Marcello Margott

Marcello Margott is an American professional paintball player, instructor, author and podcast host. A seven-time professional World Cup champion, he has competed for teams including Los Angeles Ironmen, San Diego Aftermath, Los Angeles Infamous, Russian Legion, San Diego Dynasty, Edmonton Impact and Tampa Bay Damage.[1][2]

Margott is particularly associated with his decade-long career at Dynasty, where he won four consecutive National Xball League (NXL) World Cup championships from 2020 to 2023. He subsequently joined Edmonton Impact and Tampa Bay Damage, winning another World Cup with Damage in 2025.[3][4][5]

Outside tournament competition, he is the author of Paintball IQ and co-host of the Play The Game podcast with professional player Tyler Harmon.[6][7]

Paintball career

Early career

Margott began playing paintball in 1999 and entered professional competition at the age of 15.

His early tournament career included DYE Kids and San Diego Aftermath, before he joined the Los Angeles Ironmen.[1][8]

Margott competed for the Ironmen during the team's successful 2007 and 2008 seasons.

The Ironmen won the professional World Cup in both years, with Margott included among the championship-winning players.[1][9]

He subsequently competed for other professional organisations, including Los Angeles Infamous and Russian Legion.

Margott returned to the Ironmen for the 2013 season after competing with Moscow Red Legion during 2012.

His return was announced in December 2012, with contemporary reporting identifying Mike Hinman as the Ironmen's incoming coach.[1]

San Diego Dynasty (2015–2024)

In April 2015, Margott left the Los Angeles Ironmen and joined San Diego Dynasty.

In a statement published by Paintball Media, he explained that the move represented an opportunity to pursue new professional challenges while maintaining his relationship with the Ironmen organisation and DYE.[2]

Margott became a longstanding member of Dynasty's professional roster, competing in the NXL and international tournaments.

He was part of the team's four consecutive NXL World Cup championships in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.[3]

Margott played a particularly prominent role during the 2021 World Cup final, when Dynasty recovered from a 4–2 deficit to defeat its opponents 7–6. He was named co-MVP of the event.[10]

In 2023, Dynasty won the NXL Sunshine State Major, defeating Tampa Bay Damage 4–2 in the professional final.

Official NXL reporting identified Margott's performance as a major contribution to the victory, highlighting his attacking play during the elimination rounds.[11]

Dynasty subsequently won the 2023 NXL World Cup and professional season championship.

Margott remained with the team through the 2024 season. He had also become one of the team's owners in 2021.[12]

Edmonton Impact and Tampa Bay Damage (2025–present)

Following the 2024 season, Margott joined Canadian professional team Edmonton Impact.

Official tournament records confirm his participation with Impact at the 2025 NXL Tampa Bay Open and Atlantic City Open.[4]

He subsequently transferred to Tampa Bay Damage, making his first recorded NXL appearance for the team at the 2025 Midwest Open.

Margott remained with Damage for the remainder of the 2025 season.

At the 2025 NXL World Cup, Damage defeated PaintballFIT 4–2 in the professional final, securing Margott's seventh World Cup championship.[5]

Margott continued competing for Damage during 2026.

The team won the NXL Mid-Atlantic Open in May 2026, defeating Edmonton Impact 7–1 in the final.[13]

In September, Damage won the NXL Lone Star Open in Garland, Texas, defeating Red Legion 8–7. Margott was named Finals MVP.[14]

Playing style and recognition

Margott has competed in both attacking and defensive positions during his professional career.

Earlier in his career, he was primarily associated with attacking play. Later, he became particularly recognised for defensive positioning, break shooting and controlling key areas of the tournament field.

His role with Dynasty included playing defensive positions and responding to developing situations across the field.[10]

At the 2023 Summit Awards, held in Las Vegas in March 2024, Margott received two individual honours:

Co-Defensive Player of the Year, shared with Jason Edwards.
Icon of the Year, the awards programme's overall MVP recognition.

The awards were organised by Major League Paintball to recognise performances during the 2023 competitive season.[15]

Coaching and education

Margott has worked as an instructor, conducting paintball clinics in several countries.

His instruction focuses on tournament tactics, positioning, communication, decision-making and individual playing technique.

He has contributed instructional material to BKi Paintball, including courses covering snap shooting, movement, gunfighting, communication and tactical decision-making.[8]

Margott also authored Paintball IQ, an instructional e-book first published in 2016.

The publication examines the tactical and mental aspects of competitive paintball, including field awareness, positional responsibilities and decision-making during tournament matches.[7]

Play The Game podcast

In 2020, Margott began co-hosting Play The Game, a paintball podcast presented with fellow professional player Tyler Harmon.

The programme features interviews with professional players, coaches, equipment manufacturers, tournament organisers and other figures associated with the paintball industry.

Episodes also discuss tournament competition, professional careers, training, paintball history and the development of the sport.[6]

The podcast has featured guests including Ryan Greenspan, Matty Marshall, Eric Crandall and other established professional players and industry representatives.

In addition to discussing contemporary competition, the programme records interviews with individuals involved in earlier periods of professional paintball.

Selected achievements

Year	Competition or award	Team	Achievement
2007	Professional World Cup	Los Angeles Ironmen	Champion
2008	Professional World Cup	Los Angeles Ironmen	Champion
2020	NXL World Cup	San Diego Dynasty	Champion
2021	NXL World Cup	San Diego Dynasty	Champion; co-MVP
2022	NXL World Cup	San Diego Dynasty	Champion
2023	NXL Sunshine State Major	San Diego Dynasty	Champion
2023	NXL World Cup	San Diego Dynasty	Champion
2023	Summit Awards	San Diego Dynasty	Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Icon of the Year
2025	NXL World Cup	Tampa Bay Damage	Champion
2026	NXL Lone Star Open	Tampa Bay Damage	Champion; Finals MVP

The table lists selected documented achievements rather than a complete record of Margott's professional tournament results.

References

Social Paintball – Marcello Margott Signs with LA Ironmen for 2013. 13 December 2012.
Paintball Media – Look Who is Playing for Dynasty. John Amodea, 28 April 2015.
Dynasty Paintball – The Dragon. Official team history.
PBLeagues – Marcello Margott, Official Tournament Player Statistics. Records of his 2024–2026 NXL team affiliations.
PBLeagues – 2025 NXL World Cup Final Results. Official professional X-Ball tournament results.
Play The Game Podcast – Host Biographies. Official biographies of Marcello Margott and Tyler Harmon.
Marcello Margott – Paintball IQ. Official description of Margott's instructional e-book.
BKi Paintball – Beginner Course 101 with Marcello Margott. Instructor biography and instructional programme.
WikiPaintball – Los Angeles Ironmen. Historical championship records and contemporary tournament references.
Iconic Paintball – Marcello Margott. Player profile and 2021 NXL World Cup account.
National Xball League – Dynasty Wins the Sunshine State Major Behind MVP Performance from Marcello Margott. 7 April 2023.
Black Friday Paintball – Catching Up With Dynasty: Marcello Margott. 1 March 2023.
Paintball Dirt – NXL Mid-Atlantic Open Results. Brandon Olson, 4 May 2026.
Pro Paintball DB – 2026 Lone Star Open. Tournament results and individual awards, 17–20 September 2026.
Major League Paintball – The Summit Awards 2023 Winners and Recap. 13 March 2024.

External links