We had the pleasure of catching Parker “Interro” Mackay at the Rainbow Six Canada Nationals 2019. Rainbow Six Siege esports fans will instantly recognize Interro’s voice, as he has become one half of the main casting duo in the scene. Recently, he has taken time away from Pro League casting in Poland, allowing him to attend the national event. Following another dominant victory from Team Canada, we spoke to Interro about the upcoming Pro League Finals and the ecosystem of the esport.
When Interro isn’t casting professional matches you can catch him on his Twitch or follow his Twitter.
Daily Esports: How do you feel about the past few Canada Nationals events for Rainbow Six Siege?
Parker “Interro” Mackay: This has been the best event in terms of production, obviously a much higher budget and a much higher turnout than I expected to be honest with you. The results were kind of lopsided, but that’s what happens with nationals programs.
There’s still this stigma that the nationals programs aren’t really that competitive and aren’t taken that seriously. What do you think about that?
I don’t know what the exact scope of the nationals is; I don’t know if it’s supposed to be the top-tier competition. It’s a good way to show off Canadian talent regardless of skill. It’s another opportunity that people wouldn’t usually have to compete. And it’s a chance for people to grow as casters, players, and earn money in the process. It’s great.
Do you think the Siege esports ecosystem would benefit from a more open-tournament system similar to what Valve implements with CS:GO as opposed to the controlled system that Ubisoft has right now?
I think there are benefits to both. I think an open format brings certain things, but then there’s potential worries about burnout, too many events, oversaturation. And I think sometimes, quality control slips through the cracks as well. You hear a lot of stories about open environments where you have TOs that are really shady, and they pull things that they shouldn’t be doing because there is no oversight. But at the same time, it also allows you to develop new talent and to push boundaries. I don’t think there’s a “better system,” but I think for Ubisoft’s first real foray into esports, it makes sense that it’s a closed environment so that they can control it and see how it’s gonna grow.
With Team Empire, G2, and Evil Geniuses, big teams not making it into Pro League Finals, do you think this opens the opportunity for a new team to rise up into a higher echelon?
I don’t know if it’s gonna elevate a team to the top level. I definitely think it’s going to be a great experience, and (there’s) usually the argument of, “Oh, what would happen if G2 didn’t crush every team? What would happen if Empire didn’t steamroll every team?” There’s a chance for new faces to make a name for themselves, and we’re gonna crown a new champion. None of these qualified teams have won an international event outside of a DreamHack or a BR6 (Brasileirão). It’s great that we’re going to see some new blood; it’s nice that the game is getting to a point where it’s so competitive that anybody can qualify and that the old titans are slowly falling. But as to whether or not it’s going to be enough to permanently force a team into a position where they’re better than G2 Esports? I don’t think so. Not yet.
Looking at all the teams that are going into the finals, who is your dark horse pick?
I think if they show up, I think NiP (Ninjas in Pyjamas) has a very real opportunity. I think that (with) NaVi, I’ve underestimated NaVi every step of the way. They have experience at U.K. Premiership; they’ve won the U.K. Premiership twice and all the show matches. Team Secret is a great LAN team, and NaVi has been better than them. I would say that the two favorites probably heading in are NaVi and NiP. But I think you can make a credible argument for FaZe Clan, if they’ve ironed out their issues, with all their LAN experience, (being able to) make a run as well.
We’d like to thank Interro for having a quick chat with us. Interro makes his return to the casting desk at the Pro League Season 10 Finals this weekend. Matches will broadcast live from the official Rainbow Six Siege Twitch channel.
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