In the vibrant world of Fortnite content creation, few personalities shine as brightly as Shaun "Aussie Antics" Cochrane. From a background in personal training to becoming a top content creator with Dignitas, Aussie Antics has carved out a remarkable journey in the esports landscape. With a dedicated following of over 2.5 million fans, his rise to prominence embodies the fusion of passion, perseverance, and a keen eye for community-building.

In this exclusive interview, we delve into the story of his streaming career, the dynamics of being part of Dignitas Fortnite, and his insightful perspective on building a career in esports outside of playing competitively.

Before you became a content creator, what was your profession and how did your streaming career begin?

Aussie Antics: Before I was a full-time streamer, I was a part-time streamer, but I did personal training, I ran a personal training business for four years. I was doing both for about a year until I went full-time streaming. I did my first stream on October 31, 2018. I remember it was Halloween, and I went live. I went full-time when I moved to my first house in January of 2020. So there's about a little over a year of me doing both. And I thought I could try and go full-time streaming for three months. See what happens if it fails, I'm back at square one anyway. And then I just give up on the dream of full-time. It didn't fail. I don't want to be like 45, looking back with regrets. You can change anything in the immediate, but you can't go back in time. I was like, “Look, I have to give it at least three months.” It's worth it to not have to regret it.

What are your first memories of following competitive Fortnite? (Ex: Watching a certain player, following a certain tournament.)

Aussie Antics: I was one of the first people in the world to get customs, so I started doing fun stuff with my viewers. Then I started thinking, “Well, I like esports.” I used to love League of Legends and had gotten really into Fortnite esports at this point, it was right before the World Cup. Everything was booming at the time, so I thought I'd help and host practice scrims. I started hosting my own tournaments. Then it became more and more apparent that I was hosting the best players in the world. I'm decent, but I'm not the best player, so when I’d die it’s like, “Well what do I do now? Oh, let's watch them! (the pros).” During this period, I was still making guide content. But I wasn't watching tournaments. Then, Chapter One Season X FNCS was the first season I did proper watch parties. And that's where it kind of went from.

What made you want to join Dignitas and what do you love about being a part of Team DIG?

Aussie Antics: I’m actually very OG with Dignitas, the first esport I ever got into was League of Legends, I had loved the original Dignitas roster with Imaqtpie. Those guys were fantastic. I still watch Imaqtpie. Dig has an insanely great reputation, I talked with all of the current players. I also reached out to Mero about his experience and he had good things to say as well. But realistically it was my meeting with Henry “Cuddles”, our content manager. I remember thinking, “This guy. He gets it. He gets esports.” He was also very transparent and open about everything. And it just all made sense.

What do you see DIG doing differently and better than other organizations in the space?

Aussie Antics: They're just actually smart. I know it sounds terrible. The number of things I’ve seen other orgs do, it’s just such a massive splash of cash. I'm a content creator, so in my mind, I’m thinking “If this is my money, where is the return on this?” The biggest thing for me with Dignitas is that we’re great at transitioning people from being fans of a player on the team, to being fans of the actual team. We put a lot of effort into our social media, we also do a really good job of showing people that Dignitas as an org, is awesome. Not that just the players we have are awesome. We’ve created a really good Fortnite team and the things we are doing for the community are amazing. Even with the streams they put on for me, yes it benefits me, but also elevates competitive content in general. I think people like that. I think having a wider esports background, you know, having some of the greatest, most legendary teams, they've learned how to truly be economically viable and are smart at balancing. Coming at it from a community standpoint, it’s not that we just have the best players, we have an awesome community as well.

How do you feel about the competitive landscape for this year and what changes would you like to see Epic/Blast make going forward?

Aussie Antics: I think the format as a whole was confusing. I do think this format did a particularly good job of getting variety and personality players further into the format, which some people might argue is uncompetitive. I think having Faxuty, Typical Gamer, even to an extent Mongraal and Savage, because they might not have made it to grands if it was a different format. Getting them deeper into the rounds was quite exciting. It helps build those storylines, so I think it helped the content a lot this season. All the majors are really close together, which I think is good, but then there's the gap I'm terrified for in October through December. I would like to see them put on something for the competitive community in that gap at the end, like a Winter Royale or mini FNCS. I feel like there just has to be something during that time.

What advice would you give to professional players who want to start creating content alongside their competitive careers?

Aussie Antics: I think content isn't for every pro and every pro isn’t in the position where you can simply make content and have it do well just because you're good at the game. We’ve had FNCS winners make content, and it gets less than 5,000 views. If you don’t enjoy content, if you don’t want to make people follow you for your personality, that’s okay. The pro players who have done the best with content such as Clix, Pinq, AsianJeff, and Moneymaker, are because of their personalities. People aren’t just watching for top-notch gameplay.

But if you're not like that, it’s okay. Some people just aren't. The best example would be Tayson. I've met the guy multiple times, he's a lovely guy, but he doesn't want to be the center of attention. So content is probably not going to be up his alley. That doesn't mean there aren’t other things you could be putting your time and effort into. Many think, “Well I’ll just go down the coaching route.” But there is so much more. Companies are out there looking for people who have a background in esports. There's so much value anytime, even Dignitas, having an ex-pro player on your team, because their experience is invaluable. Most of these pros are teenagers, so they've got so much time to develop any skills they don't already have. I love the fact that pros are making content, but I see a lot of pros who just aren't suited for content trying to make it because they feel like they have to do content. I'd like to see more pros try and look into that route of more traditional jobs in the esports scene and find more careers in esports that aren't just content. I think a lot of them haven't had the experience of finding out how fulfilling it can be working in something you're passionate about.

Are there any specific goals or milestones you're aiming for in your career as a content creator, and how do you plan to achieve them?

Aussie Antics: For me, you know I got a kid now. I'm trying to get to the point where I have financial security for my family. I love what I'm doing. I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing in this space, as long as I love it because it makes great money and it's enjoyable. If it starts to slow down one day or I get burnt out or I just don't enjoy watching comp Fortnite, I’m investing so I don’t have to stress about money and still make content my whole life. Because the dream is to be able to make content with no numbers attached to it. I’m trying to also branch out and diversify my income streams. I'm starting a mousepad business with my brother. We've been working on this for about six months. Now we're gonna be launching it next FNCS.

In conclusion, let’s have a little hypothetical fun. You just got transported to FNCS Globals 2025. Name 5 players on that stage.

Aussie Antics: I think Muz realistically should still be playing. I'm gonna say Kami and Setty will still be playing as a duo. Because, I swear to God, true love exists. I want to see an OCE or smaller region pro. I’d also like to see someone like Jivan make it. I would love to see someone like another Cooper, who has been documenting their entire storyline. A player who's lying in the background going from, “I’m kind of interested in this pro thing” to practicing and then, “Oh I made money in a cash cup” to “Oh my god I made my first grand finals.” I love that kind of storyline progression. I think it's so great for casual players and really helpful to boost up the idea that “anyone can make it.”

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this conversation filled with insights from the one and only Aussie Antics. I’d like to thank Aussie for taking the time to speak with me!

To stay connected with Aussie, follow him on X. And if you'd like to connect with me, feel free to drop me a follow there too.