Tsquared | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Name | Tom Taylor |
Born | 1986or1987(age 36–37) [1] Syracuse, New York, U.S. |
Career information | |
Games | Halo: Combat Evolved Halo 2 Halo 3 Halo: Reach Gears of War Battlefield 3 |
Team history | |
2005–2010, 2014–2015 | Str8 Rippin |
2011 | Instinct |
Tom Taylor, known by the gamertag Tsquared, is a former professional gamer and captain of one of the most successful teams in Major League Gaming (MLG) history, Str8 Rippin,[ citation needed ] and was also the coach of Status Quo during the 2010 National Championships in Dallas where he helped them place 2nd behind Final Boss.[ citation needed ] [2] Making him one of the only players to also coach an event.[ citation needed ] He was signed to a US$250,000 contract by MLG [3] and earned between $120,000 and $150,000 each year in prize money and endorsement deals. [4] He has founded his own company, Gaming Lessons, which tutors prospective professional gamers on various video games, specifically on the Halo series. [4] Several other professional gamers from MLG are also employed by Gaming Lessons as instructors. [5] He also runs an active YouTube channel with over 10,000 subscribers and 24 hours' worth of content. [6]
Tsquared has been featured on MTV's documentary series True Life: I'm a Professional Gamer and on Icons , [7] as well as in The Wall Street Journal , among other publications. He also appeared as part of Stuff magazine's list of 20 most influential people under the age of 30 in August 2006. [8] He also makes occasional appearances on X-Play , giving out tips for various online games.
In 2008–2009, Tsquared appeared on over 175 million Dr Pepper bottles issued across the United States as part of a promotional sponsorship for MLG. [9] He is currently working as a GameSpot ambassador.
Tsquared returned to competitive Halo by heading revived Str8 Rippin in Season 1 of the Halo Championship Series in November 2015. On April 3, 2015, Tsquared announced his retirement from competitive Halo during his livestream on Twitch. [10]
Taylor was born and raised in Syracuse, New York then moved to Florida in 2001 to attend high school. [1] In 2009 he and Str8 Rippin moved to a gaming house in Orlando, Florida.
In 2011 Tsquared appeared on the YouTube reality television series The Controller: Battlefield 3. [11]
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