An Interview with Scrub Killa on Joining Dignitas
The newest member of the Dignitas professional Rocket League team, Scrub Killa, talks about joining the team, his expectations for the season, his experience as a pro, and more.
With RLCS X in the rear view mirror and the new season on the horizon, Dignitas has finalized their roster with the addition of former world champion Kyle “Scrub Killa” Robertson. We had the opportunity to chat all things RLCS with Scrub Killa as we prepare to jump back into another season of professional Rocket League.
Welcome to Dignitas! Just how excited are you to be a part of this organization?
Scrub Killa: I’m really, really excited because Dignitas is one of the most successful and established organizations in Rocket League. So, I think it’s a really great place for me to be. They’ve got a really good reputation and Dignitas is definitely the most successful EU organization, along with Vitality. Definitely so excited, they’re great people.
This is a pretty interesting roster, I would say. What do you think makes this trio of Joreuz, ApparentlyJack, and you so dangerous?
Scrub Killa: I think we’re all just really good players in a lot of areas. We’re all really good mechanically, I think we’re all really good in defense, and we’re quite smart as well. Joreuz can just do anything mechanically, and ApparentlyJack is a really smart player. I’m an explosive player, so I can just pop off at any time. We can literally all pop off at any time. So we’re a really dangerous team to play against.
All of you have a lot of experience and great reputations in 1v1. How will that elevate you guys as a team in 3v3?
Scrub Killa: I think it will be really good for us. The last time I was on a team with three 1v1 players, we were the best team. I guess Kaydop wasn’t a full 1v1 player, but Joreuz doesn’t play it that much either, he’s just one of the best anyway. I think what’s really good is that we can actually control the pace of the game in 3v3. A lot of 3v3 is about which team can control the game, control the boost, control the possession, control where the ball is going. Because we’ve got that 1v1 experience, we’ll be really good at controlling the ball and taking control of the game. I think that will elevate us to the next level, that’s really what will set us apart.
You’ve been no stranger to winning in your career, that’s for sure. Just to go over a few of your accolades for the people that might not know, you won the RLCS championship in Season 7 and you came second in Season 8. You finished 3rd-4th at Dreamhack Montreal, 2nd at Dreamhack Leipzig, and you’ve also just had top level experience for several seasons now. How important do you think these experiences have been for you as a player and how do you think it’ll help you moving forward?
Scrub Killa: I think it’s really important because I know what it’s like to be the best, and I also know what it’s like to be one of the bottom teams. I think that experience will play a part. I’m also really good at dealing with pressure, which is something that will help us a lot. ApparentlyJack and Joreuz may not be as experienced at dealing with pressure, I think naturally they do well under pressure anyway, but I’ll be able to be there for them.
And speaking of previous experience, last season you played for a couple of different teams, those being Guild Esports and Team Singularity. What experiences with those rosters are you hoping to take into this season with Dignitas?
Scrub Killa: It was a really good experience with them! I did enjoy my time with Guild and Singularity. I’ve learned now what not to do though, because it just didn’t work. When I was with Vitality before, I saw what we had to do to win. So, I know stuff that you can do to make you win, and the mentality that you’re going to lose. I’ve seen what it’s like on both ends of the spectrum. Guild was a really serious team, and Singularity was us having way too much fun. I think Dignitas is a really good balance between being serious but also having fun. Guild and Singularity were opposite ends of the spectrum. So I think we’ve got a really good balance, and I’m looking forward to that a lot.
Before RLCS X, you guys would have one game per week that would eventually culminate in a regional playoff, and the best teams from each region would be off to Worlds. And this would happen twice a year. Pretty simple! Now, you play three different seasonal splits, with three regional events each and all of them culminate in a major. The teams that accumulate the most points throughout the year get to go to Worlds, and this is now just a once a year event. Obviously, this is a drastic change for the esport. What was your initial reaction to the change and what things did you learn over the course of the long season?
Scrub Killa: I think it’s a really good idea, but I think my perspective is a little bit skewed because there were no LANs. I think people would have enjoyed the change a lot more if there were LANs. It’s a bit of an unfair comparison, people will always compare it to the old format, but I think that has to do with the fact that there were LANs. I think the new format is really good, I really like it. It just means you’ve got to be a little more consistent and you’ve just got to grind even more.
I think most people would probably agree that this team has a super high ceiling. I’m wondering what your expectations are for this upcoming season in both the short term and the long term?
Scrub Killa: The expectation is to not really look at results, but just the team. I just want all of us to try and work our hardest and give it the best shot we can. If we win that’s really good, and if we lose we will try again. In terms of results, though, I just want to be 1st. I’m very confident we’ll be at least top 4, I’m not saying we’ll get 1st, but that’s what I want to do. As long as we give it our best effort, then I’ll be satisfied no matter what happens. But I want to win.
Speaking of winning, no organization has ever won more than one RLCS world championship. Rosters have, but no organization. What would it mean to you to help bring that honor to Dignitas?
Scrub Killa: It would be unreal, to be honest. Not only do we have the capability to do it, but Dignitas has gotten so close to doing it twice. It would be cool if we got it before Vitality because Vitality is my old team, at this point they’re kind of rivals. So, for me to get the two-time with this team and we beat Vitality, that would be a really sweet feeling.
Finally, would you like to give a shoutout to any fans or sponsors? And where can the people keep up with you?
Scrub Killa: I’ve just got to shout out everyone for supporting and the organization for having my back. All my fans, the real ones, they know who they are. Anyone who is invested in my career, I really appreciate it. I’d say the best place to keep up with me is Twitch and YouTube, I do a lot of content there. I’m on Twitter as well.
Be sure to give Scrub Killa a follow so you can keep up with his content and what he’s up to.
