Betsy's big break
When Gambit Gaming gambled on Felix "Betsy" Hedling, they took a risk that might not have paid off. Roster swaps are tricky: Not only are you removing a player you've invested in, you're gambling on team synergy. But Gambit wanted more impact from the mid lane and willingly took that risk. Worth.
The 17-year old brought new life to Gambit, taking out Fnatic and Copenhagen Wolves back-to-back in the 2015 EU LCS Spring Split. The team went 4-0 with Betsy against top teams and it wouldn't be long before the team would make the position permanent.
Life before Gambit
Prior to going pro, Betsy spent most of his League time just spectating the game. "I watched my brother play League of Legends when he first started," he recalled. "I didn't understand the game at all back then."
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But he eventually picked up the game and improved exponentially in a short amount of time -- watching helps, folks!
"When I hit level 30, I started playing ranked and got into Gold right away," Betsy tells Lolesports. "Then the next season, I hit Platinum, and in Season 3, I got Challenger."
Achieving the rank of Challenger drove Betsy to realize he could "become the best at his role" and he pushed forward to try and go pro. But one does not simply become pro. You must find ways to gain exposure and experience. But to do that, you need a decent team to begin with.
"In 2013, I played in a tournament where all the best Swedish players outside the LCS participated, but it didn’t go so well," Betsy told us. "I tried-out for a couple of new teams but they never really got anywhere even though there were talented, high Elo players on those teams."
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With Betsy being only 16 at the time, and the LCS requirement being 17 years of age, he was relegated to being a substitute or a player for amateur teams. And he did just that, joining Team Property as a player and subbing for H2K Gaming in 2014.
Somewhere along the line, Betsy's play earned him the recognition he was looking for all along -- teams were watching.
An unexpected moment
One of those teams ended up being Gambit Gaming. While Betsy temporarily put aside his pro gaming dreams to study economics, Gambit's midlaner Sebastian "niQ" Robak fell ill. The team needed to find a suitable substitute. And fast.
In just a few days prior to Week 5 of the EU LCS Spring Split, Gambit approached Betsy to substitute in for niQ. The proposition was unexpected.
"The fact that Gambit even asked me in the first place was a really big surprise," Betsy says. "I never played in the Challenger Series or LCS ever before that point. When they asked me to sub for a week or two I just tried to enjoy the time and not think too much."
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In his debut during Week 5 of the Spring Split, Betsy performed above expectations. The LCS audience can be intimidating even for pros, much less a 17-year old rookie. But his dominant 10/0/14 game on Ahri against Fnatic spoke volumes of his potential. "I was really nervous before I went on stage, but when I got into the game, it felt like a normal game for me."
It’s one thing to win games in the LCS, but being a newbie and taking a game off a top caliber team like Fnatic felt surreal. "After the Fnatic game, my friends and fans sent messages on my phone or Twitter and it felt really good," Betsy exclaims.
"After that, I almost knew I would get into Gambit or another good team."
And he was right. Gambit asked him to play a second week and from there, Betsy knew where things were headed in his life. "After the 2-0 week, I had a trip booked with my family but the players on Gambit told me to stay for next week. I knew something was up."
Given a second chance, Betsy didn't disappoint with his solid performance on Zed. After going 4-0 with Betsy in the line-up, Gambit was sold.
"Gambit instantly wanted me to play with them the rest of the Split."
"I couldn’t say no to that offer."
New tales added to a storied history
Gambit's successful history involves rosters with numerous all-star picks and wins against Korean teams. You don't just join Gambit, you have to prove your worth. Their die-hard fans expect results and they're not afraid to be vocal. For Betsy, this crazy amount of expectation fuels him.
"Playing on a team with so much history and so many fans gives you a lot of motivation to be the best," Betsy tells us. "People constantly asking questions and saying good things about you is the best thing you can get and that’s why I always try to give them back the performance they expect from me. I could never dream of joining a team with so many dedicated fans and I’m really thankful to have them."
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Having experienced the shortcomings of lackluster tournament placings and playing on rosters without star talent, it’s hard not to appreciate Gambit’s roster."It’s a really big bonus playing with players that won so many times and that you look up to."
"FORG1VEN, GoSu Pepper, and Diamondprox have all been the best player in their respective roles and they expect a lot from me," Betsy says. "They don’t just help me grow as a player but they helped me become one. I have everything to thank them for and I hope we become as successful as Gambit once was!"
Will Gambit rise to the top where they once stood? Find out by watching Lolesports every weekend to see Betsy and Gambit Gaming take on the EU LCS!
