FAU’s Overwatch Red Team is just beginning their season in the Tespa Overwatch Collegiate Championship, and they’re already off to a good start. On March 1st, the team faced off against Regent Elite Gaming, and won 0-3. It was only the second game of the tournament, which consists of 12 rounds, with one happening every week. There are seven teams in Red Team’s division, but they are still unsure how they rank compared to the rest.
“It feels like we’re not at the top, but we’re definitely above average,” said Robert Jones, one of the teams Support players, otherwise known as Orange. While the team has been able to beat a good majority of college teams, they still know where their competition lies.
“There’s definitely a handful of really good college teams that are really tough to beat,” said Ryan Peters, the team’s other Support, also known as FiveHead. He was mainly referring to the universities with teams that have been long established, like FSU and UCF. Being that eSports is still a growing activity, especially in college settings, a lot of skilled players are still unaware of what opportunities their schools might be offering. More established teams end up with more established and skilled players, and typically rank better than others in competitions.
However, Red Team is still eager to overcome whatever challenges they may face. To prepare, the group makes time to play scrimmage matches two times a week. After these matches, they will occasionally review the outcomes, picking out strong points, and discussing where things need work.
“I think we have a good overall mechanical skill. People on this team know how to aim,” commented DPS player James Goedmakers, or Goedmaker in-game. This goes a long way in competition, being that a lot of teams lack players with refined skills in the basic mechanics in the game.
However, the team agrees that they do need some sprucing up in terms of their coordination and teamwork. A lot of this issue stems from the fact they are playing a man down. Before the Tespa Overwatch Collegiate Championship began, the Red Team faced off in Open Division matches, which had them competing against both collegiate and independent teams. During this time, their sixth teammate quit, leaving the team divided, and having to find a fill for every match. “I think we’re still recovering from that loss,” said DPS player Yafee Islam, or iYafee. “This is why our main problem is in teamwork and overall map control.”
Plans to help combat this are in order, though. The group has already narrowed down potential candidates for their replacement sixth teammate. With that problem solved, they are hoping that will get them on track to being on the same page.
“Top colleges seem more practiced and disciplined, and that’s where we want to be eventually,” said Goedmakers.
Even with their internal struggle, they’re still in high spirits about where they stand and their ability to grow together. It is clear that outside the game, they’re all really good friends with one another.
“I love my teammates. I don’t think there are any bad apples here,” commented Islam.
“I think we’ll make a better team with more time put in,” said Peters.
With more games left to play, and a lot more room left to grow, things are looking bright for our Overwatch Red Team. We’re looking forward to the rest of their season!
-By Lindsey Cartwright
Official Blog of FAU eSports 