KIND4 on being a hometown hero, his parents support and more

Pedro "KIND4" Maldonado is looking to make his parents proud at the ALGS Split 1 Playoffs in Los Angeles. He arrived in the US with the experience of his LAN debut at the Year 3 Split 2 Playoffs under his belt.

The young Spaniard has made a fantastic rise through the ALGS ladder. His leap from Challenger Circuit, to Pro League and then to LAN was far faster than most competitors.

Alongside Tyler and Matafe, KIND4 is looking to improve on his past LAN performance and help NAVI re-establish themselves as a top ALGS contender.

KIND4's LAN debut didn't go the way he would have dreamt. Element 6 finished 24th and failed to qualify for the finals. This led Element 6 to replace KIND4 with his now teammate, Tyler. He readily admits that nerves played their part.

"The first one, I was anxious. I don't think it was a solid performance from me, I was really nervous on the stage. I think now I have made myself a better player. I'm feeling confident about my team and I'm feeling confident about myself."

One thing that is really notable about the NAVI roster is how well they get along. All three players are clearly good friends outside of the game. This is a big advantage inside the game.

"You feel more confident and you feel less pressure. When you play on a team where you aren't friends or you don't get on well you feel more pressured if you make an error or a mistake."

Another major change since we last saw KIND4 at LAN is the 18-year-old is now representing NAVI, one of the largest and most iconic European esports organisations. This was just the latest step in his meteoric rise through Apex Legends.

"It's amazing. I'm really happy about that. It's a big opportunity. And I think we're gonna achieve big things with them."

When he found out about the organisations interest in him, KIND4 said he simply had "no words".

For any young gamer getting parents to buy into your gaming dream can be a challenge. KIND4 says, like most parents, they weren't fully convinced until they saw that he could make money from his gaming ambitions.

"They're really, really excited about everything I do and they really support me a lot, which is awesome. Last time when we went on the stage, and I was up there and they saw me, they were literally crying to see their son playing on the stage."

KIND4's parents have made the long trip from Spain to watch him compete.

"It's a bit of pressure [when they are here to watch] but of course I am happy about that."

It's not just KIND4's parents who have been supporting his gaming ambitions. His friends from school cannot believe how his gaming career has developed.

"My friends from school are going crazy about it. They tell everybody! Everyone knows me because of joining NAVI and everything, it's pretty cool!"

NAVI will start their finals run in the Elimination Bracket today, needing a top 10 finish to avoid an early elimination in Los Angeles. It was only because of a lacklustre final Group Stage block that NAVI didn't find themselves in the top 20, and they will be confident of giving themselves a shot at finals.

No matter what, this NAVI side will be a major contender in the Split 2 Pro League in EMEA, and it surely won't be too long before we see NAVI back at an ALGS LAN.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for full coverage of the ALGS and all things Apex Legends.