That Time Ken Went On Survivor

In 2000, the reality TV show Survivor marooned sixteen Americans on a remote island in the middle of the South China Sea for the ultimate social experiment; survive the wilderness of the harsh Tiga Island, and themselves. They had to learn to adapt to the elements and social dynamics among their fellow castaways or be voted off the island. What followed was 39 days of physical challenges, strategic gameplay, and sociocultural moments that captivated the nation. After its premiere, Survivor became a mega-smash hit that is still airing to this day, recently capping off its 40th season in 2020, Winners at War. 

In 2003, Ken Hoang participated in his first Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament, which marked the beginning of an era for a player who would rise to the top of his esport as the King of Smash. From here on out, Ken would continue to dominate a budding Melee scene, until his timely final victory at EVO World 2007, where he would then retire from playing in tournaments until a return in 2012. Ken’s legacy leaves him as the best player in Melee before the era of the Five Gods, and a historically dominant player from Melee’s earliest days as an esport. 

In 2008, these two separate worlds collided when Survivor travelled to Africa for its 17th season, featuring the Ken as one of its 18 castaways. Survivor: Gabon became Ken’s opportunity to not only fulfil a dream as a fan of the show, to showcase his capabilities outside of Smash, but also to shatter the expectations of what the nation expected from a professional gamer. While he went on the show to play the game for himself, Ken also had to carry the moniker and signifier of being a pro-gamer in a world where esports was nowhere near the cultural cornerstone it is today. 

What was his time on Survivor like?

How did Ken perform in the most presumably out of place competition he’s ever participated in?

What was it like that time Ken went on Survivor?

Survivor gameplay is primarily split into three categories: physical, social, and strategic. How well you can last against the elements and wilderness and perform in challenges, how well you can connect with your tribemates and make crucial relationships to keep you from being voted out, and making intentional, strategic moves that keep your game alive and that put you in the most successful position possible. 

Unfortunately for Ken in this instance, and for a lot of Survivor contestants for that matter, there’s a fourth category that can’t really be measured as easily, and that’s luck. Luck is everything in the game, what conditions you have to play in, the severity of any potential injuries, and most importantly, the other castaways you’ll have to play with.

Ken’s season, Survivor: Gabon, is widely considered to have one of the worst collectives of first-time players, a fact that Ken himself admits himself in a 2015 AMA. 

“I thought I played an amazing game, but I also got unlucky. A lot of Survivor is just luck… My biggest problem was I thought - I was a pro gamer during Survivor, I thought everyone was playing to win, that was my biggest problem. I thought everyone wanted to win, There are players who play Survivor not to win, and I didn’t know that, and that pretty much screwed me over.”

To win Survivor, you need a certain amount of physical, social, and strategic prowess, something that Ken was confident he had enough of to win. Unfortunately for him, he got dealt a bad hand from the get-go by being placed on one of the worst starting tribes in Survivor history, Fang. Throughout their time together, Ken’s tribe would only win two challenges out of the twelve of the first half of the season. To put it simply…

“Let’s say you’re playing on a Dota team, and you’re playing with someone who’s new, and you’re telling them to do stuff, and they don’t listen, and they just feed. It’s kind of like that… Fang would not qualify for TI5, but Kota [the rival tribe] would.”

So, despite Ken’s considerably strong and expectation-defying physical performance at challenges, his tribe was just unable to win or get it together. But again, breaking through the expectations for a gamer, Ken would show his social and strategic strengths by making key alliances that controlled the course of the mid-stage of the game that gave Ken and his allies the best chance to make it as far as possible. Perhaps the most unique alliance formed was between Ken and former Olympic Gold Medalist, Crystal Cox. 

Ken and Crystal had one of the tightest bonds of the season, and nothing can be more charming than the professional gamer who stood at the top of his scene, working closely with a woman who once stood at the top of her sport’s world. Her confident yet goofy personality juxtaposed his quieter but concentrated gameplay. Both players played with heart and soul, and were the most unique dynamic the whole season. 

Their bond really showcased the best of Survivor, two people from what is perceived to be opposite ends of the spectrum, coming together to make a bond that’s incredibly genuine. It was their ability to navigate and pull the upcoming votes that allowed them to get as far as they could, but unfortunately, their time came to an end in fifth and sixth place, after wrongly putting their faith in the wrong person to vote with them. 

“A lot of people thought I was going to get voted off first, but any fan of Survivor, you know how to last at least a couple days out there unless they overthink it. That’s the thing about Survivor - if you play with people who don’t know how to play and who are there for who knows what reason, it’s harder to play with them.”

In the end, Ken placed 5/18, in what would come to be known as one of the most ridiculous and hectic seasons ever. For him, Survivor was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to face, but he was always able to keep his head in the game until his torch was snuffed out. 

"I always believed in myself, you have to believe in yourself, especially when you’re starving and dying... After Survivor I learned a lot about myself. I used to be anxious and very timid, but now I’m very confident in myself. As a Survivor fan, I thought my season was okay, it’s not as good as my favourites though..."

Even if Gabon didn't showcase the best gameplay, fans of the show and of Ken could still be proud of how well he adapted with the situation he found himself in. In fact, Ken has become a widely requested returner for a future season, fans want more Ken, or Kenny as he was often referred to on his season. Ken has stated he'd be open to returning and after his performance that landed him pretty far into the game, knowing his grind and attention to detail in the world of Melee, Ken could come back as a serious threat for the million-dollar prize and the title of Sole Survivor.

 

All images courtesy of CBS