Imaqtpie

Early Career and Name Origin

The name Imaqtpie, pronounced 'I'm a cutie pie', originated from his mother calling him cute. Michael Santana began playing video games at a young age with titles like SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs. He started playing League of Legends shortly after its release because it was free to play. Within months, he was competing in local tournaments where his talent was spotted by William 'scarra' Li, who recruited him in April 2011 as the AD Carry for the team Rock Solid.

This recruitment marked the start of his professional journey. In September 2011, Team Dignitas acquired the entire Rock Solid roster, bringing Santana, scarra, and Joedat 'Voyboy' Esfahani into the organization's new venture into professional League of Legends. His parents were supportive of his career, which he said helped him focus on improvement. Just a month after the acquisition, the team won first place at IGN ProLeague Season 3 in Atlantic City, defeating Epik Gamer in the finals and earning a $10,000 prize.

Peak Competitive Years with Team Dignitas

The 2012 season was a period of highs and lows for Team Dignitas. The team won first place at the LoLPro.com Curse Invitational in San Francisco, earning $20,000. Later that year, they placed second at the MLG Summer Championship, but both finalists were disqualified and not awarded a prize after an investigation found them guilty of collusion. A major achievement came in September when the team finished second in the Season 2 North American Regional Finals, qualifying for the Season 2 World Championship in Los Angeles.

At Worlds, the team placed last in its group without a single win. TSM top laner Dyrus later apologized for accidentally revealing Team Dignitas's secret strategy to their opponents before the group stage, suggesting the leak hurt their morale and chances. The 2013 season saw mixed results. The team started the Spring split strong but faltered late, finishing the regular season 17-11 before placing last in the playoffs. In the Summer split, they finished fifth in the regular season and fourth in the playoffs, failing to qualify for Worlds but avoiding relegation.

Teammate scarra defended Santana's skill during this time, calling him underrated and considering him and support Jordan 'Patoy' Blackburn the best bot lane in North America. Scarra praised Santana's unusual role as an AD Carry shot caller and said he would be very hard to replace.

Decline and Retirement from Pro Play

The 2014 season marked the end of Santana's professional career. Team Dignitas placed fourth in the Spring split, missing the playoffs, and sixth with a 13-15 record in the Summer split. In an interview, Santana attributed the team's lack of success to a mentality focused on having fun rather than competing, stating the players lacked drive. He felt the roster had the potential to be the best, but their mindset held them back.

In October 2014, following the departure of scarra, Team Dignitas announced Santana would also be leaving, marking the exit of the last original members. In a retirement vlog, Santana explained his decision. He said he enjoyed the early days of playing with friends but struggled as the scene became more competitive, noting he never had it in him to cut underperforming players. He wished for a return to simply enjoying the game with friends. Ultimately, he decided not to re-sign with Dignitas to find what he was looking for, which was a place to hang out and play games with people.

Transition to Full-Time Streaming Superstar

After retiring, Imaqtpie quickly became one of the largest League of Legends streamers. By September 2018, he had over 2.3 million followers on Twitch, and his YouTube channel surpassed 1.6 million subscribers and 660 million views by November 2020. His streaming success was also financial. A 2017 interview with Rolling Stone revealed he earned over $2 million annually from streaming, not including corporate sponsorships.

His influence was recognized with awards, including The Esports Industry Awards Domino's Streamer of the Year in 2016 and a nomination for the Teen Choice Awards Choice Gamer award in 2017. His streaming persona, characterized by a relaxed and humorous style, resonated with a massive audience, confirming his status as a top online personality in the esports space.

The Delta Fox Meme Team Experiment

In the summer of 2017, Santana made a brief return to competitive play in the North American Challenger Series. He joined Echo Fox's sister team, Delta Fox, which featured a roster of retired stars including former Dignitas teammates scarra and Voyboy, as well as Danny 'Shiphtur' Le and Marcus 'Dyrus' Hill. The unconventional decision to field a team of retired players led fans to dub them the 'Meme Team'.

Echo Fox's then-CEO Jace Hall insisted the venture was not a joke. The team started by winning the 2017 Spring Qualifier 2-0 against Toronto eSports. However, they ended the Spring season with a 1-1-3 record and were disbanded after the Summer split following a 0-10 record. Despite the poor results, Echo Fox owner Rick Fox believed the experience had reignited the players' competitive fire. After this stint, Santana returned to full-time streaming.

Personal Life and Public Persona

Imaqtpie's personal life occasionally entered the public eye. In July 2018, he had a surprise wedding with his girlfriend Lisha Wei. The event gained media attention due to his casual attire of a T-shirt and shorts. He lived in California at the time. In early 2020, Santana confirmed on his stream that he and Lisha were no longer together. His relatable and unfiltered personality, both in his streaming content and life events, contributed significantly to his broad appeal and connection with his audience.