Rizzo: An Entertainer At Heart
After four years with G2 Esports, Rocket League legend Dillon "Rizzo" Rizzo is stepping down from professional play. This might come as a shock to some, but for Rizzo, it was a long time coming. He wanted to retire after RLCS Season 9, but surpassing his expectations, G2 won the RLCS in North American that season. “It was kind of awkward,” Rizzo said, “so I just kind of kept playing.” The past year, and all the years before it, Rizzo has given us countless memorable moments, and a good look at his cheerful personality.
Rizzo started his career as a pro player on Mock-It, and his RLCS debut in Season 1 with that team got him into sixth place in North America. Only a few months later, at the end of 2016, Rizzo qualified for the RLCS Season 2 finals with Take 3. As the fourth seed, they weren’t expected to get anywhere, but together with Christopher "Zanejackey" Jacobs and Trevor "Insolences" Carmody, Rizzo placed fourth in Amsterdam - the best result of any American team that season.
After Season 2, Rizzo and Jacob "JKnaps" Knapman join G2 Esports. Together with veteran player Cameron "Kronovi" Bills and coach Jacob "Jahzo" Suda, they form one of the most recognisable squads in the history of Rocket league esports. Today, Rizzo and JKnaps are the longest standing duo, hitting 1500 days together next month.
Over the years, Rizzo has brought us so much entertainment, as a pro player and as a content creator. His YouTube channel has been going strong for four years, and on stage, he’s a crowd favourite.
He’s got his own style, his own optimistic way of thinking, his own quirks - did you know Rizzo accelerates by pushing his analog stick up? And he knows what makes people cheer for him.
Of course, it’s not always been easy for Rizzo. G2 is such a big name in the scene, that there’s a lot of pressure on performing. And when it’s not working out, Rizzo can be serious too. After all, he’s a professional, who wants to compete with the best, who wants to be the best.
Nevertheless, Rizzo is always there to pick his team up, and have fun playing. When Kronovi disconnected during a game against NRG, Rizzo and JKnaps kept playing, and even equalised the game in a 2v3. Where other people might drop their controller, it shows Rizzo’s spirit that he keeps going.
Rocket League has changed a lot since 2016. Looking back at some of the highlights from that era, it may seem slow and clumsy for today’s standards. Rizzo has grown a lot with the esports, and has stepped up when he needed to. He might not be the most mechanical player on his team, but he’s always been innovating.
What’s next for Rizzo? He’s lost his competitive drive, but he’s not fully done yet. After the first Regional Event of the Spring Split, G2 Esports will use their substitute Andres "dreaz" Jordan for The Grid, and maybe for some of the Regionals too. Rizzo will be part of the roster until the end of the season, and move to full time content creation when the team has found a more permanent replacement for him.
Rizzo shines the most when he does what he loves, and right now, he has the most fun streaming on Twitch. GGRecon wishes Rizzo the best of luck with the rest of his career, and thank him for everything he has given us.
Image via DreamHack