Volamel
2023-10-28 01:00:06
Your road to the 2023 Overwatch World Cup came down to the wire alongside Team Mexico. With a last-minute win over Team Puerto Rico, you guys qualified and booked your tickets. Could you talk a little bit about what went into that match in particular and what it meant to the team to secure that win?
I felt really confident going into the match, because our practice leading up to that moment reflected an extremely strong position.
We felt comfortable in the meta, we knew ourselves and our opponents, and we knew what we had to do to win.
It was a really important win for all of us - an opportunity to travel and compete at the Overwatch World Cup LAN, and to prove to the world that our country has a lot to showcase, especially from players who may be newer to the scene.
The Overwatch World Cup has always been a place for the competitive community to watch players they wouldn't normally see play. Going down the roster could you share what each player is like but also answer what job you could see them having outside of Overwatch as well?
AngelVolado (DPS): Angel is a hardworking player who always thinks about how he can improve himself and his play style. His main focus is on mechanical efficiency, and his demeanour is always calm and reserved. Rarely, do we get a glimpse at a more relaxed player, or one who may even have leadership qualities.
Outside of Overwatch, I could see Angel as a systems builder, or something else which requires a lot of mechanical, practical skill. Angel has a good sense for logic, and I could see him being able to transfer those skills to everyday life.
Castled (Tank): Reliable, conscientious and the type of team-mate you can always depend on. An extremely hard worker, Castled is the type of guy who you can trust to get the job done, whatever it may be. He will always put in the work, and will always put in the hours. I love the guy!
I could see Castled as a family restaurant, cafe or bar owner in another life. He's easy-going, witty and great with the social skills. He's the type of person you'd want in charge of a business that makes people feel good.
Chobilux (DPS): Chobilux has a very strong personality. He constantly strives for perfection, both for himself and in those around him. Chobilux is the kind of guy who has a plan and tries to ensure that everything occurs as expected. He's the type of guy who will also plan for contingencies that we might not have considered.
Occasionally, Chobilux has shown sparks of leadership during our time leading up to the World Cup. This makes me think he'd be a good sole trader or salesman - perhaps even an entrepreneur. Even if he's solo, I can see Chobi doing well by drawing on his foresight and problem-solving aptitude.
Hysteria (Tank): Hysteria is the pure-hearted one of the group. He's friendly, personable and always takes feedback in stride. He natively adopts suggestions into his playstyle and works hard to be the best he can be.
I could see hysteria in a job where he relates to others using his empathetic skillset. Perhaps as a vet or nurse, or maybe even a tattoo artist. Hysteria is the kind of guy who will always be there for you if you need a friend.
Momo (Support): Momo is a quiet, technical player. If there's a difficult shot that needs to be hit to make a play, Momo is your guy. He's excellent at following instructions and is quite witty. If you get him in the right moment, he'll actually surprise you with how hype he can get - he does have a hidden extroverted side.
Momo is the kind of guy who, oddly enough, seems to fit the profile of a guitarist or musician. His mechanical skill great, and he has a specific style which makes me think he'd excel at something with both mechanical and stylistic components, like a musician or artist.
Paolette (Support): Paolette is the player who has evolved the most during their time with Team Mexico. He works 24/7 and always thinks about the game - he lives, breathes and sleeps Overwatch. He's extremely smart, very educated and also well-spoken. If you require an opinion on any given situation, he'll give you an insightful answer.
Due to his high intelligence and strong problem-solving skills, I could see Paolette as an engineer or software developer. Anything that he sets his mind to, he will be able to achieve through sheer force of intelligence and work ethic.
Sopa (Support): I see Sopa as my little brother because I see a lot of my younger self in him. He's a joy to be around, and always takes feedback well. He passes this on, too - he's a kind person and is always there to be a brother to those around him. Sopa will always have your back if you need someone.
Sopa may excel as a team leader or manager. As someone who is always there to support you, he'd be the ideal candidate to ensure that those under him are adequately taken care of. If there's anyone I'd like in my corner when things get rough, it's this guy. You can count on Gonzalez!
As a former professional player, you've seen your fair share of team environments and atmospheres. What does this squad do differently? What are the biggest selling points of this collection of players?
These players have some of the simplest and best qualities you can find in esports players - they're young, hungry and eager to develop their careers. Together with my experience, they've been able to become better players, professionals, and persons.
Speaking of the past, you've been a part of Team Mexico's World Cup stable before both in 2016 and partially in 2019, outside of some visa troubles. As someone who has done this before, what advice have you passed on to some of the younger or more inexperienced players?
For the players, it's important they understand that when we get to LAN, our emotions will be different. I've taken care to paint a clear picture that things will not be the same as when we're scrimming together online.
So with this in mind, I've been investing a lot of our time into preparing the team for the mental stresses of competing in a LAN environment, aside from merely the mechanics of gameplay.
From what I've seen, and from where I've seen previous teams fall short, this is one of the most important things to have on lock when you go into LAN.
We'll ask you plainly; what does the World Cup mean to you?
It's an opportunity to represent our country on the world stage, and get our names out there. It's the prime opportunity to show the world that our country has an incredible pool of individual talent. Our players are hard-working, and I think you'll be surprised by how much we exceed your expectations.
With the World Cup only a few weeks away, what is Team Mexico doing to prepare for the group stage? Has it set in that everyone is about to be playing on LAN soon? How are scrims going?
For now, we've doubled down on our scrims. Due to the constraints of daily life and other commitments, this means that it's not always possible to scrim several times every day with the whole team. But, we've still consistently found ways to make the scrims work with what we have.
I don't feel that the reality of going to LAN has hit the players yet. Going to LAN is one of those things that you never really know what to expect until you're there in person. The players are in for a wild ride, and I'm here for it!
Being in a new meta, scrims are always going to be interesting. This is a good thing though, as it keeps the players and myself on our toes while we find our respective places in this new playstyle.
Team South Korea might tower over Group A but the second seed is an open race. How confident do you all feel that Team Mexico can advance past Team Colombia and Team Finland?
I have much respect for both Finland and Colombia. Since the meta is so fresh, it's like the Wild West out there at the moment. Anyone could take the second spot, our objective is to put on a good show.
Lastly, if you could describe the feeling ahead of the World Cup with one word, which word would you pick? How do you think that feeling relates to Team Mexico's story for 2023?
Evolutionary.
I feel that our team is in a growth phase both as a whole and individually. If I could explain it using a metaphor, I see our players each in their own chrysalis, about to emerge as fully-fledged players in the LAN.
Keep an eye on us - we might surprise you!