Redeemer has been playing Rainbow Six professionally since the very beginning, having finished just a handful of rounds away from winning the Xbox Pro League title back in Season 1 on Elevate. Redeemer’s next high-level appearance was when he joined Most Wanted (later known as Spacestation Gaming) in Season 6, with the team becoming an up-and-coming challenger very quickly, finishing fourth in North America in Seasons 6, 7 and 8.
Outside of the Pro League, Spacestation Gaming (SSG) attended three minors throughout 2018, being eliminated in the group stages at DreamHacks Austin and Montreal in two very underwhelming performances before the roster’s luck began to turn at the end of the year. In December, the team achieved a fourth-place finish at DreamHack Winter (where they lost in overtime against Team Empire) and a joint third-place finish at the 2018 US Nationals (losing in overtime against the eventual champions of Rogue), before finally finishing in the top-eight at the 2019 Six Invitational -- two rounds from defeating the eventual champions of G2 Esports.
Redeemer at DreamHack Austin 2018 via @Peterhchau
Despite these high-level achievements, Redeemer was benched by the roster just two weeks after the Six Invitational and has remained off any competitive rosters since, with the exception of a lone Challenger League qualifier on Our Bad. He has, however, recently made it to DreamHack Montreal, but as a caster instead of a player, alongside Rob "Flynn" Flynn, Jesse “Cornpop” Chick and Parker "Interro" Mackay (as host).
Now, seven months after he left Spacestation Gaming’s starting lineup, he has joined Rogue’s lineup as a co-coach alongside Eric "Reaper" Nohl:
Previously, Rogue sat as one of the top two teams in North America for almost two years, during which they were joint-third at two Majors, one Pro League Finals, and an R6 Minor, were the runners-up at DreamHack Montreal 2018, and then were victorious at both the US Nationals 2018 Finals and, most recently, DreamHack Valencia 2019. This last result makes the Rogue roster one of just three North American lineups with international titles, however, they have been unable to repeat this success in the Pro League.
After finishing Season 9 in fourth place in North America -- their lowest Pro League finish ever -- they currently sit down in sixth, just a single point ahead of the Soniqs in last, following a defeat to them on Monday. This drop in performance comes as the only roster change on the team in the last eleven months was the removal of their long-time coach of Tristan "Ranger" Pehrson in favor of both Reaper and now Redeemer. We, therefore, spoke to Redeemer and Reaper about this change to see exactly how this move came about:
How did you come to decide upon Redeemer for this position?
Reaper: First of all, Redeemer has by far the most Pro League experience out of everyone we could have possibly considered, and second we -- or more specifically the players -- already knew him personally from numerous events so there wasn't any danger of it not working out personality-wise. All-in-all, a pretty easy decision.
What roles will each of you be doing on the team?
Reaper: I think the idea of having a dedicated coach and a dedicated analyst is a bit outdated. I'd consider us as both coaches and analysts at the same time.
How long has Redeemer been working alongside the team?
Reaper: He has been on the team since (I think) a week before our first Pro League match against Spacestation Gaming.
What do you bring to the Rogue roster?
Redeemer: With Rogue already having a phenomenal analyst, I’m looking to work side by side with Reaper to create a solid foundation/framework for the team to build off of. My in-depth game knowledge, competitive experience, and drive to win puts me in the perfect position to propel Rogue in the right direction. This team has always had the raw talent to win, but remaining consistent is our main focus now. I was the biggest hype-man for my team when I competed and I’m excited to bring that same energy to coaching.
Rogue currently sits in sixth place with games against LG and TSM remaining, what results can we expect from these games?
Redeemer: From here on out, I’m focused on Rogue just finishing out strong. Rogue is in a position where we need to win out the remainder of the season and that's our main goal. It’s unfortunate that ties exist, but at this point, we need to win.
The current Pro League standings in North America
You recently kicked off a casting career at DreamHack Montreal with a very positive reception; why did you opt to follow a coaching role rather than a casting job?
Redeemer: This was a really hard decision for me. I was not expecting anyone to really enjoy my casting, and with Montreal being my first time casting ever, that wasn’t really the case. Though I got a bunch of positive feedback, I felt completely different about my performance. I was really self-conscious and knew I was nowhere close to the expectations I set for myself and knew I had a lot to work on. When Rogue presented me with this opportunity, I knew immediately it was my next move. I have such a strong passion to compete even if I’m not playing. I just want to win. Casting was a great experience for me, and maybe one day I’ll be back. Right now though, putting Rogue back at the top is my main focus.
Is there anything you’d like to say to your own and Rogue’s supporters?
Redeemer: To everyone that has ever supported me. Thank you. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for you all. To all my SSG fans, thank you for the memories and support. It was an incredible ride and I will cherish that forever. My new Rogue family, I hope you welcome me with open arms. I’m excited for this new opportunity and I hope to make you proud. I’ll see you on the stage!
Rogue’s next game will be tonight at 10:30ET against Luminosity Gaming as they aim to get as far away from the Pro League relegation zone as possible with the following roster:
Tyler "Ecl9pse" McMullin
Spencer "Slashug" Oliver
Kevin "Easilyy" Skokowski
Aaron "Shuttle" Dugger
Franklyn "VertcL" Andres
Eric "Reaper" Nohl (their coach)
Taylor "Redeemer" Mayeur (their coach)
Rogue with their US Nationals 2018 trophy