"Try to understand what we do and why we do it": AOE4 winner MarineLorD talks about the Red Bull Wololo, challenges, hardest opponents, and more

The Age of Empires 4 champion during the recently concluded Red Bull Wololo was the fantastic Alexis “MarineLorD” Eusebio. A French Age of Empires 4 player for the Aix-en-Provence-based team IziDream, Alexis is also an active StarCraft II player.

He put in a dominating performance during the competition's Grand Finals on October 30, taking the victory over his Greek opponent TheMista of the Swiss team mYinsanity, with a stunning 4-0 scoreline, winning $100,000 in the process.

MarineLorD also had an impressive 75% win rate, proving his skills at this important Red Bull Wololo event. In a recent interaction with Sportskeeda, Alexis spoke to Jason Parker about Red Bull Wololo, his most dangerous opponents, his path to the event, and much more.

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MarineLorD speaks about what it was like taking part in the Red Bull Wololo

Q. First, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! What was your experience like taking part in the Red Bull Wololo?

MarineLorD: A little bit crazier than expected because I lost in the first round of the group stage, and after the first day, I lost a bit of confidence. But after checking out a few replays and seeing how everyone else plays, I said, “Okay, I’m just going to keep my good strategy, I’m going to do a good mix, and it should be working very well.” And it did.

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Q. You played against some of the best players that Age of Empires competitive offers. Who would you say was the most challenging player to deal with?

MarineLorD: They’re all very good, but I would say it’s between Aleksandar "Beastyqt" Krstić and Benjamin "DeMusliM" Baker. Especially DeMusliM because when we played, it was a best of three, so it was very dangerous because we were almost close in skill level. But Beastyqt was very good too, he had some good strategies.

Themistoklis "TheMista" Bonidis was very dangerous. I felt confident going against him, but I knew that sometimes, his strategies are incredible. You think you’re going to win and then you don’t.

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Q. What was it like competing within an actual castle in Germany?

MarineLorD: It was crazy. Especially on the media day, we went around visiting the castle a little bit–it felt so amazing to me. Honestly, everything was great, not only the castle but the organization, the players, everyone was very nice.

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Q. Do you have a particular favorite moment from the Red Bull Wololo that stands out from the rest?

MarineLorD: I think it was when I won against DeMusliM, because it was a very close game, and when I reached the playoffs, my confidence was rising because I know that in a best of five or a best of seven, I can’t really see a way for me to lose. But after that game, I had the proper mindset to go and win.

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Q. What gave you the competitive edge to win out in the end do you think? What makes your gameplay unique?

MarineLorD: I feel that I have a pretty big advantage because of my very strong mechanical skills, which usually gives me the edge. My strategy is usually just to play a normal game, trust my skills, and I should end up winning. Usually, it’s my opponents that have to find a good strategy to get the advantage against me. If they do that, they can win. Otherwise, I’m very confident in my ability to win.

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Q. Age of Empires can be a pretty challenging game franchise to get into. Any tips or advice for players seeing the Red Bull Wololo who want to try the game out?

MarineLorD: I think you have to start in a very chill way. Do it alongside your studies or your job, and then when you come home, you can play it a little bit, watch some VODs, and watch some replays from the players. Try to understand what we do and why we do it. If you do those things, there’s no reason you can’t improve.

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Q. Were there any major difficulties you experienced in qualifying and climbing through the Red Bull Wololo tournament?

MarineLorD: It was the group stage for sure. I won 2-1 and 2-1 but also lost 1-2. I didn’t really find my groove in the group stage. But once I got to the playoffs, I definitely found my groove and started playing very well.

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Q. While AOE 2 may be the most popular game in the franchise, do you think AoE 4 has the chance to become the norm for Age of Empires gameplay in a few years?

MarineLorD: I think both will always exist, but Age of Empires IV is definitely improving.

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Q. Do you think tournaments like this could help elevate the popularity of Age of Empires and see further tournaments or competitive scenes emerge going forward?

MarineLorD: For sure. First of all, it’s an offline event. Secondly, it’s an amazing venue. Plus, there’s also a lot of money to win–so it really helps a lot. So it is really great.

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For Age of Empires 4 fans who want more of Alexis after his Red Bull Wololo win, he can be found on Twitch, YouTube, and Twitter.