[life, struggles, pain, and prosperity] - AtlasOmega's 2023 Retrospective

2023…Where do I even begin?

Starting off the year, it was pretty slow FGC related. Besides some networking early in the year, not much happened. I wasn’t able to travel due to a PDO blackout with work, which led me to missing both Crossover Arc 2023 and Slashback, two events I really wanted to go to. The work project was one of the hardest ones I’ve had to do, which led me into some pretty bad moods, as some of my friends may know.

Fast forward to Combo Breaker, and man, this is when I realized that I was not the same person I was years ago. I felt like my social anxiety, something that’s haunted me since high school, was no longer there. I hung out and met so many people at CB, and got closer with many more. It was truly an unforgettable weekend. This continued into Taku, where I started to really figure out what my tribe was. Just casually hanging out with people during and outside of the events were really fun. A lot of new, very important memories were made.

I also decided to go to Bonus Round in Seattle on impulse, where Ruric graciously housed me for the weekend, and he and Astolfo gave me a fantastic weekend. It was great meeting new people from PNW and I was welcomed with open arms. PNW FGC is a goated region, that’s for sure.

As many of you know, I dealt with a situation in early October. That was easily one of the worst times of my life. Eating was difficult (as a couple of my friends can attest to), I was having a hard time sleeping, and had high anxiety levels for about 3 weeks. During that time, a lot of people were periodically checking in on me. I want to say, I greatly appreciate those who did and even backed me up during that situation. I’m good now.

Anyways, growth within fighting games, specifically UNI, has been pretty all over the place, I feel. I can say for sure that I have improved, but now, most of my improvement comes from identifying, knowing, and understanding smaller things during games. I’m definitely seeing improvement, especially if I look back to CB, so I think things are going well. I am currently in the process of switching to leverless layout, which has come with its own set of challenges, but I feel this will be better for me, mainly for travel, as I’ve gotten tired of carrying a 10lb arcade stick in my bag to these events. Snackbox has been pretty good so far, I’m just struggling with growing pains and I need to be patient.

Also, UNI2 IS REAL! I cried when the announcement happened. I’ve been waiting for something like this since 2020 and I can’t believe it’s actually a real thing! My main goal for 2024 with UNI2 is to make it out of pools at a major and/or break Top 8 at a decent sized regional. I was very close to doing this at BR, but I know it’s very much possible.

Besides fighting game improvements, a lot has happened in my personal life. I started going to more social functions (music festivals, concerts, etc), and man, I’ve been missing out all these years. I also met my girlfriend at the tail end of this year, and she’s been a great support system for me. I really locked in my passion and love for video editing. It's my own style, not super complex, but it's fun to do. I'll be doing more content when UNI2 comes out. Streams, more of the [adult swim] vibe combo videos, and I have much longer ideas in my head as well.

That’s…pretty much it before the shoutouts. I honestly thought there would be more, but yeah, that’s all I got. This year has been filled with many different trials, but I can say that this was a net positive, filled with mostly happiness and prosperity. Now then, time for my shoutouts:

Rina:
My TO sister in arms. It’s pretty amazing how we met back in 2020, went like a year and a half of never speaking, and here we are. You’re such an amazing friend and I love you dearly. Thank you for your friendship.

Auradude:
See, this is the homie. I love you so much bro. Working with you on QDB all this time, and general hanging out with you is always a treat. We’re gonna get you back to DFW one way or another.

Funkyard:
Absolutely one of my best friends in the FGC, so much so it goes past that. Bilal, you’re a big reason as to why I’ve broken out of my shell in many instances during the end of this year. I love you bro, and thank you for being such a loving soul.
(Ky, Warin, Matt, and Jess also fall into this area. I am so thankful for yall)

(The above three have seen me through basically every struggle I had this year. If it wasn’t for them, I would have absolutely lost my mind. I love all three of them so much. Thank you for your friendship and love.)

Tabby:
I knew you and me were already tight, but after CB and Taku, I realized that it’s more than that. You are an amazing friend, and seeing you always fills me with joy. You work so damn hard at the things you do and I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. You’re a real one. Stay awesome.

Ruric:
Mentor, friend, and training partner. A lot of my growth this year is attributed to your help and teachings. Hanging with you during BR weekend was such a treat.

Defi:
I still think back to our first interaction last year at Taku and it’s amazing how much we click. Your help during my struggles with UNI has also been great. You’re a great friend and I love and appreciate you.

Revert:
You and I never spoke or met until CB. It’s pretty insane how easily you and I clicked. Hanging with you at CB and Taku was a lot of fun. Stay amazing and stop throwing your games, bro.

Goon:
Brother, you do so much work when it comes to Bonus Round and put on one hell of a show this year. I’ve always had respect for you, but that’s increased tenfold after seeing you work. A pillar of the Seattle/PNW FGC for sure. Appreciate all you do man.

CB/Taku hangout gangs:
This is a pretty general group, but the people I hungout and drank with during these events are always pretty chill and amazing. It’s always a good time being with yall, and it’s always a highlight of events.

And to the many other friends I've made:
Thank you. Thank you for making my 2023 overall amazing. I know some have general problems with the FGC and some adjacent communities, but it’s thanks to the very community that I’m here today, in more ways than one.

That’s all for me. Thank you for reading. See you in 2024.

[love, atlasomega.]

[theme of the year: punpee - life goes on]