Volamel
2018-07-24 04:48:38
As one of a handful of British players in professional Overwatch and with the Overwatch World Cup right around the corner, it was time for Fusions to briefly gush about his national pride. “I feel like I could be more integrated than I am with the UK community in general,” he explains “but representing my country as a player, in general, brings me a really big sense of accomplishment, and I love seeing players from the UK cheer for me and my team because I’m from the UK so I really want to do my best to win!” His victories were not for him to celebrate alone, he played for his family, his friends, and his country. He had the Union Jack at his back and used that as a large motivating force to propel himself forward. And with all the benefit that gave, there was almost equal parts pressure weighing down on him from all angles.
One of the largest forms of pressure for young adults venturing into the world of esports is the instant and sudden notion that you are, in your own right, a celebrity. And for most young people, they’ve never faced that kind of attention and pressure, but it seemed like Fusions was doing extremely well in the spotlight.
“In terms of social media and other platforms, you’re obviously always a bit more [careful] about what you say, in case it comes off in the wrong way. In terms of being a public figure, I don’t feel like my life has really changed much on a day to day basis, aside from the fact that I have people rooting for me and cheering me on when we’re playing matches which does make me really happy!” Fusions handled the stress of the glaring eyes of the public spotlight incredibly well, large in part due to his family.
This incredible support system had not only been accepting of his career choice but facilitated him to chase after it. “My parents were generally satisfied with me choosing this path as soon as they saw me start to earn money from it,” Fusions said, “but when I started traveling to compete abroad my mum especially was shocked, she still tells everyone about it now. My family watched every single one of my games on stage and were messaging me before and after the games, so I’d say overall they’ve taken to it fairly well!”
Hearing heartwarming stories of parents so incredibly proud of their children for playing video games for a living is something fairly new to gaming. As a community, it seems like we are finally evolving past hearing about families at odds with one another and it was beautiful to hear that Overwatch was not an exception to this. However, behind the projected shield or the bulletproof steel armor, Fusions was a family man.
“My family has always been super important to me since they've always done so much for me,” Fusions said. “Especially my mum since she has always been there for me, so the fact that my mum is supporting me now really reassures me and helps me make the best of out the opportunities I have right now.”