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Rokit on Overwatch Contenders Playoffs: “My message to our opponents? Good luck.”

Volamel 2023-05-14 04:38:52
Julian "Rokit" Pizana was easily one of the breakout stars from the 2023 Overwatch Pro-Am. WISP's Tracer ace has been lighting up the amateur scene for years now and the wider Overwatch League audience saw just a taste during the Pro-Am. This rising star sat down with Esports Heaven to share some of his most memorable moments, his thoughts on the newest patch, and more!     Before we get into the crunchy game stuff, Rokit, talk to me a little about what you do outside of Overwatch? What's a hobby of yours that might surprise people? I think it’s important to maintain a healthy body and lifestyle if you’re an aspiring pro-player. So I spend a lot of time in the gym every week to make up for the amount of time I spend playing Overwatch. As one of the rising stars of this next generation of Western talent, what's one of your favourite memories from your time competing? What's one memory that means the most to you?  I think one of my most favourite memories is actually a very recent one.  WISP’s match vs Team PEPS in the Pro-Am was a match I think I did really well in, and it was also the first time I’ve ever got to show off myself to a large audience.  That tournament means a lot to me because it may be the closest I ever get to playing in an Overwatch League match.       Overwatch just saw a new patch just drop, any early thoughts on where this takes the metagame? Any interesting takes to share from camp WISP?  Most of what I’ll say has probably already been said but, Junker Queen is completely overpowered. She has gone from a balanced character capable of providing team value in a fast-tempo playstyle, to a character that can basically 1v5 and never die.  Although I will say I’m glad that the Contenders and Overwatch League patches are staying on the previous patch instead of making us learn a new patch in the middle of our respective tournaments.  Contenders supporters already have known, but the wider Overwatch League audience saw you break out in a big way on Tracer during the Pro-Am. What did it mean to you to really put forward a good showing on such a big stage?  Making the Overwatch League has always been my dream, so being able to play in an official Overwatch League tournament against professional teams in front of such a big audience was almost like a dream come true.  Getting a taste of what it’s like at that level is something I’ll always be thankful for and if anything, it makes me want to make the Overwatch league even more.  This won’t be the last you see of me I promise that. Collegiate esports is something that continues to grow in North America and Overwatch has a great representation in that space as well. Where do your priorities stand currently? Would a collegiate offer weigh as much as an Overwatch League offer right now? As of right now, I’m currently exploring collegiate opportunities. My goal is still, and so long as I’m playing the game will always be, making Overwatch League.  Collegiate is a great opportunity for aspiring pros like myself as it allows you to keep grinding for the big leagues, whilst also working towards a degree.  Advancing into the Spring Playoffs has to cement quite a bit of confidence, but one game against Saints stands out. Talk to me a little about that loss. What was the big takeaway from that game? Was the amount of Junker Queen during Map 5 expected?  The loss against Saints was one of the worst I’ve experienced in a long time, not because I feel like they outplayed us but because I feel that we sort of, dropped the ball in the final moments. We know the Junker Queen match-up very well, as being a team that primarily plays monkey-dive comps, it’s something that we run into all the time when we play against teams that try to counter our composition.  While I will admit they played the match-up better than any other team we’ve played before, I will say a lot of that loss lies on us making individual mistakes, as well as us failing to play as a cohesive unit.  Because of that, I’m not nearly as discouraged as I would have been otherwise, and that loss gives me even more motivation and instils a sense of responsibility to not be complacent, as a team can always play something we aren’t expecting so we need to be on our toes no matter what.  Next time we see them (which I guarantee we will) things will be different. Looking at playoffs, your first-round match is against Afterlife. Coming in as the number one seed, are there any concerns? Anything you'd like to say to your opponents? WISP is headed into playoffs with a 'work harder than everyone else' mentality. We know that so long as we keep grinding hard, and play with the confidence and authority we always do, no team will be capable of stopping us.  My message to our opponents? Good luck. Last question; give me one word to describe how you're feeling heading into the Contenders Spring playoffs? What are your predictions for the event? The word I would use to describe how I’m feeling going into playoffs is “metamorphosis”. I picked this word because it represents the philosophy that I’ve stuck by since the beginning of the Pro-Am and that is: To win it all, I need to evolve to a level above which I’m at currently. I expect to run it back with Saints in the grand finals and hope that we’ll finally have the opportunity to prove that WISP has the best players and coaches in tier 2.
Images via Blizzard Entertainment
 

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