It’s been a bit of a rocky stage for the Fusion. They’ve had the misfortune of being scheduled against the No. 2 team in the league not once, but twice. When you add this to an unfortunate match with the new and improved London Spitfire, you end up with a top-tier team sporting a middling record.
This is not the first time a scheduling disadvantage has disrupted an otherwise strong team. In Stage 1 the San Francisco Shock ended up as the sixth seed in the stage playoffs, despite being the third best team in the league. However, as we saw with San Francisco, a low playoff seed doesn’t always spell defeat.
With just one game left to go, it is do or die time for the Fusion as they prepare to face off against the Shock in their last match of the stage. Given their record, you would be forgiven for having a bleak outlook on the Fusion’s chances, but according to Fusion DPS Josue “Eqo” Corona there is a deeper strategy at play.
After their most recent victory, I spoke with Eqo about how the Fusion are developing, as well as the team’s perception among analysts.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Adam: Now that we are halfway through the stage, we are getting a better idea of how this meta is shaping up, how is your team handling the new status quo?
Eqo: I think for us in every meta, and every stage, it's a journey of finding what fits us best. A lot of times, people underestimate us because we underperform, but we try every single scenario, every situation, and even if we lose, it's all experience that's going to help us come playoffs.
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Other teams focus on one playstyle and one general idea of how to play the game; we test out a lot of different perspectives and ideas so we know how to deal with everything when it comes to us.
That's why we struggle a little bit, but when it comes to playoffs we get our heads together, that's the type of team we are. Right now we are kind of finding our identity, and hopefully when it comes to the end of the stage we will be ready.
Adam: It's commonly accepted by analysts that there are a top 3 teams, a bottom 3, and everyone else is in the middle. As the top of that middle section, do you feel like your team is being underrated at all?
Eqo: I think we are being misunderstood. A lot of people don't understand the concept of our gameplay and what we look to achieve. Most people just see that this team is losing, or that team is winning. This stage is a journey for us so that we have the ultimate comp that we want to invest in, and the ultimate strategy for every single scenario that can happen. That's what this stage is about, not winning every single match. So it doesn't really matter what the casters and analysts think, because when we really need to perform we will.
Adam: What do you think can be done to catch up to these three strongest teams that seem to be knocking everyone down?
Eqo: In Overwatch when there's a winning strategy, there's always a way to beat that strategy. There's no such thing as a way strategy to win against every single team. We know how all the top teams play, and if we really wanted to, we could dedicate ourselves to countering their gameplay, but for us, it's simply not efficient in the long run.
The most important thing with the tank compositions in this meta is to be consistent and to have your own identity and playstyle. For example, NYXL has a very passive playstyle, and Vancouver and SF have a very aggressive playstyle. Both styles work for those teams, so it's all about finding what works for you. I think the next team that finds what clicks for them, they will be the next ones at the top.
For us, we just want to take all our cumulative knowledge and be prepared for any scenario, that’s basically the Philadelphia up and down.
Adam: We are still seeing a lot of GOATS on stage, what do you think it would take to kill off that comp completely?
Eqo: I think it's Brig that's keeping GOATS alive. In this game there's a lot of DPS characters, more than any other role, but the healing output that comes from the supports just surpasses all the damage you could potentially do. It makes it very difficult to get value out of dealing damage, because you get way more value out of healing, especially though ultimates.
The amount of value you get from support ults is much better, and the amount of team fight potential you have with that healing is much better for the game, considering you are supposed to play around the payload. It's not a game where you are playing out in the open where it matters who can hit shots, it's objective based, so more sustain and staying on the objective longer is better. This is why GOATS is so strong, and I think the only way to fix it is to tone down the healing numbers, or the healing ultimates like trance.
Adam: This stage you've finally had the chance to swap off Brig and back onto some DPS heroes. How has that been for you?
Eqo: Well, I'm slightly rusty on DPS, so I haven't played my best games, but I'm still confident enough that I'm better than the other DPS players. For us the DPS comps are about how we can get the maximum value out of positioning and executions. It was a very important concept for us to learn, so we are trying a lot of DPS so that our timing and executions are good. I think all those skills also transfer to the tank composition. Teamwork is teamwork no matter what comps you play, so I think practicing that way has helped a lot.
Credit: Ben Pursell/ Blizzard Entertainment
Adam: You are regarded as one of if not the leader of your team, do you feel any additional responsibility in helping your team navigate this new meta?
Eqo: I don't feel any responsibility. I'm just a teammate you know? I just do what I need to do, and if someone needs help I will do my best to guide them if I have the knowledge to do so. I'm not perfect in the game. I also look for a lot of ways to improve. At the end of the day we are a team, and I just expect everyone to strive to be the best they can be in their role. I think we do that, and that alone satisfies me.