Starting his esports career five years ago, back when Heroes of the Storm esports was a thing, Juan "jschritte" Passos has been making waves in the global esports scene. Currently signed under Cloud9, Jschritte most recently gained notoriety for being the champion of Twitch Rivals' Teamfight Tactics tournament at TwitchCon 2019.

At League of Legends All-Star 2019, we had the chance to speak to the player about his journey to esports stardom, the change of pace between the Brazilian esports scene versus North America, and how his mentality has changed over the years.

Today I'm joined by Jschritte from Cloud 9. Judite, tell us, what are you up to here at the All-Star 2019 in Las Vegas?

I came here to play the TFT Tournament. I was invited by Riot to get to experience the event, this is my first time here in Las Vegas so I'm here to show my TFT skills.

And what are your thoughts on Vegas so far?

It's incredible. This is my first time here, There's so much to do, ads all over the strip, a lot of casinos, but until the event is over, my focus goes completely to the game.

I know this event is on the fun side, but I want to give my best.

So you're taking the competition seriously?

I'm taking it seriously! The moment I get on stage, I know it's all fun and games, but I always played competitively, always enjoyed the adrenaline so I am giving my best.

What is the first thing that runs through your mind when you get on stage?

I remember everything I went through, the people I fight for,my family, the ones who support me, every fan in Brazil that supports me, this is what goes through my mind when adrenaline hits, it's all I think about.

What is the career of a professional player like in Brazil?

I think it's very complicated, we all know how hard it is to be an esports professional in Brazil, I think this is why the main goal of Brazilian players is to play abroad and try to represent Brazil in the best way possible. We know how hard of a task it is. I've been living abroad for a while, so I always say that if in Brazil we had the same infrastructure it would be a completely different case, but we definitely know it's difficult.

So what would you say is the biggest difference between being a player in the USA versus back home?

I think it's the support you receive from organizations when you say that you are a professional player, people understand what that means, this is one of the biggest differences I felt like whenever I told people I was a pro esports player - for us that are in the esports scene, and the game scene in general it is common, but having to explain it to someone outside of it is quite complicated, that's the main difference. 

The first time I stepped on stage I got an adrenaline rush and I thought "this is what I want my life to be like"

Explaining esports to people that are not accustomed to it is always a headache… So how did you first approach it with your parents that this was suddenly your career?

My story is a bit crazy because because I started off playing a different game than I play now,it's been almost five years already. When I got my university degree in Engineering I was stable in my work field, but the first time I stepped on stage I got an adrenaline rush and I thought "this is what I want my life to be like" at least for the upcoming years, this is what I want, I will let go of everything. So it was crazy, I had to tell my parents "I'm quitting my job and my profession", like, today my mom and my family already understand why I did it but at the time it was really difficult, back in their days this definitely wasn't a career path. It's complicated, people say that you're crazy, that you don't know what you're doing, but If you know what you want and this is you dream, go ahead and do it.

Let's say you meet a younger player that looks up to you and wants to follow your footsteps, what advice do you have?

The first thing I'd ask if this is really what they want, if this is what they love, if they are not doing this just for the money or fame, because I think no one lives just off of that, but if this is truly what you want, do not give up on your dreams, I know how hard that can be, I had to go through a lot to get to where I am now, so I know it's hard.I always say "don't give up", when you face obstacles keep moving forward because at some point the storm calms down and the sun shines!

What was the main difference in mentality when you started off your career to now you being on top of the world?

Today I think I am a much more mature player, way more professional. When you start off, you may say some things you shouldn't... You may not exactly behave so professionally. But once you understand it is a career path, a sport like any other, you have to have a good posture, have good marketing, all this matters a lot, it's all part of your career, so that's the main difference I'd say.

And what would you like to say to your fans?

Ah, I want to thank everyone that supports me and that has been here since the beginning. A lot of you have been here for me for five years back to when I started, and they believe in me. This year was very difficult, I started off "jobless" because my previous esports game had come to an end and you all know how difficult that was. If you had asked me if I'd be where I am by the end of this year, I'd never believe it. But that's it, thank you for everything, it's because of you that I am here today, one of the reasons for me always striving to do my best, thank you very much!