Michael Chaves
eSports Player
Professional Halo player known for creating the team Status Quo, with whom he won four championships. He joined OpTic Gaming, which is run by Hector Rodriguez, in 2013 to lead the team in Call of Duty as well as Halo.
He grew up in New Jersey and played basketball in high school. He was an avid gamer growing up and began playing competitively when he realized it could be a viable career.
Red Bull, which sponsors OpTic Gaming, made Michael the first eSports athlete to appear on a Red Bull can. He's a motorcycle aficionado whose first bike was nicknamed "Gabby." He has over 60,000 followers on his Twitch channel.
While initially wary of gaming's potential as a career for him, Michael's family came around to the idea, even as his career took him to Chicago.
Shedding the stereotype of the slovenly gamer, he's also known for his fitness. After moving into the OpTic house, he helped teammate Marcus Blanks lose 80 pounds.