After weeks of heated battles, Proze has managed to earn his place in the FaZe Clan, but this is just the start of a new chapter for this seasoned content creator.
On May 6, 22 hopeful content creators came together under one roof to compete to join the FaZe Clan. To add spice to these confrontations, the participants broadcast their exploits 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for three weeks, a talent contest like no other.
This recruitment program, the first of its kind, ended with a bang on May 26, when the final winner was revealed. It must be said that the stakes were high, in addition to joining the FaZe Clan, the winner wins $1 million in crypto-currencies, a GHOST sponsorship of $250,000 and a brand new Nissan GTR.
Among the 3 finalists, it is the Canadian streamer Gabriel “Proze” Gélinas who managed to pull out of the game.
On this occasion, Dexerto had the chance to meet the rising FaZe Clan star to take stock of this monumental victory and reflect on the difficulties he had to face.
While one would think that the streamer would have rested after these 3 weeks of non-stop competition, this is far from the case.
“I wish I could say I’m relaxing, but I’m not”he said, laughing. “I have worked tirelessly since joining the team. I worked hard. But honestly, that feeling is surreal. To be honest, I haven’t figured it all out yet. But I try to enjoy each day, one by one. I’m really grateful. I love what I’m doing right now, so it’s amazing.”
That’s a wrap for #FAZE1 The Warehouse!
To our amazing contestants, production crew, special guests, viewers, @moonpay, @GhostLifestyle, @NissanUSAand everyone here at FaZe Clan working tirelessly to make this show possible:
THANK YOU! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VuDKJHk1FQ
— FaZe Clan (@FaZeClan) May 27, 2022
As for the recipe for this impressive win, Proze says confidence is key, as it translates into everything you do, especially in front of the camera.
“I have always had confidence in myself”did he declare. “The way I see it is, if you don’t believe in yourself, who’s going to believe in you? First you have to believe in yourself. I came in really confident, just in my ability to be myself, to enjoy every moment I had there, and to literally be the best version of myself that I could be.”
“That was my whole goal, and that was what I was aiming for every day. So I was confident. I really wished and hoped that I would be there in the end, but at the end of the day, my guideline was to be myself and show myself for who I really am.”
The Warehouse’s biggest challenges for Proze
Being in the spotlight every night and every day non-stop would be a tall order for anyone…but for Proze, it wasn’t that aspect of competition that was complex to manage. For him, getting enough sleep was the show’s biggest challenge, as well as keeping viewers entertained 24/7.
“I consider myself lucky, because I have been creating content for 8 years”, he admitted. “So I’m used to having cameras pointed at me, not at this level, of course. Probably falling asleep [a été la partie la plus difficile]. Falling asleep was hard, and having to entertain all the time, you know. Usually, we start a stream, then we end it and say to ourselves: “Phew, I can take a little break”. In these situations, you have to be active all the time.”
“It’s a challenge, but it’s a cool challenge, because it forced us to see what we could do. I think all of us in the top 22 grew from that experience, so that’s really cool. We managed to push ourselves and show that even when we’re really tired, we can still come up with great ideas and create entertaining things for our fans.”
Overcome uncertainty
While Proze is now the latest addition to the FaZe clan, his path to fame and stardom has been strewn with uncertainty more than ever. The Warehouse was put on hiatus for a time due to multiple positive tests from its participants, prompting the FaZe Clan to regroup with increased restrictions.
Further details on our return to #FAZE1 The Warehouse: pic.twitter.com/SpaM19Mw3H
— FaZe Clan (@FaZeClan) May 18, 2022
In the end, the in-person show went on in a sprint with breakneck pace and it was a scary time for everyone involved, including Proze.
“It was obviously stressful. I mean, the idea that something beyond your control could affect your performance, or your chances of competing, was really tough. For me it was stressful, but I was just grateful to have this opportunity. That’s how I saw things. I was quite scared of not having this opportunity to be there in The Warehouse and show what I have. That was the scariest part. I tried to stay focused and stay in my room. I did some exercise. I tried to stay focused on the goal and believe in it.”
“Believe in yourself”
After submitting their teaser video, everything was on the line for Proze. Of the 3 finalists in the running, it was he who ended up leaving with full pockets and invaluable life lessons. For Proze, winning is about confidence…both in yourself and in your abilities.
“Believe in yourself”he insisted. “I think some people in the top 22, at some point, doubted themselves, which is completely normal, and even I, at times, was like, ‘This is getting difficult. But always having faith really shows on camera, I think, the ability to believe that you’re doing well, even if there are times when you’re not doing as much as you could. , or that we would like to do. Always believing that you have the potential and that you are the one who can do it, that’s really what struck me and what I will take away from this experience.
With pockets full of cryptocurrency and his place in the FaZe Clan, fans are curious to see what’s next for Proze. Although he has plans for the coming weeks, he’s not sure what his next move will be. Either way, he’s extremely grateful to his friends and fans and can’t wait to see where life takes him.
“I’m not too sure yet”, he said of his next projects. “I have a few things planned obviously for the Major this weekend, the Toronto Major for COD. I have some plans to see my fans in France, because I’ve never been there. We’ll see what happens, but I have a few projects in mind.”
“I’m just really grateful for all the support I’ve had, especially from my friends, from my French fans, and obviously from the new people following me who speak English. I’m really excited that they accepted me with open arms, and couldn’t be more grateful for all the support I’ve received. I can’t wait to see the sequel.”
Interview conducted by Dexerto.com