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Player Spotlight: Lindsay "LindzMVGS" Brown

From the squeaking sneakers of the hardwood to the furious clicking and key-smashing of esports, Marymount University's Lindsay Brown tells us all about her esports journey.

Sep 04, 2020

Season Zero of our Collegiate Fortnite League was successful entirely because of our players and coaches. They signed up for a platform they’d probably never heard of, showed up in the preseason, and kept showing up every week. We appreciate their dedication and their talent, so we wanted to get to know some of our community on a more personal level.

Next up, Lindsay Brown of Marymount University, better known as ‘LindzMVGS’.

How did you get your start in gaming?

So growing up we didn’t have a lot of blood relatives, but we definitely had a lot of the friends that you call family. These were our emergency school contacts, so hopefully that gives you a better idea of the relationship there. All of these families also happened to have boys. So growing up I had a bunch of guy “cousins” who gamed all night long. My sister would like to hang out more with the parents, whereas I would still hangout with the boys. So if anyone wanted to go play football or go play video games, I’d always be there to say, “let's do it.” 

What kind of games initially sparked your interest in gaming?

Hands down, Call of Duty was that game for me. We started off playing World at War, but then we moved to MW2 (Modern Warfare 2). Of course, we would play 2K and pretty much everything in between, but my start and passion lies in the Call of Duty games.

What game would you say is your favorite today?

So I would argue the game I play or stream the most, at this current point in time, is Fortnite. But I feel like my favorite game right now is Call of Duty. Like any Call of Duty, that's my bread and butter, my go-to game. If I just want to relax and play with friends, that's what I want to play. 

So you play games for Marymount University, what do you like most about the club?

So we're a smaller university, which naturally means we have a smaller club too. However, that definitely does not hurt the amount of engagement we get from members and those outside of the club. We also have our own gaming lab with 18 Alienware computers. My esports coach just talked with Mountain Dew Game Fuel, and they’re going to give us 50 cases per semester. So that’s how our club functions. [laughs]

With this added level of sponsorship and legitimacy to your club generally, do you find a similar thing happening to your gameplay? Are there distinct moments where you are playing vs. when you are practicing or does this all blend together?

Recently I've definitely gotten into a more clear difference between practice and play. So, while I’ve never been in a competitive league for Fortnite, I have for Call of Duty. So PlayVS is actually my first real taste of competitive Fortnite. The main difference, of course, being you have to focus on your aim, but you also have to focus on your building, your editing, etc. So I have sat down, I've reviewed the VODs of other people and the way that they play. Then I'll also take an hour out of my day and just sit and build. There are also scenarios within the game that I notice I need more practice in so I’ll just run through those specifically.

Can you elaborate on some of those specific scenarios?

I hate 1v1s but I've been doing it a lot recently. I’ve also been doing box fights, which I love. There's something called Zone Wars, where you just fight 15 people on a really small, tight map with a random loadout. I enjoy this because I don't like having the same loadout every single time. Realistically, in game I'm not going to find a gold scar and a purple pump each time. So it forces you to play with different things and takes you out of your comfort zone in a sense. 

Do you have any pre-game routines or something you do to bring out your ultimate drive?

So I love playing in duos and generally speaking, at least having another teammate. That truly is the thing that gets me in the right headspace for competition. So I guess for now, Marymount is that kind of thing. I put forward my team and think to myself, I have to perform my best and do this for the team. That's what motivates me more than anything else. 

Is there anything you do as a team to practice and align your strategy going into a match?

Sure, sometimes we'll just play a match and talk throughout the game about our strategy. We both did some video review of other people in PlayVS. My duo actually just transferred this semester to Marymount so I met him along with our esports club around the same time. We’re definitely still trying to learn each other’s play style but in terms of our communication, we’re on-point.

What is one of the highlights of your collegiate gaming career thus far?

Well, I recently started streaming. So Paul, also known as Rhino, came into my stream and mentioned he was also playing in the PlayVS league. Now every so often I’ll play with him off stream and also on stream. He's helping me improve in every aspect of my Fortnite play. Then there have been others too from the league that have popped into my stream. So really a highlight would be the community aspect, which is making me branch out to other people and make friendships.

What is one of your favorite parts about gaming?

As cliche as it sounds, my favorite thing about gaming is just having fun. I used to play basketball and if I had a really bad day at practice, I would just hop on my games and play. All of my worries kind of went away and it was a great way to escape for a little while. I have also made great friends while gaming. I have known some people for 10 plus years that I've been gaming online, many of which I have never met in real life.

You mentioned basketball, do you have a deep traditional sport background as well as esports?

Yeah. So, I’ve been playing since I grew up and actually played basketball for a year in college before getting injured. It worked out though, because now I got to pick up Marymount esports instead of basketball. Truthfully, I come from a family who has supported me in whatever I’ve done since day one. So whether it is basketball or gaming, I still feel major support. 

Having that kind of unconditional support must be key when making a big decision, such as changing between sports. Tell us a little bit about your studies and what you hope to do with your education.

Currently, I am studying Information Technology with a concentration in Cybersecurity and Networking with a minor in Forensic Computing. We use Java and Python quite extensively in addition to Cisco for networking.

So what does a standard day look like for someone balancing their studies with their esports team?

Well, I get up and usually stream for at least a little while. Then I go to the gym and come back, get ready for school, go to classes. If you're like an IT major, most of your classes are in the afternoon or at night, which is very useful for me. I get pretty much my whole morning and all day, then at night I'm in class. I have decent breaks in between classes so I'll go to the gaming lab and sit there and either game or get some homework done. It's definitely nice to have a place to go away from other people. Then maybe play a couple of games until I fall asleep. 

Who is one person or group of people you’d like to shout out that has helped you along your journey and career in gaming and otherwise?

I'm definitely gonna have to go with my family. Like I mentioned earlier, they support me in whatever I do. I feel very fortunate to have grown up with that support system. Whatever I want to do. They helped me achieve that. They're always my fallback. If I am having a bad day and go to them, vice versa. It's just fantastic. My sister's my best friend. My parents’ are my best friends, that kind of thing. So a huge shout out to them. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today.

As always, we appreciate players taking the time to talk with us about their experiences in life and esports. Keep an eye on this space for more conversations with the people who make our Collegiate Fortnite League special.

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