itself were disappointing, and we felt that we should look for a more talented player.

Mayhem: With NameLeSs in the team, what impact has this made on your play style?

Parasite: With Nameless now on the team, I feel as if my job has now been made easier. I do not feel as pressured to rack up kills despite being an objective based player. With his slaying capabilities, I feel like I can focus on my goals in game better.

LyaR: Prior to NameLeSs being on the team, Dedo and I slayed, whilst Revan and Parasite ran sub machine guns.  Now NameLeSs and Dedo slay, and I run a sub machine gun alongside Parasite.  We're all very versatile players so this hasn't affected our overall performance at all.

Mayhem: OpTic were the first NA team to attend a European LAN, and having stormed through the competition, they passed a few comments criticising the EU play style, commenting on how we seem to sacrifice teamwork and focus more on individual plays. Having played some of Europe’s top teams on offer in the PROAM tourney, do you agree with OpTic?

Parasite: Yes I definitely agree with OpTic from this stand point. I feel as if many of the EU teams just don't know the idea of making sacrifices of sorts or the idea of baiting in order to advance the push on a map.

LyaR: Not really.  In Search and Destroy I felt the teams knew where to push, but didn't execute properly.  I just feel as though the individual skill level of the European players isn't up to par with some of the NA players, and this leads to their teams not being as talented.

NameLeSs: I feel that European based teams have a complete different style of play than North American teams.  NA teams do tend to utilize the buddy system more and “set up” more often than EU teams.

Mayhem: Many European teams seem to have taken heed of OpTic’s advice, as we have seen numerous teams now start to rotate a lot more and focus on teamwork. Do you believe there is also a gap in the level of skill between the two continents as well?

Parasite: Although the rotation system has helped a lot of EU teams get better, I still believe there is a natural skill gap between the 2 scenes. In my opinion I feel as If the North American player instinct is more developed than that of a European player. However, this does not go for all players in either scene.

LyaR: The skill gap isn't between the two continents at all.  A top EU team could easily demolish one of the worse pro teams from NA.  The skill gap I believe lies between the top 4 or so NA teams and everyone else in the world.

NameLeSs: From what I can tell, OpTic has dominated since coming over to Europe and no one has stood a chance in the match ups.  NA teams put in more work in my opinion.

Mayhem: North American teams tend to put in a lot more hours into scrims in comparison to European teams, how many hours on average do you practice, and do you have a schedule you adhere to?

Parasite: In all honesty we try to play as much as possible. However, a lot of the time we just play individually and whenever we have the time to play we play, regardless if our whole team, 3/4s, or even half the team are available.

LyaR: I usually just play when I'm available.  In the past I haven't played during the summer time (this is only my second summer playing out of the 6 years I've played).  I am taking summer classes and also working a part time job so I play whenever I'm not doing either of those.  I'd say I play about 15-20 hours a week and practice for about 10 of them.

NameLeSs: Personally, I am on every day.  Whether it is with the team or just individual practice I like to get at least 4 hours a night in of gaming. We play five days out of the week and sometimes six.

Mayhem: Out of the European teams you have had the chance to play online, who would you regard as being the strongest?

Parasite: I think TCM is probably the best EU team we have played. They were one of the only teams to beat us in the PROAM for WGL.

LyaR: Out of the teams we played, TCM was the only team we lost to legitimately so I would have to say them.

NameLeSs: I am biased, but apeX.Knockou7 is a very talented team and I believe they can contend with the best.

Mayhem: There are strong rumours that you are planning to attend i46 in August, which having attended i45 myself in May, it is sure to be an incredible event once again. Can you confirm if these rumours are true and if anything is set in stone?

Parasite: Yes the rumours are true. We do plan on attending iSeries. Nothing is set in stone as we have not booked our flights and hotel. However we are doing that in the coming weeks. We will confirm our attendance soon.

Mayhem: Many of Europe’s strongest teams are expected to attend i46, with TCM, Prophecy and 4K already confirming their attendance. Are you confident you can overcome them on LAN, where everyone will be on a level playing field in regards to the connection issues suffered online?

Parasite: Yeah in regards to all the best team’s attending, it is going to be fun. I look forward to meeting everyone! We are a proven NA LAN team, I think we should be fine especially since we did beat or put up a good fight against a few of the top EU teams on a European host for the SoundBlaster ProAM!

Mayhem: It goes without saying that Europe has quite a reputation for banter and trash talking at LAN, in an attempt to gain an advantage over the other by throwing players off their game. OpTic were clearly unperturbed by it at EGL5, how do you feel you will handle the banter at i46 should we see you in attendance, with players like Shane, Madcat and Josh all due to be playing, who are re-known for giving players a slating.

Parasite: While I was watching EGL7 the banter was rather entertaining. Here in North America we have similar trash talk but it isn't as intense as it is in Europe. But nonetheless we should be able to handle it as long as we stay focused and block out anything else but the game.

Mayhem: apeX are one of the most well known and rated organisations in eSports at the moment, with teams like yourselves, STR8 Rippin and in past times apeX.Pro all part of the organisation. How has the organisation been treating you?

Parasite: apeX has been really amazing. They have treated us like royalty and anytime we have needed anything they have been there to support us.

LyaR: They have treated us extremely well.  They have covered all of our finances to UMG Chicago which we will be attending in the middle of August, and have provided us with gear from the newly acquired partnership with Razor.

NameLeSs: I have only been on the team for a little over a week and a half and so far apeX is an outstanding organisation.  They are very friendly and have great courtesy.

Mayhem: Where do you hope to see yourselves progress to in the future?

Parasite: I hope our team stays together for the long run and we continue to place well in not only online tournaments, but many LAN tournaments as well!

LyaR: Honestly in terms of skill I think we have nearly reached our peak.  I'd definitely like to get some titles under the team's name (EGL, iSeries, MLG, UMG, etc) that would help grow our fan base.

NameLeSs: I think we can be the most dominant force in Call of Duty eSports with the group of guys we assembled and the organisation backing us.  Only time will tell.

Mayhem: In order for the Call of Duty console scene to continue to grow competitively, what do you feel both the NA and EU communities need to do or change?

Parasite: I think all the trash talk between the two scenes needs to be eliminated. People just need to come together and realise that EU players have the potential to be just as good as NA players and vice versa.

LyaR: I feel like we need to promote everything as a community, and not just focus on the important things.  Sure, everyone is promoting the hell out of OpTic and EGL7, but I can't recall the last time OpTic promoted something that they weren't involved in.  WGL is a great example.  After they dropped out, did anyone from OpTic promote the event? I don't think so.

NameLeSs: We need to get over our feud of who is better and unite as one league.  Europeans need to start travelling to MLG events and more NA teams need to show up to European tournaments.

Mayhem: Are your family and friends supportive about gaming and potentially playing overseas, with the potential to make money from events?

Parasite: My family and friends are very supportive of my gaming career. They cheer me on anytime I have a tournament. They also congratulate me anytime I place well.

LyaR: Yes my mom and dad always brag at work about how I made $7500 from Nationals. My friends have always wanted to come tailgating to an event.

NameLeSs: My family is very supportive and my friends think it’s awesome.  I could not ask for better people in my life to support me.

Mayhem: Having attended numerous LAN’s, what advice would you give to new players and teams who are looking to attend their first LAN?

Parasite: My biggest piece of advice is to never get nervous. Stick to your game, don't change up your play style because you are playing a good team.

LyaR: I would advise them to not go in expecting to win, as they would only be disappointed.  You have to set little goals for yourself in order to enjoy attending.  At Dallas in 2011, the first event for Black Ops, my team wasn't expected to place any higher than 8th coming in with the 11th seed.  However, we ended up placing second after winning the Winner's Bracket.  The event was an amazing experience.

NameLeSs: The best advice is to be loyal. One quote by me that you can take is, “Whatever made you successful at first is the formula that works, remember your roots”.  Just play and stay loyal to your teammates and the success will come.

Mayhem: It’s been a pleasure talking to you guys, many thanks for taking the time out for this interview, it is much appreciated! Any shoutouts before we go?

Parasite: Shoutout to our sponsor’s apeX eSports! Follow them on twitter @apeX_Esports. Also shoutout to our coach and media manager, follow them as well, @apeX_Jlewnatic & @apeX_External. Follow me on twitter @apeX_Parasite.

LyaR: Thanks to the WGL for allowing us to rep the NA scene in their tournament and to apeX.eSports for giving us the chance to travel and build our image. Follow me on twitter @apeX_LyaR.

NameLeSs: Shoutout to apeX and anyone who took the time to read this. Follow me on twitter @apeX_NameLeSs.

Best of luck in the future to these guys, we will no doubt see them remain one of the top competitors on the game! Hope you enjoyed the interview. Peace!