Gleeb’s never-ending journey
Riot·2/12/2015, 7:58:53 PM·0 votes·8,329 views
In Nicolas "Gleeb" Haddad’s short career, he has worn many different jerseys.
Formerly playing support on Cloud9 Tempest with the likes of Kevin "Kez" Jeon and Johnny "Altec" Ru, Gleeb was part of a Challenger dream team that produced several other successful LCS players. When the team narrowly lost to Evil Geniuses in the NA 2014 Summer Promotion, Gleeb saw the opportunity to move on to bigger and better things. After being noticed by TSM coach Choi "Locodoco" Yoon-sub, he captured the attention of many when he was chosen to replace Alex "Xpecial" Chu on Team SoloMid. Ever since, he has focused on finding a sustainable environment in which he can grow and improve as a player, stopping at nothing to reach the next level of play. Currently a substitute for Winterfox, Gleeb still searches for his true home.
When Gleeb was swept up from the Challenger scene to play for Team SoloMid, the expectations were very high. The acquisition of Gleeb for TSM was considered to be a very risky pick up, as he was one of the first players to get added to a top LCS team straight from the Challenger scene. He had huge shoes to fill in replacing Xpecial, who was one of the top supports in the NA LCS at the time. After a rough start, personalities clashed and he was moved from the starting roster to be a substitute. Wishing to have a greater impact in the scene, Gleeb moved on.
Joining Team Fusion in early 2014, he was determined to make it back into the LCS. Fusion showed a lot of potential after a strong opening series, but after falling to Coast and Curse Academy (now known as Gravity) Gleeb’s dream of returning to the LCS seemed more distant than ever. "I think that one reason we didn’t qualify for the LCS is because the team was formed closer to the Expansion Tournament date than Coast or Curse Academy," Gleeb explains, "They’d been together longer and had more practice together."
After playing the last several weeks as the starting support for Winterfox, Gleeb plans to keep moving forward once Imagine returns from Korea. “I’ll most likely try to find another team, either a Challenger team or a team in a different region. Whichever is the best choice.” Still early in his career, Gleeb has no intention of slowing down. He wants to improve himself by playing at the highest level, settling for nothing less.
"It’s something that I’m really passionate about and it seems like something where if you have the skill to do it, it’s sustainable." he explains. "I can see myself continuing to play professionally for a long time."
The Journey Begins
With roots in the Challenger scene dating back to 2012, Gleeb played with eight different teams before joining Cloud9 Tempest. Many of the teams disbanded shortly after being created, but Gleeb was exposed to many varying team environments. Through subbing for Velocity, he got a taste of what it was like playing in the LCS. These experiences proved to be valuable, but Gleeb wanted more.
When Gleeb was swept up from the Challenger scene to play for Team SoloMid, the expectations were very high. The acquisition of Gleeb for TSM was considered to be a very risky pick up, as he was one of the first players to get added to a top LCS team straight from the Challenger scene. He had huge shoes to fill in replacing Xpecial, who was one of the top supports in the NA LCS at the time. After a rough start, personalities clashed and he was moved from the starting roster to be a substitute. Wishing to have a greater impact in the scene, Gleeb moved on.
Joining Team Fusion in early 2014, he was determined to make it back into the LCS. Fusion showed a lot of potential after a strong opening series, but after falling to Coast and Curse Academy (now known as Gravity) Gleeb’s dream of returning to the LCS seemed more distant than ever. "I think that one reason we didn’t qualify for the LCS is because the team was formed closer to the Expansion Tournament date than Coast or Curse Academy," Gleeb explains, "They’d been together longer and had more practice together."
Lost in Translation
Without hesitation, Gleeb seized the opportunity to play as a substitute for Winterfox. "It was rather sudden, I was contacted the day before the announcement of their newly expanded roster." The transition to Winterfox was comfortable, having forged connections with the players over his career. "I had already known Pobelter and Altec since we had played well together in the past. I also knew Brian Cordry from my time with Evil Geniuses, so they knew I was someone they could reach out to." Gleeb has enjoyed his time with Winterfox, but because four of their players speak Korean, there are problems with team communication. "If they’re talking to me about something, they talk in English. I learned a few Korean phrases, but it’s a lot different having conversations than talking in game." Language barriers are nothing new for Gleeb. During his time with Fusion, he also faced difficulties communicating with his team. "I preferred playing on C9 Tempest because all the players were from NA, so it was really easy to communicate." He attributes an inability to communicate well as being one of the biggest struggles he faces in-game, saying that, "there are a lot of split-second decisions and people are talking a lot faster than they would normally."On the Hunt
Always striving for improvement, Gleeb is an independent player with a steady focus on his career. "I think that it’s a lot easier being independent because you can just go at whatever pace you want, and you can focus on whatever you need to work on." He still supports TSM and Fusion as a former player, saying "I mostly focus on what I’m doing now, but when I watch their games I cheer for them."
After playing the last several weeks as the starting support for Winterfox, Gleeb plans to keep moving forward once Imagine returns from Korea. “I’ll most likely try to find another team, either a Challenger team or a team in a different region. Whichever is the best choice.” Still early in his career, Gleeb has no intention of slowing down. He wants to improve himself by playing at the highest level, settling for nothing less.
"It’s something that I’m really passionate about and it seems like something where if you have the skill to do it, it’s sustainable." he explains. "I can see myself continuing to play professionally for a long time."
