Fusion SADO on goals for Season 2: ‘I want to put on a better performance and results than Season 1'

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During the inaugural season of the Overwatch League, the Philadelphia Fusion had a reputation as the wild-card team. Each of Fusion’s matches ended up being one of the most exciting of the week, due to their knack for achieving major upset victories over OWL front-runners. This trend continued into the playoffs as they dethroned the one team commonly agreed upon as the best in the league, the NYXL, and took their place at the Grand Finals in Brooklyn.

If you ask any player or fan, few will completely agree on what the Fusion’s X-factor is, but one indisputable factor in their success has been the flexibility of their tank line.

After waiting out his 30-game suspension, Su-min “SADO” Kim finally took the stage in Stage 4 and showed fans what they had been missing all year. The resulting Tank line partnership with friend and teammate Hong-joon “HOTBA” Choi acted as a counter-balance to the more aggro heavy playstyle of Fragi and Poko.

This season, however, things are changing for SADO. With HOTBA now playing for the Guangzhou Charge, adjustments in communication and strategy need to be made.

I recently met with SADO to discuss the coming season and his thoughts on playing the role of main Tank.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Adam: What lesson did you learn from Season 1 that you would like to take with you into Season 2?

SADO: I think that team composition is the most important factor in success. As long as team comp is unified, there shouldn't be a problem. Practicing more with the team should help with that in this preseason.

Credit: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment

Adam: Since Grand Finals there have been two new characters released, Ashe and Hammond. What are your thoughts on Hammond and how he will affect the game?

SADO: I like both Hammond and Ashe, I think they are very strong characters. Blizzard did a really good job making them, and I can’t wait to see them used more in the season. I think that since all the tanks got nerfed in this meta, we will see a lot more Hammond and different comps adapting to the armor nerf. Self-sustainability and mobility will be key. Hammond can be annoying and live a long time, his ability to disrupt the back line isn't nerfed like the normal tanks we see.

Adam: Because of the nerfs to the tank role, what kind of challenges will the tank line face, and how will this affect your hero pool?

SADO: It really depends on the map and what's better for the team comp, but I think my hero pool will be changing quite a bit in terms of tank heroes.

Adam: What is your opinion on GOATS comp? Is it more fun for you as a tank player?

SADO: I don't mind playing GOATS, but I think the other metas were more enjoyable. According to what other players are telling me though, it’s the worst thing ever for them and needs to go away (laughs).

Credit: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment

Adam: What are the biggest differences between you and Fragi when it comes to the Main Tank position?

SADO: Haircut? (laughs) Fragi's just a person that's very reliable if he's there, the team feels very stable and grounded. That's what the main Tank is supposed to do.

Adam: With Hotba gone, what if any changes have you had to make to your play style with only one off-tank to work with?

SADO: I don't really think that there will be a significant change. Hotba and Poko are very similar players. However with Poko there is a significant language barrier, so I have to work on my communication a lot more.

Adam: Have you been working on your English at all? How have you improved since coming to the U.S.?

SADO: I learned a lot since I first came to the United States and I'm still learning. We have teachers and tutors that come in all the time to help us, so I feel a lot better than I did before. In the first season, Joemeister was really interested in learning Korean, and now Snillo's picking it up too, so everyone is learning something.

Credit: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment

Adam: How do you feel about the impression that Koreans will always be the most dominant region in Esports, and has that gap closed at all thanks to global leagues like OWL?

SADO: I think that Koreans are really good at games in general, but in games like Sudden Attack and League of Legends, I've been seeing a lot of western players compete at an equal level. All the players on our team are terrific, so there's no additional pressure on me to be good just because I am Korean. Instead, I want to be good because they're good. I want to play as equals with them.

Adam: What are some of the most common mistakes you see made by tank players at a high level, and how can they be fixed?

SADO: Positioning would be the main thing. As a Tank, you have to think not only about your own positioning but also that of your whole team. You always run the risk of being too passive or too aggressive depending on what your team wants to do. This is something that comes with experience. You also have to pay attention to what the other team is doing at the same time so that you don’t let them create too much space for themselves. It’s a tough balance.

Adam: How are you feeling going into Season 2, now that it's just around the corner?

SADO: I am confident going into the new season. Last year, for me, it was going to a new country, joining a new team and living in a new house with new teammates. This year, all of that is already in place, so I think we will be able to start the year with confidence and get off to a good start. For this season, I want to put on a better performance and results than Season 1. I want to go all the way, and in order to do that, it's going to take a lot of practice and hard work.

Credit: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
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