Volamel
2019-01-02 02:51:40
To preface the question and add some context, last year around this time you were heading into the second season of the Overwatch PIT Championships. Now I’ve got to ask, you’ve been at this for more than two years, how does it feel seeing Atlanta Academy leading Group A of Overwatch Contenders as you head into Week 5?
Obviously, it feels great. The job’s never over though, similarly to teams in the past when we’re down and need to work back into winning, it’s never over. I hope this season has been proof that I carry my own weight and can give us outs in team fights. However, ATL Academy this season has really been a great team. Our roster this season is definitely one of the best. I do really hope that people notice me this season though.
Speaking of, Atlanta Academy rounds out the Contenders Season playing against the reigning Contenders champions, Fusion University. What are some of your thoughts going into this game? Is this going to just be a precursor to the grand finals for this season?
Our match versus Fusion is going to be a tough game, they have some really capable players on their team. We’ll be bringing out A game out to that match on Wednesday. I’m not sure if it’s a prelude to the grand finals, we still have to play this match and have some good teams ahead of us. You should really only be looking at the match closest, not in the future.
I had an interesting conversation recently about the strength of an in-game leader versus the power of belief in one. So let me pose you this; would you rather have someone who is more accurate and intelligent in his shot-calling or a person who can get their teammates to truly trust and buy into what they have to say?
I really like teammates that are more accurate and intelligent. You see teams towards the bottom that trust in their main support but they aren’t exactly doing the right thing. It’s important to not buy into stuff that is factually incorrect. Sometimes even the best leaders have the dumbest ideas.
One of the Chinese casters keeps up with a handful of Contenders regions and actually rated Atlanta Academy within his top ten teams in his power rankings. You’ve always seemed to be well versed in other regions as well, what’s your take on the strength of Contenders globally?
I think in previous seasons I’ve compared my teams globally. However this season I’m truly focused on our region. I like watching other teams play, but right now I try to not be too harsh about critiques. This meta is really hard to get everything right. Sometimes there are one or two glaring problems with a team, and we have those issues too probably. I think the best teams are the ones that have consistent and good game plans. I see a lot of teams globally either making consistently bad plays or inconsistent good plays. It’s not just them though either so it’s hard to have a take globally right now.
I’ve yet to hear anyone really flesh out their thoughts on the division of North American Contenders, so as a player that has to play within the format, what's your take on the situation?
To be honest, it’s best to not focus on the downsides or upsides as a player on the format. If you believe in a different format then it might be worth arguing over. However, personally, I’m fine with any format I’m given. I’ve been playing in a few different formats for years, the current format is decent, but I believe it’ll get better in due time.
As we approach the new year, what are three goals you want to meet coming into 2019? It can be personal or esports related, just need three new goals for yourself.
The first goal this year is to not jinx myself and stay focused. Other years I’ve veered off or gotten too confident, this year I’m focused and I know what I want. I don’t want to be in the Overwatch League that bad, I want to be one of the best players in the game right now really bad.
Second goal is to be a more talkative person overall this year. I haven’t really been reaching out to too many people because I’ve been so focused. Hopefully this year I can make it up to my friends, online and offline. Third goal is to be decently fit, I’ve been working on it towards the end of the year anyways so hopefully I can be more consistent with eating less meat and running more.