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Fleta’s Redemption — How the winless hero overcame at the Seoul Cup

Volamel 2017-10-16 05:21:07
  “Unfortunately for Flash Lux fans, the identity of Flash Lux is the team you hope to be in the same group with, in the round of 16 to pick up the points.” OGN commentator, Wolf “proxywolf” Schroder spoke openly about constant underperformers, team Flash Lux.  his was the reality for them, but there was one saving grace for the team. Being pushed to his limits, day in and day out, Byung-sun "Fleta" Kim toiled and struggled to keep his team afloat — and he did. Just to show how much Fleta carried Flash Lux, an average DPS performance in terms of the percentage of the team’s kills one receives (or PTK) could vary from anywhere between 25% - 30%. Fleta maintained a career average of around 31% on three different heroes. Not only that, but he has two of the highest recorded PTK averages ever recorded — 50% on Tracer vs. MVP Space and 54% on Genji vs. Afreeca Freecs Red. Each match, a loss. Each season, another possible elimination scenario. Fleta did his best to do whatever was asked of him. He was the archetypal “father” figure for the team; whatever was needed he could bring to the table. But, when push comes to shove, a man can only take so much, and in the mid-August match between Flash Lux and rookie team NC Foxes, Fleta broke.  

Fleta Header.jpg

  “Going into [their match against NC Foxes] you had to paint Flash Lux as the underdog because they always disappoint. Today, I feel like it was Fleta that just really fell apart.” The commentary was harsh but eerily true. This was not the Fleta that had been a stalwart lifeboat for a sinking team. The miscued ultimates, the questionable positioning, and the hesitation in picks all were signs of a systematic breakdown of not only Flash Lux as a team but within Fleta’s mind. And within 5 hours, Fleta went from struggling and winless on Flash Lux to becoming a champion on Lunatic-Hai.  

“This guy is a god. Once the ‘Flash Lux’ shackles come off he is finally able to demonstrate why he is so feared as ‘1’ player on a losing team.” 

— Max “Atlus” Anderson

The French horns spoke in compliments with sharp trumpets accompaniment at the conclusion of the Seoul Cup OGN Supermatch. A slow and steady march fit for kings and Lunatic-Hai is the closest we have to royalty in South Korean Overwatch. Their regal tones confidently echoed in contrast to Fleta’s history as a professional player. A player who has not won a match outside of a relegation scenario has finally won his first major game. Not only that, but Fleta brings home a significant title — the last title that will be signed as ‘Lunatic-Hai.’ Fleta was also the catalyst to defeating the undefeated Miraculous Youngster who has been tearing through the Chinese scene since June of this year. In a few months’ time comes the birth of the long-awaited Overwatch League, and Lunatic-Hai as we know it will be no more; only Team Seoul will remain — a fitting send-off as Lunatic-Hai embarks on their exodus to the United States.  

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  In the final game against Cloud 9 KongDoo, WhoRU, the prodigal Genji star, made way and was substituted for Munchkin.  But Fleta remained.  Take a second and fully experience that sentence.  Fleta, a former Flash Lux player — a player who has never won a non-relegation match — was allowed priority over WhoRU. In their match against Miraculous Youngster, WhoRU and Fleta both played amazingly, but WhoRU was the one pulled back for the final. The silent nod from the entire Lunatic-Hai roster was apparent. The veterans of Lunatic-Hai took a back seat to Fleta’s all-star performance. Some of the most decorated FPS players in South Korean history stepped away for Fleta to stand confidently in the center of the stage and for once embrace the positive shimmer of the spotlight. I wrote Fleta as the “Captain of the Red Lantern”. This theme of the “Red Lantern” refers to a lantern that train conductors would hang out on the last portion of a passenger train to keep track if any of the segments of the train became unhitched. In sports, it painfully represents those who finish last. Fleta rightfully now can appoint a new ‘captain’ because now begins his journey as a front-runner, training and practicing under the most decorated team coming out of South Korea. He has traversed and slogged through the murky swamps of disappointment and come out the other side, a champion. Gone are his days of consistent relegation. Gone are the consistent disappointments, season after season. Fleta can finally take a sigh of relief. Like many others who pursue their passion, his hard work, his toil with his former team - it has all finally paid off. Fleta is home.
Joseph “Volamel” Franco has followed esports since the MLGs of 2006. He started out primarily following Starcraft 2, Halo 3, and Super Smash Bros. Melee. He has transitioned from viewer to journalist and writes freelance primarily about Overwatch and League of Legends. If you would like to know more or follow his thoughts on esports you can follow him at @Volamel. Images courtesy of Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games and Blizzard Entertainment.

Stats pulled from @WinstonsLab

 

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