The Curse of the Child Prodigy

At 15 years old, Liereyy shows the world what he's capable of in on of the hardest RTS games out there: Age of Empires 2. In the following years, he will keep on performing and grinding, becoming the youngest pro player in the scene. But very recently, he had his worst result ever in a major tournament. Have the years of sacrificing everything for the game tired him out? Or was it just a one time event?
I hope you enjoy the video! Feel free to react to the video, but be warned you might face a copyright from the music library I use. To avoid this, please sent me a message on twitter @TiramisEdits and I'll happily clear your video.
Sources:
Exclusive interview with ‪@liereyyaoe‬
‪@EscapeAoE‬
• AoE2 Euro LAN Final! T...
• 🏆 ECL LAN DAY 3 | THE ...
‪@MembTV_‬
• AoE2 [KotD] Grand Fina...
• TheViper vs Liereyyy |...
• King of the Desert 3 G...
• TheViper vs Liereyy SE...
‪@NiliAoE2‬
• AoE2 | NAC Finals | Vi...
• NAC2 Semis | TheViper ...
• NAC 3 | Quarter Finals...
• NAC 4 GRAND FINAL - HE...
‪@T90Official‬
• AoE2 Hidden Cup #2 | K...
• Hidden Cup 3 | Quarter...
‪@redbullgaming‬
• Mr_Yo vs Liereyy | Sem...
• GRAND FINALS | Red Bul...
• GRAND FINALS | Red Bul...
• FINALS | Red Bull Wolo...
• GRAND FINAL | Red Bull...
• Highlight: FINALS TaTo...
‪@TheViperAOE‬
• The Open Classic Grand...
‪@Lidakor‬
• Holy Cup Grand Finals
‪@theorderofthesheep‬
• The Grand Melee Day 3 ...
‪@ZeroEmpires‬
• RotK - Liereyy & Heart...
‪@JaniceHung‬
• GAMESCOM 2017

[@liereyyaoe]

And not done yet!

[@EugeneOneguine]

I love how despite being born in 2002 you have the most early 2000s profile picture ever. My name starts with an L and I used to have that exact same back in the day.

[@yg-dn5ms]

Yes you go Lierrey!!!

[@LbK314]

Lets go!

[@10Hangman]

Mad props to you. And I really like your philosophy, you seem very mature. Thank you Liereyy!

[@user-rt4oh3kg7q]

I love to hear this. Lierry is a criminally underrated player in terms of entertainment value - in the right moments, no one is more dynamic to watch. Also, in the era when it seems that everyone needs a focus group tested online presence, I really appreciate a player who just shows up, plays, and wins.

[@TaToHAoE]

Amazing video, probably my favourite so far!! Really good Tiramis, it shows how amazing Liereyy is as a player and as a person!

[@Tiramis_]

Oh gracias bestia grande!

[@TheFuel89]

Larry gaming hard while also becoming sports chad. Impressive young lad. One of my favourite players for sure!

[@RenegadeShepTheSpacer]

Why do people continuously get his name wrong? Is it a meme or an actual mistake?

[@TheFuel89]

@@RenegadeShepTheSpacer I have no idea where it comes from but it's easier to say lol. Guess it's a meme in that way.

[@theodentherenewed4785]

Liereyy bounced back right after NAC 5, in Hidden Cup 5. He lost the finals to Hera, but everyone else would too.

[@taylorshain12]

After the tournament, both Viper and Hera said the problem with archers pathing screwed Lierry. The problem has been fixed and now Lierry is back :)

[@RenegadeShepTheSpacer]

He didn't just lose. He was absolutely destroyed. Hera is a cut above everybody in the world right now.

[@RenegadeShepTheSpacer]

​@@taylorshain12If that's the excuse, then it makes him a one-trick pony. He needs to learn how to adapt to a new meta.

[@hanhan9589]

Making the best archer micro is called one-trick pony😅 Are you serious? aoe2 has no new meta without scouts sir @RenegadeShepTheSpacer

[@3munchenman]

Interesting player documentary. I want a research video on Mr. Yo now!

[@Tiramis_]

Ohh that's a good suggestion! There is so much I don't know about Mr.Yo, it would be super interesting to dive into his career

[@perpar100]

You did the GOAT, T90 and now Liereyy. After the Liereyy you get so much more appriciation and understanding to him has a person and player. How he developed as a person aswell very is truely inspiring. Tiramis, you are mining gold with these amazing videos and will truely help grow AoE2 even further. It creates fanbases to specific players that are less into streaming world than other top players

[@markvdb2857]

Wow, Liereyy gave you an interview? wonderful, I always wanted to know more about him!

[@Tiramis_]

Yes! As there wasn't much content about his life and his experiences, I reached out and he was immediately on board!

[@simonfilipberg5098]

Another Tiramis masterpiece!

[@99joneg]

deffinalty

[@BramVanroy]

Damn, liereyy has a great outlook on life. Valuing the social aspect of being human (something I tend to forget sometimes, stuck behind a pc for work and hobby), realizing that being a top player in addition to all his other hobbies is impressive and something to be proud of, and at the same time also respecting the other players and the game. I wish him all the best!

[@jesusmgw]

Can't wait for the Hoang documentary.

[@markkiss9321]

:D

[@mcmudkipp]

Honestly good for Lierryy for prioritizing life, instead of staying on the grind and hating it long term, and although the dissolution of aM will probably be a hit to his training, It'll probably make him (and the rest of aM) much happier not trying so hard to get sponsors or to get picked up by an organization, and each member can find their own path for their future

[@Wannabepirate]

Your videos are truly incredible. The editing, the story-telling, even the way you manage to capture the tension and hype of the tournament games in small 15 second montages. Keep up the good work man. As someone who has been following the scene since 2020-21 now, while I know most of the players and general history, these videos really pull you in and give you a larger picture of how the game, the scene and the players have evolved. It's like the documentation of AOE lore. The community and how the game survived and evolved is one of my favorite aspects of my love for AOE, along with the game itself of course. All this to say, these videos are really appreciated and I hope even the newbies can catch up and learn about the scene, its history, the players, the game, and get pulled into the 'AOE2 story' the way I have.

[@Tiramis_]

Thank you so much for the kind words!

[@viniciusbonatto3943]

Great video, but felt like it needed a wider discussion about his legendary archer style, how he 'invented' ballistics dodging and how pathing issues affected his NAC performance. Nobody was playing archers in that tournament, and with the issues mostly patched on T90 HC, Lierrey again showed up to play so I think it should have been given more attention to that

[@SirQuantization]

Make your own version then! :)

[@Tiramis_]

There is so much to say about each player and their playstyles, these videos could easily become 1h+ documentaries 11

[@janseidel4849]

... would watch it thoug! ;) great work man!

[@jesusmgw]

@@Tiramis_ 1hour+ would be awesome. Can't wait for the Hoang documentary.

[@Progeusz-]

Yeah, video was missing all of that. Liereyy had great impact on development of meta. It was also weird to end on his losses in NAC without bringing up his great performance (until the final) in Hidden Cup V. It's like the narrative was set to be pessimistic. I appreciate the focus on liereyy as the person a lot but it came at the cost of liereyy as the player. I guess this side of him is less known to the public so maybe it was a better idea to shine some light on it and indeed do it the way Tiramis decided to? Hmm.

[@KurtFan69]

Liereyy is so awesome, not only an amazing player but also he was always so mature for his age and you can still see that today

[@ante13portas]

Lierrey the only AoE2 Pro who inspired an award-winning book!

[@AnimeFan-dl4qd]

I am a big Liereyy fan. I never forget his famous speech: If you never lose a battle, you dont need eco:D 8:20 Daut and Liereyy became huge Shisha friends

[@fasstaerke]

great video, great player who has his shit together and doesnt just live in a bubble. still so young but seems very grown up, his parents did well. love the fact that he can be happy about second places, he has the right perspective on the game and scene and, more importantly, himself. everyone must chose his own path, his personality is a big plus and the reason so many cheer for him. better stay humble than be a know it all try hard...you all know who I mean

[@longbow857]

I know who you mean, but I don't agree with you.

[@fasstaerke]

@@longbow857 that's totally fine

[@olivertate4983]

This was really interesting, like many of us I didn't know much about Liereyy, so this was great! It's cool how balanced his approach to playing is, he seems like he could actually compete at the top level for another 20 years and never get burned out.

[@Puffin_AOE]

Lierry is my absolute favorite player. I all way's root for him during tournaments. But I am also very happy if he is second place, i just want him to do well in the game and in life. Loved the video once more. Really well made!

[@roolaing]

Seems to have a really level-headed assessment of how much he is willing to sacrifice and put in, versus how much he wants to win. He’s very analytical and sound in his logic.

[@titusbaum9690]

Memb's casting of that game vs viper will never not be hype. Thanks. I'm proud of Liereyy for living life. I hope he graduates and finds a way to earn his keep that makes him happy, and we'll always welcome him, even as 2nd best!

[@matthewcoldrick8049]

Another fantastic documentary, thanks Tiramis.

[@matthewcoldrick8049]

I'd also like to add your documentaries add an element of pathos to the players we love so much.

[@RAMMY237]

This channel is so underrated. Thanks *Tiramis* for documenting the golden era of Age 2, you bring an invaluable experience to the scene.

[@SoundOfAViolin]

Insane. Ive been watching pro aoe2 from the intiial Tyrant days, and have been a Liereyy fan since he came on to the scene. This really gives you some behind the scenes context.

[@kunth1819]

Larry to this day is the most talented player in the game. If he grinded as much as Hera does these days, he'd be undisputed #1 in the world instead of Hera. It's the testament how talent isn't everything.

[@BrownDaddy007]

He's a talented player who doesn't put in much time. Let's hope it stays that way. Spending hours cooped up, hunched over a screen is a sincere waste of life for a young man starting out.

[@4everdex]

Easy to say but hard to prove. Possible but we will never know unless he fully commits to the game. In the end Liereyy has probably found the perfect path for him and his personal life. He is investing way less time than others, still gets very consistent and well paying results while maintaining social life, personal career and development. He is 22 and has already made more than 200k dollars playing a game he loves without losing himself in it or having no exit plan. What else would you want at that age? With Hera this strong and dominant as he he is right now it would need an incredible grind for Liereyy (and everyone else) to catch up. Competitive play has recently reached a level nobody expected and Liereyy is definitely no longer the only one with insane (archer) micro.

[@16vSciroccoboi]

​@@BrownDaddy007might be a waste of life from your perspective, to the player it might be all they want to do. Humans are just animals like any other, there's no requirement to be destined for greatness.

[@mantistoboggan2011]

even though he is talented he mostly seen playing his comfortable style.. Hera and Viper pretty good at adapting..

[@nathanielnizard2163]

AoE2 is a lot about behind ahead on the metagame and macro decisions and Hera atm has imho the best understanding of the game at competitive level, for a while it was Viper. There are others players that are amazing at the game like Tatoh or MBL but Hera is just better at winning at top level.

[@bont3]

Such a bigger appreciation for Larry after this video. Great documentary! A lot of respect

[@valinagabrielle]

He's so mystirious but with this video and the insight Tiramis gives, he's so relatable and human, great video as usual Tiramis! Great content, merci beaucoup pour ces vidéos, c'est magnifique ton effort!

[@Tiramis_]

Avec plaisir! :)

[@hugos1568]

Thank you Tiramis for this new video. The interview part is very appreciated for such a hidden personnality as Lierey. I also like the focus on gaming vs real life. Hope you had pleasure doing this vid :)

[@alijabevrnja4310]

I just want to add a small reminder for @Tiramis that his are the best documentary-style AoE2 videos. Some others have tried with decent success, but yours are simply gorgeous. You are the first youtuber (and only that I recall) that I turned the youtube bell on, so I do not miss new uploads.

[@Tiramis_]

Oh wow thank you so much! That means a lot!

[@digitalliver3204]

Thanks for making these videos! Really cool to to know a little more about the people in the scene. Really liked his attitude towards the game. He feels like a nice representation of the games community in general!

[@lazthegreat10]

I like it, second is really good for someone who isnt spending 8 hours day on the PC. Gaming non stop is not a great life, impressive that he can strike a balance.

[@finchynz2899]

Really awesome video, thanks Tiramis (The Viper one was great too) . Hope to see Liereyy win another S-Tier tournament, sounds like it's essentially up to him or not, if he wants to put in the time.

[@AgeofNoob]

It's a good day when Tiramis uploads. Great stuff as usual my friend.

[@AOEAlextremo1]

After watching the entire video and getting context on Lierrey's career, I can say that the opponents have been lucky that Lierrey hasn't fully committed the hours that others do. Otherwise, we would be talking about the era of the prodigy, which is insane. Amazing video, I loved it.

[@davidpereira5969]

I think if Larry spent the time that other top players do training and practicing, he could be the one with the crown. Even in HC5 he played really well, considering the new maps needed specific strategies. But he choose to not grind as much and focus on other stuff, and above everything he should feel good with what he does and do what he likes, whether its aoe2 or sports and enjoying life. Huge fan of his style and seeing him play

[@samprice9423]

Fantastic as always. Keep these videos up, it’s great to see!

[@lordpatito563]

He has the skill of a esports professional, the Spirit of a unworried kid and the body of a sports-school senior. I want that kind of curse man. Loved the video!

[@b-art7685]

What a great video, man. Liereyy was always such an interesting aoe2 figure for me and this video really shows this well. Great work

[@janseidel4849]

Wow, such a great video! Keep it coming, Tiramis! Thanks! ❤

[@monstertruck4694]

Man had a taste of glory then decided to get out and touch grass, what a Chad

[@Randomgenerator1999]

Great work man!! Love those videos! Hope to see one about the Lord soon :D The bits from the interview are soo wholesome as well!

[@stryker5573]

Thanks for another awesome video Tiramis! Lierry has some wisdom beyond his years, really refreshing to see him balance his life out, despite his NAC5 performance. He also got himself another 2nd place finish in Hidden Cup V, so he may be right back on track!

[@BeyondChallenge]

Keep up the good work Tiramis, you've found what was missing in the AOE2 community!

[@datamagii]

Thank you Tiramis. Another great production.

[@toplobster740]

Daut video when? Jokes and hopes aside you've done phenomenally on all 3 videos so far, absolutely awesome.

[@Kakao-Felix]

Bro, these Documentaries are so good.

[@eaiou161]

Excellent video! All the vids so far have brought something new to the scene and added depth to some of the big characters. Thanks, and keep it up!

[@miekvdh]

These videos are amazing. Loved the feedback from Lierrey on this one as well. He's always been an enigma and this really humanized him.

[@Cheximus]

6:05 - Not a bad donation for Memb there. Sheesh. Liereyy one of my favourite players to watch. Seems really likeable too. Always rooting for him or Yo in tournaments since I started watching in 2020 with DE. Hope he turns it around.

[@herotalib9556]

Really happy about lierry bouceback. Everyone is different and you gotta do what you gotta do. It's different for everyone. Happy that he still involved in aoe.

[@xavierpironier59]

really cool to watch, keep the series up my mn !!!

[@sSickrabbiTT]

Tiramis thank you so much for these!

[@Toralen]

"I was born in 2002" OMG, no one was born after the 90s

[@Klasterize]

*80s

[@The_Lag_Monster]

Atta boy Lierrey! Stay 'umble! Live your life. Age will still be here when you wanna get serious again!

[@RustyBrakes]

That "Lierrey walkout music" in the intro was incredible, imagine if that played to every opponent when they matched him on the ladder

[@EugeneOneguine]

Superb editing again. It feels melancholic to see these old clips with clean pathing.

[@AnthonyAvon]

From what I understand, during NAC5, the archers had a bug which had a huge impact on his game, and then that got fixed and he was in the HC finals immediately.

[@dimitrigaumann7740]

im rooting for liery in every tournament, great guy!

[@Xebruh_AOE]

Thanks so much for these videos. They are so well done and help me really become invested in the careers of the pro players. Keep going!

[@pasteyman7613]

Seems like a genuine, humble guy. Hard not to root for! Also love that he realizes AoE isn't everything, and prioritizes other things as well.

[@nelsonmejiaslozada9362]

i did a tweet in which i said something like " he was maybe the only one who didnt deserve direct invitation to HC5" just because of NAC5 performance. I was really wrong.

[@markkiss9321]

Very same. And then he 4-1's TheViper in the semis

[@voidgods]

One thing that our society overestimates these days is the idea that you should be "the best" at everything that you do, which puts a lot of pressure in performance and leads to all the burnout and depression we see in our generation. Or if you don't want to go as deep, just think of how many players avoid playing ranked because they expect too much of themselves to the point of taking away the enjoyment of just playing. They rather not even try. I've been there myself. Lierrey has the correct mindset though. Trying your best is enough, you don't have to get stuck in life trying to be "the best" on 1 thing. You can explore other things, create appreciation for multiple activities, and appreciate that you may not be 1st place on all of those things and still find enjoyment simply in competing and doing your best with the time that you decided to invest into said activity. Good on him, definitely the correct mindset to be happier in life!

[@jamesfowler6785]

This video was incredible, thank you for giving us more insight in to one of the biggest legends on the scene. MBL next maybe?

[@boatman2801]

Tiramis, these videos are unbelievable. Nobody is making content like this in the AOE scene. What amazing talent! Keep it up :)

[@tamasnemeth3977]

AoE2 documentary at it's best. Congratulations Tiramis! You nailed it!

[@divaldosilva7789]

Thanks for another great video Tiramis!!!

[@beetoven8193]

Another great vid, Tiramis!

[@moon2schyzo]

Youre taking interesting thoughts from the community and transforming them into fun watching experience. Earned a sub!

[@Tiramis_]

Thank you!

[@danielbentley7117]

Your channel deserves to be as big as Viper's! After all, you are partly responsible for much of his channel's success.

[@jokoska]

Nice changeup with the interview on top of the narrative. Keep them coming.

[@sab0403]

Great video. Also great timing with AM (where Liereyy played) announcing yesterday that they will disband.

[@Tiramis_]

To be fair, I started working on this video in January, and I was hoping to release it before Hidden Cup 5 started.. so timing isn't quite what I had planned 11

[@AN-yf2ec]

Larry Traded 1st place no lifer for second place and a fulfilled life. Let that be a lesson on ambition.

[@niki8280]

He was the best in the world in 2020-2021 before the switch and Viper regained pole position. The Artist Formerly Known as The Kid is still the most naturally gifted player in the game.

[@TheRomanAoE]

SIck! New Tiramis video!

[@jerejarvinen625]

I like his outlook! Made me a fan.

[@NiliAoE2]

another great video 😍

[@gulanhem9495]

Again a fabulous documentary. 🥰 We love this game.

[@oisinomahony8255]

Nice video! After some of the recent tournaments and the whole Hera-dominance I was wondering how come Lierrey wasn't the man dominating the scene since he seemed to be one to step up and overtake The Viper... Nice to know that gaming isn't everything for him and he seems like a sensible young man. Hopefully he'll win an S-Tier one soon - 6 lost finals in a row is pretty rough!

[@gustafsilfwerbrand4032]

I really believe that his lacking results the last year is at least to a part due to the regrouping pathing that has taken away x-bows from the meta entirely. In HC5 when a new specific patch was used that made it fiesable again his results got better, even though he can't have ben able to practise on it.

[@87JJosh]

AoE is great but there's something more in life. Best phrase ever. The eternal Kid

[@pinkfluffypandicornblub2706]

When I came back to aoe in 2016 it was at the time when Liereyy started to make a name in the scene. In the summer he was still an absolute outsider and a was kind of jumping in for rubenstock or someone else iirc in of one of the first hippo tournaments. That was the first time I saw him play. But I especially remember the hype around him and hearttt increasing by the week. Those two were grinding 2v2s non stop. and during those escape mini tournament I think he already had some really decent results

[@chrisgoesfuture2013]

Love it so much! Thanks man! Keep it up!

[@Mermaidkilla]

Liereyy is a beast, i have so much respect for him! And this video was amazing, Tiramis! Do you plan to do something similar also for the casters, like Nili, Memb, Dave ? (T90 has his video already)

[@The76Malibu]

Great to see these Aoe2 videos. Appreciate the people behind the gaming.

[@AnimeFan-dl4qd]

21:30 we should not forget - NAC 5 suffered through the horrible archer pathfinding and Liereyy is an archer micro master. And he got in the hidden cup finals with the new patch.

[@jacobwood3326]

Incredible video as always!

[@enriquer3612]

Well, he just reached the final again in the Hidden Cup, so he is doing fine.

[@mahmoudfawzy60]

Finally a liereyy video

[@TuoDev]

Great video. One critique is that I wish the stats at the end could have shown for longer since it was the very last thing anyways. I had to go back and pause on it to read the numbers.

[@MushmushCat]

Liereyy is a true prodegy , I would love to watch him stream , his personality is really lovely and entertaining❤❤

[@ilovesen]

Memb casting here was crazy good!

[@gingerbeard3341]

Another excellent video, thanks!

[@JonasAnandaKristiansson]

15 year old legend top player forever! :3

[@Miral48]

my favorite player !

[@avalanchas336]

Literally dropped my food to click on this video as fast as possible, damn Tiramis

[@Tiramis_]

ahah yeeeees :D

[@DruzhinaAoE]

It would be worth mentioning the huge disadvantage archers had due to the patch during Nili's apartment cup.

[@ronaldrage2118]

Serral was also a child prodigy in sc2 and worked his ass off and is now pretty much known as the greatest all time. Not saying lierrey isn't a hard worker, he seems great, just has different priorities.

[@user-jb7fv1yn9y]

sc2 has more prize pools.

[@DanielMartinez-tm7kh]

I would also say that pathing/regrouping bugs nerfs archers and benefits knights indirectly. Which was usual in the last 2 years and also contributed to downgrade prodigy's results. The most amazing fact for me about Lierey is that he doesn't even know which civ icons stands for what civ. He only stores and optimizes what info is usefull for him to achieve wins.

[@rafaelaizpun7842]

Tiramis is a beast.

[@TrivialSight]

Great video!