Matt · @waterboymatt
8th Aug 2017 from TwitLonger
Best of luck to @Vicarrack!
Roster changes are never easy. You may have seen some controversy surrounding the recent release of Vic from the Dark Sided HotS team. I'd like to start this by explaining that my perceptions of roster changes are always fairly harsh, cut-throat and to the point. It's not a method I endorse, but I accept it - and that's probably due to my experience within esports for nearing 7 years now. Following that, I acknowledge that just because others do it, doesn't make it right. As a team owner, I'm very limited in some cases, as to what I can do in these scenarios, that facilitates everyone's best interest in mind. I'm happy to admit, alongside Moops, that the roster change could've been handled a little easier. I don't intend on demoralising the ANZ Heroes scene, or the hard working people that make it what it is, but the community is still in it's infancy. I say this in comparison to what it could be with some more growth, and compared to other esport titles. One thing I'd like to confirm is that the team didn't take this decision lightly.
I have one question for you, if you're reading. If you're in a team, and you're going to get dropped, what is your ideal way of being dropped? I've heard 'plenty of notice', 'being upfront' etc. I don't need to explain myself, or the actions of my team but I love the HotS scene, and I'd like to give some transparency. The exact moment the team felt the change should happen, they told Vic. The rumors of Vic being dropped for weeks are a lie. I won't in this case, but I can provide screen-logs from Moops and the team that support this. Although, the prospect of a team change was considered for a couple of weeks. The thing a lot of people are misunderstanding is that this was just a prospect. A lot of people are saying, 'well Rob wanted to join so of course you waited for his approval', actually, a number of players requested to join the team, prior to the prospect of a change came into fruition, and Vic was dropped before a new 5th was confirmed.
One thing I'll admit is, the team could have told Vic that the prospect of a team change may occur, giving him some forewarning. The issue surrounding this is, if the team decided a change wasn't necessary, it would have ruined any future chemistry between Vic and the team regardless - hence telling him at the exact moment their minds were made up. At the end of the day, I wasn't portraying my message clear enough in Twitter replies, but it's important to consider that roster changes are also subject to the perception of how the person takes it, and what their expectations are, coming into a roster change. I apologies to Vic on behalf of the team, and the brand, if he felt he was done wrong.
I really respect how passionate the HotS scene is, especially looking out for one of their respected members like Vic. I can personally say Vic was nothing short of a pleasure to meet at the S3 bootcamp, and I hope to god he forms a team that smashes ours hehe.
An official press release will come within the next few days outlining the plans for the team.