The People of Rivals of Aether: Europe – Fireicey

This article is part of a community-made interview series featuring some of the top players and volunteers behind the grassroots European scene.

We’re reaching the end here and what better of a way to finish this off than with the one and only Lion of the North, Fireicey!

View the other interviews from this series:

Who are you?

My name is Jakob, but most people know me as Fireicey, and both are for some reason frequently misspelt. I’m just a laid-back guy who gets overly invested in anything I enjoy, Rivals happened to be in a sweetspot of fun and convenient, so I’ve ended up sticking to it for a good while. Aside from Rivals I enjoy ball sports, most forms of fiction excluding live action (books, anime, games, manga), dried fruit and I try to live healthily, which my horrendous work shift schedule makes a lot more challenging.

When did you first join the community?

I think I started playing the game sometime around mid to late 2017 while I went to folkehøgskole (Folk high school), and got invited to the European Discord server not long after. However, I didn’t really start interacting with the community until the start of 2018, when I discovered a secret alcove in the attic of the library on campus where there was ethernet access. Finally armed with stable internet I started entering tournaments, and after a particularly good run where I got double eliminated by Transco for 2nd, he suggested I turn up to Destination Fight 4. I hadn’t really considered entering offline events before that moment, but with some help I was allowed to register after the deadline, and I ended up meeting many of the old staples of the European community for the first time, like Slimepuffen and OliveOily.

What has been your best/favourite moment with Rivals?

It would probably have to be winning Traction 5, since a lot of things came together for me at that event. It’s my biggest offline tournament win and my biggest tournament win without dropping a game. It was also my first tournament win with Transco in attendance and it clinched my first rank #1 on the PR.

How would you describe your playstyle in Rivals?

I’d say I’m a rather opportunistic player, who tends to be aggressive. By putting a lot of pressure on the opponent I can create openings and make it difficult for them to find space, and with a precise punish game I make it hard for them to fight back effectively. I’m a bit careless at times, so I can be prone to taking some unnecessary risks in neutral and offstage. Luckily, I have some of the best DI and slide offs in Rivals, which often makes up for it.

What are you looking forward to most in Rivals 2?

The main thing I’m looking forward to is the community being bigger. There are definitely advantages to the smaller community around a niche game like Rivals of Aether, but a larger community should lead to more opportunities to improve and compete, and more spectacle around the game with bigger tournaments and more creators.

Any closing statements?

Ahh, yes. I’m looking to buy a modded Xbox One model 1708 controller with a left stick snapback capacitor, mechanical ABXY buttons and a USB C port, or any of these mods. So to anyone who does Xbox One mods or knows someone who might be interested, please reach out to me on Discord.

Such words of wisdom, join me Thursday as we finish up The People of Rivals of Aether: Europe!