What About That: Jason Lake

 


Before we get to the eSports part of this interview I would like to dig into your personal life first. Did you go to high school or university? What did you study?

Yes, I have a Finance (Business) degree from Iowa State University and a law degree from Emory Law School.


From what age did you start to get to know the world of gaming and eSports in general?

In 2003 I founded compLexity and have continually built the brand since that time.


Have you played any games yourself professionally?

Nope, I played Counter-Strike on an amateur level, but was never good enough to be pro.


Over to the family side of the story. For how long have you been married and how many children do you have?

Yes, I’ve been married for 5 years, and have two wonderful children, Allie (4) and Jordan (1).


As the manager and founder of complexity you have been putting a lot of time into the organisation for a very long time now. What was your wife’s reaction when you told her about your plans to found complexity back in the days? How did everything start? What agreements did you make with your wife?

compLexity was started because I wanted to create my own team so I could find people that would be dedicated.  I was on a team named Profile, but the members were lazy and never practiced, so I made coL.  My wife originally thought I was quite crazy for spending so much time in gaming. Over time she has become a big fan of compLexity.


As the founder of coL and as a General Manager for a year now, you have spent a lot of time with you players? What kinds of arrangements have been made to make sure you kept your family happy?

I always try to spend a lot of time with my wife and kids when I’m home.  Last summer I flew them to L.A. for two weeks during the season so they could live at the player village with me and attend the matches.  It was a really great time watching my kids play with compLexity players in the pool, etc.  It was the first time both my “families” were in the same place at the same time.


Will any of your kids become a gamer and if so will they be managed by the legendary Jason Lake?

I’ll support my kids in whatever activities they wish to pursue, so if they want to be pro gamers, I’ll definitely help them in any way I can.


How does your family support you in the things you do? Do they sometimes accompany you on trips? Are they supporting when complexity or LAComplexity is playing?

My wife is very supportive and takes care of our house, pets, etc, every time I’m out of town.  On occasion they travel with me, like this week we’re off to L.A. together because I have CGS meetings.  Although travelling with them is a lot of work (young kids), it’s great having them with me.


Do you have another job outside managing a professional gaming organisation?

Yes, I’m a real estate lawyer in my “real life”.  My firm has 5 offices around metro Atlanta.


All that work and all those tasks: work, managing, wife, kids, … you must have a very busy schedule every day. How does a regular day of Jason Lake look like? Starting from the moment you get out of bed until you get back in it.

I usually start by getting up and doing my daily devotion of prayer and Bible reading.  Then it’s right to the laptop to catch up on gaming news and respond to emails.  After a trip to the gym for a workout, it’s off to the office where I run the law firm while keeping my eye on compLexityGaming.com.  After work it’s home for dinner.  My wife and I spend some time playing with the kids until they go to bed, and then it’s back to work on gaming. Busy, busy!


Where does the “1” come from? (Your nickname)

If you don’t want to be #1, there’s no point in participating. (smiles)