About Me

April 07, 2017 Blaze Shadowhorn 0 Comments

Hey there young Wizard or Pirate!

My name is Blaze Shadowhorn (you can just call me Shadow). You may or may not know of me depending on how long you’ve been a part of the community. I’ve been playing Wizard101 since May of 2009 and Pirate101 since its Beta in 2012.

The reason you may or may not know of me is because I took close to a three year hiatus from the game to focus on my career in esports but there’s more about that later on in this blurb. Here’s a quick history of my background in the community.

WIZARD101 BACKGROUND

Back in September of 2010 I started Tales of the Spiral which at the time was one of the first fansites for Wizard101 (it was called mywizard101site back then and I know you are silently judging that name lol). Over the years, TotS grew to a height beyond my wildest imaginations which led me to connect with so many other Wizards and Pirates alike.

In the days before Spiral Radio existed, there was a podcast called Ravenwood Radio which was co-hosted by Stephen Spiritcaller and Leesha Darkheart; eventually Christina Icedreamer (IcyWiz). Growing up, I listened to them every week and it inspired me to start my own podcast. From that day on July of 2011, Spiral Live was born which I co-hosted alongside Nicholas Lionrider. At that time that was the second Wizard101 podcast in existence.

Also in July of 2011, I started the Wizard City Protectors, a group of community figures who came together to volunteer time hanging in the Commons on Realm Wu Area 1 which at the time was known for its toxicity. Before Hall Monitors were a thing, this was our initiative at keeping W101 a family-friendly game.

If you couldn’t tell, 2011 was a great year and it only got better! In October of 2011, I also started the first in-game school, Shadowrider Academy where “students” would come to class rooms in my various houses and a variety of teachers and community figures would teach them about magic and lore of the sorts. I’m not sure if schools still exist but at that time it set the foundation for a new part of the community to blossom into something huge.

Needless to say, I’ve always been a fan of the Wizard101 community and am honored to have been one of its founding community members. Many think that Wizard101 is just a hobby, a fun game on the side but for me if it wasn’t for Wizard101 I wouldn’t be where I am today with my career.

ESPORTS

Shadowhorn®

When I first left the community, I did so to work as the Community Manager for Titan, formerly one of the world’s top esports organizations with at its peak, the best Counter Strike team in the world. From there I went on to work for Elevate as their Director of Community Relations among a few others orgs and then I just focused on my own brand, Shadowhorn which included daily streams and YouTube videos. When I applied to Titan, I did so with a resume including my work within the Wizard101 community (running blogs, setting up parties, podcasts, etc.). This led to me kick-starting my career in esports where I was able to work with video games and get paid to do so! I never thought it would have been possible back in 2010 when I started Tales of the Spiral.

It’s now 2017 and I work full-time as the Content Director and Competitor Representative for PRO Management Group, the leading esports full-service management and talent representation agency. Here I work hand-in-hand with the top Dota 2, League of Legends and CS:GO pros (among others) to make sure they are covered with every aspect of their career. This can mean negotiating better contracts, setting up sponsorship deals, putting them in touch with our financial advisors or teaching them about their intellectual property and how to grow their own personal brands and monetize it. This job allows me to travel across the country attending various conventions and tournaments where I meet with these pros and help them better their lives as professional gamers. It not only allows me to work within esports (which has always been my dream job) but it allows me to be financially secure and none of this would have ever happened if I didn’t start playing Wizard101.

Dreams can come true; hobbies such as Wizard101 can open many doors that you would have never thought possible. I did it; so can you. Anything is possible if you put the time and effort into it.

Here I am, back in the community; running Tales of the Spiral yet again.

Why?

I wanted to give back to something that has given me so much. Wizard101 helped make my life what it is today and I want to inspire others to strive for their dreams and put out content showcasing my passion for the game. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll get a job working at a big gaming company all because you played Wizard101.

The world is an amazing, place full of possibilities.
I’m here to share my tales of the Spiral with you; come join me for the ride.