Carmac A life in esports

AUTHOR Laura Byrne  @SimplyLaura123

ith over 15 years experience in the esports industry, Michal “CARMAC” Blicharz has done it all, seen it all and just about achieved it all. w

Now the Vice President of Pro Gaming at ESL, Michal has grown the Intel Extreme Masters to a level which has helped put esports on the map.

This year’s IEM Katowice attracted over 232 million viewers across the two-week event, making it the most watched ESL tournament series of all time. During the opening ceremony, Michal took some time to reflect on the sacrifices which come with wanting to be a champion. His continued efforts to understand and shape esports is exactly why he was chosen as one of the first members to be inducted into the ESI Hall of Fame in 2018. We caught up with Michal, better known as CARMAC, to talk about his incredible career, how the esports industry is developing and what’s up next.

The Esports Journal: What did being inducted into the ESI Hall of Fame in 2018 mean to you? Michal “CARMAC” Blicharz: I thought of it as a token of being recognised for leaving something behind, that what I’ve done in esports has lasting value. I like to think I was involved in building something and it’s pleasant to see that someone agrees. My wife was proud of me. However, I am not done yet and I know there is much more work ahead of us all in esports.

“I thought of it as a token of being recognised for leaving something behind, that what I’ve done in esports has lasting value”

ESJ: How important is it that we recognise people that have helped shape the industry? C: I think it has historical value and also helps people tell the difference between a genuine expert in the field and someone with a great personal sales pitch. It looks obvious today to say that this person or that person helped esports grow, but a decade from now esports will be larger and vastly different. Fans won’t be aware of the history. I’m quite sure