Ghosty: "Neptune not having a PLETHORA of offers is laughable"

Today, we sit down with Paris Gentle Mates' new acquisition, Daniel "Ghosty" Rothe, to discuss his signing with the franchise, the struggles with LA Thieves in the end, & his expectations going into Black Ops 7.

Thick as Thieves

Photo by @Spribs_

Ronnie: Firstly, welcome, and congratulations on the new roster! Let's take a moment to reflect on the past two years with the LA Thieves.

These years have been quite a journey, with both ups and downs. You started with a roster on a smaller budget and managed to achieve some impressive runs by the end of the season. How do you feel about that first year?

Ghosty: That first year was a lot of growing pains, both as a team and as an individual. As a team, it was hard to find a group of 4 that would fit together, considering the conflicting playstyles of the original group of four, but we finally found a group that was balanced enough in all of the modes. Individually, I was finally getting back into my groove, straying away from the strict ‘facilitator’ role that I was subject to again this year. All in all, an impressive year given the budget of LAT compared to other teams.

Ronnie: In your second year, you played a crucial role in building the "God Squad," which had an incredible season leading up to the two biggest events of the year, even though it ended on a sour note. What did you learn the most from playing alongside such high-caliber players, and how did it feel to finally achieve that significant win that had previously eluded you?

Ghosty: Teaming with such high-caliber players comes with a lot of learning, as everyone/anyone that good is going to have an extremely unique style, which is what made them so great anyway. I learned a lot about cohesion, combining playstyles, and overall, a different level of expectations compared to previous years. It felt great to finally achieve that win, but winning only made me want to win MORE and win something BIGGER.

Ronnie: Looking back, how do the two years compare?

Ghosty: Comparing the two years, just from an individual standpoint, it’s a lot of adjusting to my team's specific role and what’s needed from me. 2/3 of my years in the league were spent solely facilitating, probably at times worrying too much about others and what they’re doing, and not enough about what I am doing.

End of Year Struggles

Ronnie: With the season ending on a disappointing note after such a fantastic mid-season run, where do you think things went wrong for your team?

Ghosty: No comment

Ronnie: After the EWC, what was your thought process going into the offseason? Did you feel that your time with LAT might be coming to an end, or did you believe the team would stick together and work to improve?

Ghosty: I was under the impression that Dylan was for sure gone and that there was a chance that I would stay, but in the end, it always makes sense to make a 2 for 2 change rather than a 1 for 1 change when bottling out b2b T8 at the 2 biggest events.

Ronnie: Would you say your relationships with Scrap and Hydra have deteriorated after the roster changes, or do you see it as purely business, with nothing personal involved?

Ghosty: I’d say they’re exactly the same as they were before teaming and during teaming. Friends out of the game and in-game, we all want to win.

To Paris, With Love

Photo by @Paris__M8

Ronnie: How did your move to Gentelmates come about? Did you and Envoy reach out together?

Ghosty: I was just fielding offers from a few teams, seeing what was available for me, and Gentle Mates originally was trying for players that ended up signing with other teams. I do assume, from the timeline of events at least, that I was high up on their list of priorities. Dylan was someone I really wanted to play with after last year. I think he and I see the game through the same lens, and I do think that's really important for team cohesion.

Ronnie: What convinced you that Sib and Neptune are the perfect fit to challenge the big three rosters this season?

Ghosty: To start, Neptune not having a PLETHORA of offers is laughable, and a lot of team owners/managers will be upset they didn’t take the chance given what we have seen with BO7. High-paced, fast gunfight, quick CoD that will only showcase more of Nepy’s natural ability, which this game is catered for IMHO. Daunte, coming off an inconsistent year as some would say, still was easily a T5-6 AR player, and in terms of damage/slaying output, remained a T3 AR despite these inconsistencies. Don’t forget the guy was the best player in the lobby in the champs finals

Ronnie: You've represented some huge organizations like OpTic and 100 Thieves in your relatively short career so far, but how excited are you to represent Gentelmates, possibly the biggest and most passionate fan base we've ever seen in Call of Duty?

Ghosty: I’m super excited to be playing for M8 this year. OpTic/100T are powerhouses in North America, with M8 being a powerhouse in Europe. European fans, really of anything besides American Sports fans who get rowdy sometimes, are superior in terms of support for their teams. I remember M8 getting DEAD LAST last year at an event, yet their fans are screaming and supporting and sticking by them despite being disappointed. It’s really rare for that to be the case in NA esports. I can recall countless times having a bad series and people calling for my head

Looking Ahead to Black Ops 7

Photo by @Paris__M8

Ronnie: Which team do you think will be your biggest competition this season?

Ghosty: OpTic, nothing else needs to be said. B2B years, they showed up when it mattered most, and every single team should have their eyes on ensuring they don’t 3-peat. Anyone with a different answer isn’t a competitor. Yes, beating LAT sounds nice, but I’m not too worried about that, as I have in the past always done well against the teams who quit on me

Ronnie: What do you want to achieve this season?

Ghosty: I just want to win a ring. Winning those 2 events back-to-back was lit last year, but the dopamine I received, I know, can be a lot higher if I can do something on the biggest stage. Champs has always been my best event, and I’m hoping to actually get somewhere, as my previous placements are pitiful for a player of my caliber