Continuing on with our Streamer Interviews, today we had a chat with multi-talented mbXtreme! Between his awesome attitude and massive muscles, he's a good go-to guy for your Path of Exile Twitch fix! Check out the interview below!

Hi mbXtreme, thank you for taking part in the interview! Please introduce yourself.

Hello everyone! First of all, thank you very much for the opportunity to share my Story. :) My name is Mario, I’m level 33 and live in Austria. Nope, we don’t have kangaroos, we have Kuhli Muhs (cows). I've been a passionate gamer since basically forever and growing up hasn’t changed anything and I hope this will never change!

When did you first get into Path of Exile?

Funny story: as a dedicated Diablo 3 player, we (friends and I) were always looking for new game experiences since Diablo 3 developed in a way we didn’t like. After a night out, coming home at 5 am, completely wasted, did fire up my PC and downloaded Path of Exile as a friend recommended it to me while out. I can barely remember how I was able to kill Hillock but the first thing I did after I woke up was playing Path of Exile. Since then, I’m fire and flames for the game and have gathered over 12,000 Hours in the past 5 years playing it.That was back in 2017, Patch 3.0 Harbinger League.

What one thing caught your attention in the beginning and what one thing kept you coming back?

Honestly, there was never a coming back. As I started Path of Exile in 2017, I played it as my main game ever since. But the sheer amount of options and possibilities is the one thing that made me enjoy the game that much. If I wanted to, I could play a beefy Berserker, casting Frostbolts that ignite thanks to conversion, built around Energy Shield. Almost every build idea can be brought into the game with the almost endless options we have. Thank you so much btw, for developing such an amazing game.

Are there any highlights from your time playing Path of Exile that stand out in your memory?

Any Highlights? I cannot deny that I have a risky in-game life and obviously there have been a lot of amazing moments as well as terrible ones that almost made me quit the League. In Betrayal League for example, my first 6-Link of the League did take roughly ~9500 Fusings and after I finally linked it (with the help of viewers) we double corrupted it and it poofed. But my undisputed biggest highlight in all of the years is the amazing community that we have, especially the ones that I can count as friends that one day randomly joined my stream and are with me ever since.

Do you have a favourite build?

I’m not entirely sure if I switch my builds more often than my underwear but as of right now, my favourite build is Ethereal Knives Ignite Elementalist. My all-time favourite top 3 would be: Cyclone Slayer, Essence Drain / Contagion Occultist and EK Ignite. But since I’m nowhere close to leaving Wraeclast anytime soon, we will see what the future brings!

Which expansion has been your favourite so far?

This is a very hard question to answer. I assume expansion as actual expansion, rather than leagues? Since the game is getting better every league (at least for the vast majority since I play it) I definitely feel that I have the power as a player to choose what direction I want to go, without limitations. I remember playing Shaper / Elder ping pong on the Atlas, being super unlucky to spawn conquerors in different regions as well as hunting down bosses for the Maven Invitations. Every expansion has its pros and cons so instead of picking my favourite one so far, I pick the one that’s coming next.

What's one thing every Path of Exile player should hear?

After 1,000 hours of Path of Exile, you can say that you have successfully completed the tutorial. Knowledge is key and getting a master's degree in Path of Exile takes many years. Don’t give up!

When did you first start streaming? How did you get into it?

Being a YouTuber since 2009, I always wanted to get into streaming but thanks to bad internet connection as well as having a terrible PC, I couldn’t do so. In 2017, I started playing Path of Exile and randomly fired up the stream and asked people on social media to help me get into that game. This basically marked the start of an awesome journey.

What can people expect from your stream and schedule?

I am very bad at promoting myself. I would say that I’m the average Gamer that just plays too much. But while gaming Path of Exile, I do all sorts of Content: from trying out fancy Build ideas, Crafting, YOLO Moments, Farming Projects, Challenge grinding and much more. Outside of that, I do also stream World of Warcraft as my 2nd Game and occasionally variety from time to time.

What were you doing before you started streaming?

I am a former military guy, serving several years before deciding to make my hobby into my job. Before the mIlitary, I did go over a multitude of jobs since I am the kind of person that tries out things if he thinks it might be fun. I was a web developer, graphic designer, taxi driver, event security, barkeeper and did medic education in my spare time.

What hobbies or interests do you have outside of streaming?

I was always into fitness & bodybuilding and as of right now, I workout 6 days a week. I was in quite good shape until 2017, was also attending the Ninja Warrior Austria Show in a pink unicorn outfit, but did have a workout break lasting 4 years - the time of trying to make content creation my job. It was pure lack of discipline and lower priority after leaving the military but I’m back at it and oh boy, did I miss it.

How has your life changed from before you were streaming until now? What role has streaming played in that transition?

My life hasn’t changed at all. I know people would love to read an amazing story but this time around, I cannot provide that. When I didn’t have a job, I was playing video games all day long. That is pretty much what I do now as well and sometimes, I also feel like a jobless person, despite the fact that I have been self-employed for 4 years. I am grateful for how everything turned out and I hope it will stay that way for the upcoming years!

Is there anything you'd like to see more of in the streaming community?

More streamers! The feeling I have streaming Path of Exile is being part of a big family. I never felt that I had to compete with anyone, it’s a very friendly and wholesome community compared to other games. The amount of genius community members we have is insane and I would love it if more gamers would share their screens and stories!

Do you have any advice for people who are looking to make their own career out of streaming?

After streaming for a couple of years and seeing many other streamers fail and others succeed I can only suggest the following: Do it from the right motivation. I personally think that sharing your passion has a lot more value in streaming than those who started streaming because of money. If money is your goal, be prepared to live in darkness. If you start streaming, it won’t be like any regular job. You will have to sacrifice a lot and will get paid almost nothing in return until you are able to make a living out of it. Streaming isn’t for everyone and it requires dedication and luck in order to be successful. I would still recommend to everyone to give it a shot. Just don’t quit your job in the first place if you don’t have savings. Start it as a hobby and see where the journey goes… and that’s what I did. :)

Are there any up and coming streamers that you'd like to shine a spotlight on?

I think this is the question that will get me into hell’s kitchen? But anyways, no risk, no fun! I’d like to shine a spotlight on an upcoming, also Austrian, streamer: Palsteron.

Honestly, this guy is an amazing Path of Exile player, great mentality, very dedicated and also fun to watch. It wouldn’t surprise me if he would become Wraeclast’s next top creator. Go, fellow exiles, check him out!

Do you have any projects on the horizon you'd like to talk about?

I am an everyday gamer. The projects come as I play… so if you guys keep on making good expansions and leagues, I’m happy to make many projects on the way!

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Thank you so much for participating in the interview! If you'd like to follow mbXtreme, you can do so on Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch. Also, don't forget that you can support both mbXtreme and the development of Path of Exile by buying microtransactions from his Nexus page!