The Twitch streamer Tim “TimTheTatman” Betar was desperate in an event for the new Call of Duty: Cold War. Because a pro had it out for him. Against the CoD crack Scump, TimTheTatman saw no way to win. He pleaded for Scump to slow down, after all, he was already 30, a dad, and losing his hair.
This was the event: Activision Blizzard unveiled the 2020 Call of Duty: Cold War in a gameplay reveal last week. They had invited several streamers and pros to take a look and play it.
One could see a stark difference between streamers and pros at the event. Especially the popular Twitch streamer TimTheTatman felt the skill gap:
- TimTheTatman is a rather casual player. He is 30 years old. Fans enjoy watching him because he creates a relaxed atmosphere. He has 5.5 million followers, making him channel number 6 on Twitch. He maintains the image of the buddy next door, with whom you like to hang out and chill in the evenings.
- Seth “Scump” Abner is 25 years old but has been a pro in Call of Duty for 9 years. He has earned over $840,000 in e-sports prize money. The American is considered one of the best Call of Duty players in the world. Scump is also on Twitch, with 935,000 followers, which makes him much smaller than TimTheTatman. That puts him at place 144.
Here’s how it went for TimTheTatman: The streamer felt like Scump was hunting him. TimTheTatman couldn’t go around a corner without being shot by Scump from somewhere. The streamer initially reacted friendly. He pointed out his own strengths:
Scump, I am literally better than you, stronger than you, and look better than you. Never kill me again!
TimTheTatman sets the facts straight
“I’m 30 and losing my hair!”
But the tone changed quickly.
“Scump!!! We all know it: You are a professional Call of Duty player. I am a 30-year-old dad who is losing his hair.”
TimTheTatman experiences feelings
Ultimately, TimTheTatman pleaded for Scump to take it easy. Everyone wanted to have fun here. This wasn’t a league match.
Betar managed to sound both angry and slightly whiny as he exclaimed: Someone should please tell Scump that this isn’t about the championship. This is really enough now.
The Sufferings of the Young Streamer
A redditor created a compilation from the plight of poor TimTheTatman. The compilation was very well received.
It was particularly impressive that Scump seemed completely relaxed in his stream: He chatted with the viewers while mowing down streamers one after another.
This was the lesson: TimTheTatman was so outclassed by the pro player at the event that he ultimately realized why “skill-based matchmaking” in Call of Duty is actually a good thing:
- With normal matchmaking, streamers as “frequent players” often play against casual players, kill them in masses, and look good doing it. They are celebrated by fans. Therefore, streamers are generally against “skill-based matchmaking”, as they would only play against equals, not weaker players.
- Now TimTheTatman got to feel in the stream what it’s like to be the beginner getting farmed.
This is what’s behind it: We clearly see the difference between streamer and pro.
A player like TimTheTatman is certainly a decent gamer who often appears competent and strong in his own streams, but pros play at a completely different level.
TimTheTatman is especially loved by his fans for also being the “loser” sometimes, which apparently many can identify with.
Surely he is not a bad player, but when he is with strong players like Ninja, TimTheTatman appears confused and often takes a beating. Nevertheless, or precisely because of it, he made it onto the list of the highest-paid gamers:
The 10 highest-paid gamers in the world – They earn the most on Twitch, YouTube, and more
