You know Andy “Bravo” Dudynsky as the premier color caster for the Halo Championship Series. His work in esports broadcasting is unparalleled. Bravo also recently teamed up with Max Hoberman for a podcast series about behind the scenes info for the making of Halo two, which you can listen to via various podcast platforms, or on his YouTube channel. He also previously served in several roles at Microsoft 343 Industries, including Director of Esports, Senior Community Manager, and Senior Producer for the Halo franchise. Going back even further, he operated a YouTube channel with a heavy Halo focus after his days as a player and coach for MLG were over. At that time, he was kind enough to do an interview for my old Halo fan site, HaloCollectors.com. Below you can read through the archived interview with Andy.
CLICK HERE read the full interview!Unless you’ve been under a rock somewhere, you’ve probably seen a video from BravoMLG about the upcoming release of Halo 4. He is a professional gaming broadcaster and coach for MLG, and he has tirelessly provided content from every major gaming event that has showcased the Halo 4, as well as original videos from other Halo games as well, including gameplay, commentary, breakdowns, and more. Andy was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to talk some Halo with me. Read below for his thoughts on Halo 4, MLG, Halo swag/collectibles, and more…
HaloCollectors.com: When did you start playing Halo?
BravoMLG: I started playing Halo towards the middle of Halo: CE – It all started with things like getting outside of the map on Assault on the Control Room, jamming every single thing into the Blood Gluch bases, things like that.
HC: What is your favorite Halo game, and why?
Bravo: Halo: CE due to the fact that the multiplayer is essentially perfect. It’s simple, clean, balanced, and most importantly, a ton of fun.
HC: On your Twitter feed you posted a pic of a Mega Bloks Spartan mini figure. Do you collect a few Halo items here and there, or was that an anomaly?
Bravo: I’ve been lucky enough to grab a few sweet Halo items over the course of this summer, traveling to E3, RTX, SDCC, 343i, and PAX, but I’ve always been a huge fan of Halo memorabilia, especially signs and banners from game launches. Because I’m so invested in the series and now YouTube content, I really hope to expand my collection and get a ton of badass stuff.
HC: How did you initially become involved with MLG?
Bravo: I started following MLG in early 2005 and attended my first event at the end of that year. My interest was sparked by friends of mine who showed me Halo montages and gameplays.
HC: Why do you think it is that Halo is no longer part of the MLG circuit?
Bravo: Bloom and Sprint killed competitive Halo for the last few months, but it’s awesome that Halo 4 has already been confirmed for MLG Dallas in November before the game even comes out. I’m looking forward to seeing the game’s competitive potential.
HC: You’ve been providing a huge variety of Halo content via your YouTube channel. A majority of it has been coverage of Halo 4, but you’ve also thrown in some Halo 3 game commentary, as well as a “Road to 50″ series for Lone Wolves (which I love by the way). How do you decide what projects you’re going do?
Bravo: I’m constantly taking notes on my phone or computer about what type of content I should be doing – I really try to create things that I would enjoy watching myself – interactive live commentary, super-in-depth strategy / breakdowns, and so forth.
HC: You’ve had the opportunity to play Halo 4 on several occasions. What has you excited about the game from what you’ve seen so far?
Bravo: As surprising as this may sound, I’m looking forward to all of the new stuff – new weapons, upgrades, all means new strategy. I’m optimistic about everything but I realize that some (or even most) of the new stuff may not fit into competitive play.
HC: Is there anything you’ve seen or experienced that you have been disappointed in or concerned about in terms of gameplay?
Bravo: I don’t know how I feel about no flag dropping – that could go either way. Also, I don’t like that players can call in overshields in Infinity Slayer. I also hate the tank and banshee, but that is to be expected.
HC: From what you’ve experienced first hand so far, which previous Halo game does Halo 4 most “feel like” in terms of the multiplayer experience?
Bravo: It lies somewhere in between Halo 3 and Reach.
HC: Do you see Halo making a return to MLG with Halo 4? Why (or why not)?
Bravo: Yes! It has all of the potential, possibly the developer support, and a huge community that wants to see it return to the Pro Circuit.
HC: Do you think Halo is good for MLG, is MLG good for Halo, or does it go both ways?
Bravo: I think it goes both ways, depending on who you ask.
HC: Are you planning on attending any Halo 4 launch events?
Bravo: I’m actually wide open for the launch as of right now – not sure if I’ll be attending an even with one of my sponsors, Sony Mobile or Gamma Labs, heading to Seattle for a launch party, or gonna grab the game and start making videos!
HC: Thanks for taking the time to answer some of my questions. I’m a big fan of your work, and look forward to your continued content on YouTube and more!
Bravo: Thanks for having me!