Few topics generate as much debate as online streaming. The space is dominated by a slew of big and small personalities looking to carve out their own niche and, perhaps, make a career out of it. Shroud, a competitive gamer known primarily for his insane abilities in first-person shooter games, with particular praise for his lightning-quick aim, is one of the most popular streamers today. To this point, Shroud — whose real name is Michael Grzesiek — has mostly steered clear of controversy. Shroud is typically level-headed and calm when approaching things on-stream, with the exception of the extremely rare meltdown. He isn’t immune to fan backlash, though, and one recent remark has divided his fans.
Shroud was a member of the eSports team Cloud9 from 2013 to 2018, where he quickly established himself as one of the best “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” players in the world. Despite his success, Shroud stopped playing “CS: GO” and began streaming full-time in 2018, where he has achieved even greater success, amassing nearly 10 million Twitch subscribers and landing a multi-million dollar deal with the now-defunct Mixer platform.
Shroud responded to a follower who asked if he would ever consider returning to competitive gaming in a recent stream (per TheGamer). The Canadian streaming sensation quickly debunked rumors of a comeback to eSports, claiming that competing feels like work while streaming feels like fun. This perspective on streaming has sparked debate on social media, with some claiming that it minimizes the challenges of streaming.
After another follower pointed out that Shroud makes a living out of streaming, Shroud elaborated further and it quickly sparked a discussion on social media about the merits of Shroud’s approach to streaming as a primary source of income. One Twitter user stated that streaming is similar to any other job in that it is difficult at first, but once a streamer reaches a certain level, people will work for them, and they can sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Another observer agreed with Shroud’s point of view, saying that he just sits around and plays games, and that others should stop trying to complicate things.
