At the time of this interview, Dallas Fuel just lost 0-3 to San Francisco Shock and it didn't look close. I wanted to talk to Jonathan "HarryHook" Tejedor Rua in particular because Shock was making life a living hell for a support player. So what does a seasoned support player do when his team is getting rolled?
The suffering Overwatch player loathes quick match because “no one takes it seriously” while also despising competitive play because “no one takes it seriously.” There is a palpable me-against-the-world mentality that convinces them winning is less about mastery of Overwatch gameplay and more adhering to a list of rules that supposedly result in social cohesion.
I wanted to know what the showmanship was all about. Whether CWoosH was amping up the crowd to soak the moment in as long as possible, or whether this was a player who was tired of being an underdog and was seizing an opportunity to rise above.
In a move that benefits LA Gladiators more than anyone, Fissure was apparently transferred due to his request for more playing time, something London Spitfire just couldn't give.
Naturally, his recent decision to join the league as DPS for Dallas Fuel made me want to follow up on this question. Is Dallas Fuel the "good team" he was waiting for?
Today, the Shanghai Dragons proved the rumors true and officially confirmed four new players to join their roster. In addition to the roster news, Dragons have also confirmed an updated "player selection policy" regarding future Chinese players during season 2,
Even during breaks, the sound of the arena is cacophonous. Between commentary and game sounds, cheers and straight up blood-curdling screams, the Overwatch League is not for the faint of heart. It is beautiful, even in its overstimulation – the stadium is bathed in various team colors throughout the day and the art of the upcoming map periodically consumes the stage.
I'm going to focus on what I know for certain. Here are the three Overwatch League truths I've learned from interviewing pro players, team captains, player managers and everyone in between during stage 1.
I mean, I was "good", but if I played that way now, I would be hard feeding. I would be really, really bad. It just shows how much everything has improved. If you look at other Tracers a year from now, you would think that everyone now is just so bad.
Dallas’ underperformance is the result of a myriad of factors, but there are three notable culprits...
But things never got better for the Dragons. Defeat, after defeat, the community narratives began to form and the Chinese team is unanimously viewed as the Leagues official underdogs. With a record of 0-8, I was most interested in speaking with Chao "UNDEAD" Fang.
Jake favors Junkrat more than anyone because he is the best at it, and if Dynasty could not handle Spitfire’s Junkrat, then they are in for a rude awakening tonight.
"This is my first experience getting paid to do something and it's playing video games. Not a lot of people do that. I came from Canada and my whole world changed as soon as I came here"
Fusion will be a wild card of the League, capable of taking maps from the very best and giving maps to the very worst. Their individual skill is remarkable, but their teamplay must improve with each and every game if they intend to join the best in the playoffs.
Mei isn't the most popular hero, but the ability to dismantle the enemies strategy with a single ability is always in demand. If you are up to the challenge (and can coordinate with your team) clever Mei usage can net huge advantages.
I had a chance to talk to ShaDowBurn after Fusion's win vs. the Shanghai Dragons this week and was curious as to what he thought about his opponents poor reputation. After all, Fusion also defeated the NYXL powerhouse this week, so their close match against Shanghai Dragons was surprising. Were the Dragons really as weak as fans seem to think?
All around, they have such a good roster. I would tell them that they need to go back to their tried and true-- run chipshajen and HarryHook and have map specialist or meta specialist that come in.
We have to analyze our performance, practice level, and players conditions vigilantly. We can never know for sure if we are the best.
Toyota will be a North American Launch Partner for the Overwatch League, and is looking forward to future collaborations around bringing behind-the-scenes content to fans.
After the Shangai Dragons second defeat on the Overwatch League mainstage, I knew I had to talk to the team. It's never an easy or fun conversation, but the Dragons were quickly gaining the reputation as the worst team in the league...
