Backstory
At just 12 years old, Ethan Stein (aka PizzaMan) of the New York Bandits, is now in his third season with Ultimate Endgamers League but has been playing since the first grade with his brother. Despite his young age, Stein is never treated like he’s a little kid. “To them, he’s just another player who is just as competitive as everyone else in the league,” explains his mother.
Commitment
Stein, who favors first-person shooters like Valorant, has been adapting his strategies to fighting and sports games.
“My team helps a lot,” he says, “If I’ve never played a game, they have someone better at it sit down and show me.”
In the meantime, the recently announced games for season 8 put a smile on his face. “I’m glad to have Fortnite and Smash Bros back on the wheel,” Stein says.
He’s also starting to embrace sports games with the help of his team.
Motivation
For now, Stein is playing for the love of the game, but he hopes to go pro eventually. He’d also like to add streaming to his resume.
M.O.
Although Stein considers himself “the quiet one” in the league, it doesn’t change his quick pick-up of game style and his aggressive tactics. “I just don’t like to lose.”
Shoutouts:
- To my brother – Jacob – for introducing me to the game.
- To Mom, who introduced me to the UEL.