Firezide Chat with Luke Dale

I've done one recently that was a VR game called TaVRn's Takedown by LDRC, a French developer.

I really enjoyed that. I was in for one day just doing voice work, and that was great.

I tried the game out, but I got really bad motion sickness because it's on the Meta Quest 3.

I felt so bad because I streamed it, and afterwards I said to the developers, "I'm so sorry, guys, that I couldn't really play it properly because I just kept getting sick."

If you're not used to it, it can make you really sick. The game looks really fun, and they'd clearly worked really hard on it.

Other than that, I worked on Battlefield V about ten years ago as some random scout soldier in the background that no one would ever remember.

Otherwise, I think that's about it.

Got stuff under NDA at the minute then?

No.

I wish I could say that Kingdom Come 2, the work I've done and the fact it's been played by millions of people led to more work, but it didn't.

I'm honestly surprised because what you and Tom did in that game was incredible. 

Well, I appreciate that.

I was hoping it would, but I always hedge my bets because I don't think the industry has been particularly kind to me. Warhorse have been absolute gems. They're so supportive and really believed in me the whole way through. But the industry at large has never really given a fuck.

So I thought, "How can I turn this into something really cool for me?"

That's where streaming came in. I thought, "People seem to want me to do it, so let's do that."

If more acting work comes from this, great, but I'm not going to rely on that.

I know people want me to stream, and I can build a community here if I choose to and work really hard.

So I did, and that's worked incredibly well.

I'm really proud of that, and it's an absolute joy to do now.

I think you've got a great attitude. Your work ethic is really strong. You're willing to go and do normal jobs, then stream, and just grab whatever opportunities come your way. I respect that.

Thank you, mate.

I just think you've got to seize every tiny opportunity that comes your way in this industry because it's not an easy industry to be in.

If you see an opportunity and you don't take it, that's kind of on you.

I've seen a lot of actors who've had these big opportunities to stream the game they're in as the lead character, and I'm thinking, "Why aren't you doing that?" It's not for everyone, so I get that, but give it some thought.

Don't just let it pass you by, because it could be the best thing you ever did.

It certainly was for me. It changed my life completely.

I can work from anywhere in the world, which is something I always wanted. I always wanted to be a digital nomad.

Now I'm based in Prague, and I love it.

Do you think part of the reason the acting opportunities haven't come is because you don't go to all the events and rub shoulders with people? You don't really play the networking game as much as some other actors.

Maybe.

I had an audition the other day for a Lionsgate TV show to play a cop. I did the audition, sent it off, and my agent loved it. Whether I'll get the part, I don't think I will.

I think there's also a massive gap on my CV of seven or eight years where I haven't done any TV.

Maybe I'm wrong, but perhaps there's a reticence from casting directors or producers because they think, "He hasn't really done much lately. Why is that?"

The answer is, "Well, I've been really busy doing other stuff."

Work seems to beget more work in TV, and they don't seem to care about video games.

It's hard to show them a video game as well, right? It's not like showing them a clip of a TV show.

It just doesn't compute to casting directors in the film and TV world that it's even a line of work for actors. They just go, "I don't care. What is that? I don't know what that is."

It's like, you're really missing a trick.

One example I always give is Roger Clark. He's one of the most respected, biggest names, and most widely known voice and performance actors in the world. Why the hell is he not doing big westerns?

Why is he not in a big western drama series? It just eludes me. How is that possible?

By God's grace, he might well be working on something like that right now and I just don't know, but I haven't seen that.

I'm like, it's there, ready for the taking. You can imagine a game gets announced and all the gaming publications go, "Roger Clark's in a brand new thing." Everyone would be like, "Yeah, let's watch. It's Roger Clark. It's Arthur Morgan."

He's got a built-in audience, right?

He's got a baked-in audience, and there's just no crossover between the video game industry and the film and TV industry.

However, I am starting to see a shift. It seems like people are starting to see the value in it with The Last of Us. Jacksepticeye is about to produce a Bloodborne film or series. There's a few other things I've seen recently, like The Backrooms with Chiwetel Ejiofor as the lead.

Something's changing, so maybe, with time, people will start to respect video games from the other side a bit more and see the value in it.

Yeah, I think the old guard needs to age out. That's the issue.

Yeah, I think that's true.

What's the best thing about streaming then?

Oh man, there are so many good things about streaming.

I'm a yapper. I just love to chat.

The best thing for me about streaming is the community that I have. They're incredibly funny and they brighten my day.

I've never had a stream where I didn't come away from it thinking, "That was so much fun."

Every single time I stream, I'm happier for it.

They're such a lovely bunch of people. They're so supportive, and they've given me so much freedom. They've given me a new life, allowed me to move country, and I get to sit there and play all these awesome games that I didn't get the opportunity to play over the last few years.

Now I'm playing all the classics. Right now I'm playing The Last of Us Part II. Which is so great.

I just played all of Elden Ring.

How long did that take?

Five weeks.

Okay, that's pretty quick, to be fair.

That's not bad, but I was doing really long hours. I was doing seven-hour streams on that.

I had to finish that in a week before it came out.

Oh my God.

How did you do that?

Barely. I finished it, and then someone was like, "Have you been to Malenia?" I was like, "Who the fuck is Malenia?" There was a whole area I'd missed. I was like, "Jesus."

The blessing of what I get to do is I have a community that helps me. If I'm stuck, they tell me where to go next.

They were all like, "Do Malenia next," or, "Make sure you're levelled up enough for this fight."

It's not just me playing. I've got support there.

There were no guides out there when I did it. I was writing the guides.

I can't even imagine having to finish Elden Ring in a week with no help and no wiki.

The thing about that game is it's not obvious what you have to do next. I wouldn't know if they didn't tell me.

So yeah, good on you.

It is a great game. I absolutely adored it.

I did get quite grumpy towards the end. I had some pretty grumpy streams because it gets really hard. It gets so frustrating, and after you've died 30 times you're like, "I'm actually going to lose it. I'm actually going to kill someone."

I'm not very good at hiding my emotions.

We had a blast playing that.

Now The Last of Us Part II has started.

I also just did a sponsored stream, which is another nice thing about streaming. I get sponsored sometimes, and they'll pay me to play a game. That's another thing that allows me to stay afloat.

Bethesda sponsored me to play Starfield for six hours the other night, and that was awesome.

I was very proud of that.

Did you get sent a nice PC as well?

I did. That was in the first few weeks after Kingdom Come II came out. That was from Starforge. 

What's the worst thing about streaming?

The worst thing about streaming was that, when I was at my peak and getting a lot of viewership across social media, it attracted some rather strange characters.

Nowadays it's eased off, and my community is really healthy and good, but I did have to endure some very difficult people and a lot of negativity.

That's why I say streaming isn't for everyone. You have to have really thick skin.

When you're exposed to so many people all over the internet, inevitably you're going to reach some dark corners and some strange people.

Those people can make themselves known to you, and if they take a dislike to you for whatever reason, they can be quite capable in their hatred.

Luckily it's not as bad at the moment, but that's definitely the unfortunate side of it.

I'm really just there to play a game and have fun. There are worse people you could aim your hatred at online than me. I'm just some guy playing a game, but for some reason, to certain people, I'm an issue.

The best way to deal with that sort of stuff is professionally and legally.

You had to get lawyers involved?

Yeah.Sometimes you do, because it can get out of hand.

People can be quite monstrous.

Did it verge on stalking, then?

Yeah.

I know you don't want to mention specifics.

I don't really want to go into it. It got pretty weird.

You just have to stay strong and remember why you do it, who you're doing it for, and the people who appreciate you.

Who do you admire the most in the games industry? Actors specifically.

Tom McKay, obviously. I've worked with a lot of wonderful people at Warhorse.

The thing I love most about them is that, creatively, they don't have any ego. That's really rare.

I've worked in theatre and TV, and you do see ego a lot on the other side of the camera.

I've worked as a director, producer, videographer and cinematographer, trying to get films made, produced and funded, and you meet some really egotistical people.

I'm like, "Why is that here? Why is that present when we're trying to make something creatively?" The product should always come first, not your ego.

Warhorse doesn't have any of that. When you're in the room, they're incredibly collaborative. They just put the game first.

There are all these different voices – the animator, the director, the writer, the editor – and they all have to work things out together. Even though it's difficult, they do it.

That's who I'd say I respect most.

I've only worked with Warhorse, so it's hard for me to say I admire people I haven't worked with because I don't know them. Maybe CD Projekt Red as well. I really look up to what they've achieved and the scale of it.

I've been over to Poland and met them. They were very kind to me. I made a video there and put it on my YouTube, and it did really well. They were great.

Have you played Cyberpunk on stream yet?

Yeah. I did the whole main story. Great game.

What's the best piece of life advice you've heard?

For me, "This too shall pass" has always stuck with me.

Whenever I wasn't having a great time – and there have been a few really dark periods in my life – it always passed.

It's very important to remember that because, especially when you're young, it can feel like it's never going to end.

You think, "This is my life now. It's just going to stay shit forever." That's just not how life works.

Unless something truly awful and irreversible happens, like losing someone in a terrible car crash, most problems subside if you keep making the right decisions.

If you keep your head up and get through that difficult patch, usually things get better if you keep trying. The universe has a way of rewarding that.

The other thing I'd say is to be grateful for what you already have and stop looking at what other people have, because it's irrelevant.

The thing that makes me really happy is being genuinely grateful for everything I have.

If you remember that bad times pass and you're grateful for what you have, those two things really help me.

Are there any qualities about yourself that you don't like?

Yeah. It's a deep question. I think I've always battled with the part of myself that wants to be lazy.

Could I have done better? Should I work harder today?

I have to work hard to make sure I stay a well-rounded person and don't succumb to laziness.

I heard something recently about how much effort it takes just to have a clean flat, walk the dog and eat well.

Sometimes I wake up and think, "Can't be bothered."

I think it's really important to try your best every single day to be better than you were the day before.

I think I've managed that 99% of the time, but it does take effort. It takes effort to be the kind of person I want to be.

I don't know if it's something I dislike about myself. It's just something I acknowledge.

If I don't take care of myself, if I drink too much, don't go to the gym or procrastinate on something important, I'll let things slip. So I can't let myself do that.

That's what I'd say I dislike, but I'm also proud of the fact that I don't let it happen very often these days.

I'm very on top of things.

It's like a battle to stay productive.

Yeah.

How many times a week do you go to the gym then?

I was very disciplined. I was going three or four times a week, but then I got a dog and got really busy with work.

It just became incredibly hard.

Right now, none, which is really annoying, but I just don't have the time.

You have to be kind to yourself when there's a genuine reason like that. There just aren't enough hours in the day. Usually I try to go three or four times a week if I can.

What time do you get up and go to bed?

These days, with the dog, I get up early – around seven or eight, depending on...

...what time he shits on your floor.

Yeah, exactly.

I've woken up to one too many poos on the floor because the smell woke me up. Then I'll usually go to bed around midnight.

Do you have a party trick?

Yeah.

I can make the sound of a flying saucer.

I think you're going to have to prove that to me.

Okay.

Ready?

Makes insane sound with his mouth

That's pretty good. It's a bit like a meat fly. Do you read much?

I don't read as much as I would like to. I'm just so busy with work.

When I do read, it's typically non-fiction. I think the last book I read was Scott Galloway's book, which was basically his rules for life.

I like that guy a lot. I think he's really smart. He's got good ideas, and politically he's great.

I think he's got a lot to say about young men and what young men should be doing during this kind of crisis that they seem to be having.

I read his book and thought, "Every young guy should read this."

I'm not really into reading fiction, to be honest. I get my fiction from films, television and games.

By the end of the day I'm absolutely knackered, and reading is quite taxing on my mind.

The thing about reading as well is it's a solitary act, right? Whereas you can cuddle up with your partner and watch a TV show.

Yeah, that's right.

What's the best TV show you've watched recently?

My favourite TV show of all time is Succession. I just want to get that in there.

Recently, I've been watching True Detective Season One.

We rewatched that recently as well.

My friends, many of whom are filmmakers, were like, "You haven't watched that yet? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

I was like, "I don't know how I've not got around to this."

I've been really enjoying it.

McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are just stunning.

Have you got to the bit with the one-shot?

Oh yes. Oh my God.

I was on the edge of my seat.

Then when they get to the cabin in the woods...

Oh my God.

Even the theme song is just perfect. The title sequence is great.

It's amazing. We also watched Midnight Mass on Netflix. We really enjoyed that.

I hadn't seen it before. The guy who plays the preacher...

Oh my God, he's amazing.

That show was great.

Have you seen For All Mankind on Apple?

No.

That's very good. It's an alternate history where Russia lands on the Moon first, and it follows how the space race develops from there. They end up going to Mars. It's really good.

Sweet. Okay, I'll take that recommendation.

Are you watching Severance?

I did watch Severance.

I liked it.

I wasn't obsessed with it, but I really enjoyed it.

I think it tapped into that mystery everyone felt had been missing for a while.

Yeah.

If you could travel back to any point in history, where would you go? Would it be Bohemia?

Oh...

Such a basic answer, but maybe Ancient Rome.

That's such a stereotypically male answer, but it would be cool to see Ancient Rome.

Then maybe... maybe when Christ was alive.

I'd go to Jerusalem and just see for myself what he was like, judge for myself what was going on, because clearly he did some cool stuff.

I'd like to see it for myself.

Let's see the bread and the fish and how much there actually was.

I think he was just a really good magician.

I think he was.

You could go back to the birth, though, and cash in later as one of the Three Wise Men.

Yeah. What I'll do is go back in time and become part of the story of Christ.

What an obvious thing to do. Great idea.

If you could go back and tell your younger self something, where would you go and what would you say?

Buy Bitcoin.

Buy as much Bitcoin as you physically can.

No...

I'd say, "It's all going to be okay." Make better choices. Drink less. Seize every opportunity. Although you already do that, so keep doing it.

It sounds a bit cheesy, but I'm pretty proud of what I've managed to do. I've travelled the world, which I always wanted to do. I've moved country, which I always wanted to do.

I'm really proud of the creative stuff I've done.

Even though I'm mostly known for this one game, I'm fine with that. What a privilege to be part of such an amazing thing.

I can't really say there's much left that I always wanted to do because I've done so much of it already.

I'll tell you what my next big dream is. I want to buy a bar. I want to run a bar in Prague.

One day I will.

As long as you invite me over for a pint.

Free drinks all night!

Actually, that's not going to last very long if I say that to all my friends. I'll be out of business in three months.

But yeah, that's a real dream of mine.

I'd love to own a proper bricks-and-mortar business.

My own pub.

People come in, we have a great time.

That just sounds brilliant.

Have you ever run a bar before?

No.

It's hard work, mate.

I know. I'd still love to do it.

Before I was in games journalism, I ran a strip club.

You did?

For two years.

What the hell?

It was a lot of work. Most days I didn't finish until 5 a.m.

Jesus. Okay, I think running a strip club might be a little more complicated than running a pub.

I've run pubs as well.

Okay.

Both were a nightmare, but they were fun too.

Yeah. I might have to ask you for some advice when the time comes.

It won't be for another few years.

That's my long-term plan. That's my late-thirties, forties dream.

When was the last time you cried?

Oh God.

I thought my dog was dying. Thankfully, he wasn't. He's just a puppy. He eats too quickly. He gets really excited about food and just inhales it.

It's quite common with puppies, but then he brings some of it back up.

We've spoken to the vets about it and we're on it. But I thought he was choking.

He wasn't.

I checked his throat, pressed on his ribs, and he was completely fine. He was looking at me like, "I'm good, bro. What are you worried about?"

But I cried my eyes out because I thought I was losing him. I'd only had him for a week.

I was like, "I can't believe I've only had you a week and you're going already." But he's totally fine.

We've got ways now to make him eat more slowly. Having a puppy is terrifying.

It's like having a kid, isn't it?

It really is.

A kid that's greedy and shits on your floor.

Just two more questions to finish this off. How do you want to be remembered when you die?

A bit silly.

A bit funny.

Tried his best.

Played a bloody good Hans Capon.

Owned a great bar in Prague that was immensely successful and served millions of customers from around the world.

What would you have on your gravestone?

"Silly goose."

Or something like that.

"Silliest goose that ever lived."

Thanks, Luke. I'll let you finish the last two little bits of pasta you've got left.

It's egg, actually.

I thought it was pasta. From the little glimpses I got while it was on its way to your mouth, it looked like pasta.

Scrambled egg on toast.

I bet it's cold now, isn't it?

Yeah.

Sorry.

That's alright.

I was trying to force it in while you were asking questions.

I tried to drag my questions out a bit to give you more time.

No worries.