He is the king without a kingdom and the best player in a franchise without a wide audience. But Shane "rapha" Hendrixson doesn't care about all that -- he's simply happy to be playing Quake again.
The classic game's best player is the antithesis of what Quake is known for: Rapha is patient and methodical and calm in a game where speed and lighting-quick reactions are king. Yet, despite this paradox, rapha symbolizes Quake's best hope for a hero.
Rapha is neither flamboyant nor boisterous. He is not the first result to a search for "rapha" on Twitter, but for Quake to break its near seven-year hiatus from the mainstream light and start its path to relevancy, it needs every bit of positive backing it can get. Rapha is a star without a black hole.
Rapha started his competitive career in Quake in 2007 and became a professional player during Quake Live in 2008, reaching the top of the Quake Live money ladder with over $125,000 in earnings over his career. Despite his introduction to the franchise in 2000, he was limited to two or three play sessions a year due to his mother's priorities on studies and internet connectivity issues. After he graduated high school, he was given a year to test the waters of high-level tournament play, and he shot up from there -- a fourth-place finish at QuakeCon's 1v1 Championships and first place at QuakeCon's Capture the Flag Championship proved he belonged on the biggest stage.
"My mom told me after high school that if I could not make this work after a year that I needed to attend college, and it was the right mindset to have," rapha said. "But, she saw I was doing well for myself and supported me anyway she could."
Rapha's father was the one who started the journey. He showed teenage rapha demos of professional players like John "ZeRo4" Hill play during QuakeCon in 2000, and it was a love affair ever since. Rapha gravitated to the competitive drive and emotions of the players -- he saw Quake as the only valve to unleash the same outpouring of passion that was displayed on the videos his father showed him. Rapha felt confident he could stand with the giants one day.
"I kept thinking that if I could ever get my chance to play, I would love to. I kept improving despite big breaks and played to see how far I was to the top, and it provided the drive to keep playing; winning is addicting," rapha said. "No other game lit the fire under me and forced me to compete at the highest level. It fit my skill set with the way I thought about the game and approached it."
Rapha's father never saw him play Quake at its highest level. He died in a motorcycle accident when rapha was 17, and his funeral was on rapha's 18th birthday. But rapha drew inspiration from his father when he first started his career.
"Unfortunately, my dad never saw me be successful, and when I won my first QuakeCon, it was very emotional," rapha said. "I knew he would be very proud of me, I never doubted that for a second."
Quake is demanding. It requires quick reaction and strategy, and it punishes any small mistake or mechanical error. At 28, rapha is the elder statesman to his fellow Quake players, but he remains among the elite in every game mode available. His consistency comes from core mechanics and positioning, but most of all his mentality and calm disposition. Even as a new player in 2008, rapha's rise to one of Quake's greatest players of all time was due to his ability to position for fights and play safer than his opposition. He could evaluate the best percentage play and execute it, outthink his opponent and predict movements.
But rapha's rise in Quake only stalled because of the franchise's sputtering in popularity. After 2012, the competitions and Quake's overall momentum stalled. Rapha was put in a unfamiliar hole since he had become a professional player.
"I've wondered if I'm doing the right thing; there's definitely been doubt along the way," rapha said. "Despite that, I am where I am today."
It was easy for rapha to stay with Quake. It was the only game he felt his skills were rewarded, and he never played so much of the game in training or in competition to be burnt out. Even after his first sponsorship with SK Gaming, he was working at a job to balance his life. Rapha never felt complacent -- it was always business as usual.
With Quake Champions, the franchise and rapha now possess the unique opportunity to reintroduce the world to some of esports' roots. The franchise player is ready, and it cannot come at a better time.
"I want to see how far I can take pro gaming and hopefully play at the highest level three to five years from now," rapha said. "Then maybe I'll transition after to something like shoutcasting."