Parting ways with @Spitfire + thoughts on esports, contracts, and player health

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TLDR: C9 cracked down hard budget mode, Kaan is a future investment compared to a third coach who’s working remotely (and he’s an amazing player/person and deserves to stay in the league). I’m disappointed and frustrated at the scene and the org to an extent (explanation of why no official announcement later), but appreciate Noukky/ChrisTfer’s work. Also, a lot of thoughts/insight into the scene, and my thoughts on the future of esports as a whole.

As of last week, I was given my two weeks’ from Spitfire after working with them from June of 2021- it was an experience full of positives and negatives, but before I delve too deep, I want to extend a special thanks to Noukky for bringing me on last season, and a special thanks to ChrisTfer for his leadership this season- he deserves a lot of credit for this season’s results, and it will be a shame if he doesn’t win Coach of the year. There’s a lot of words in this Twitlonger, but I want to make sure that Chris, CommanderX, Noukky, the players, and the SMM are not perceived as being targets of my disappointment or my critique.

First, a quick recap of my situation this season- the plan was for me was to continue working remotely, but to visit for a couple weeks at least once. This process, frankly, did not work out as well as I’d have liked. I was able to help the team a great deal, as I handled the majority of the individual feedback along with strategic insight, but there’s just nothing quite like coaching and leading in person. Last season there was an “everyone in the same boat,” but this season I felt the gap between me and the players, even me and Chris. Frankly, it was super demotivating when CommanderX was able to visit for several weeks- I never felt more disconnected and lonely as a coach. I was never able to build a level of trust/rapport with Chris that would have helped me to do my job to the best of my ability.

Unfortunately, staying with the team was out of the question. I’m married, I own a house, and moving to the teamhouse would have required me to leave my wife for months at a time over the course of a 9+ month training season, or rent an apartment in LA (completely financially infeasible with my salary, more on that below). A planned trip to Hawaii was postponed when my brother’s wedding conflicted (we also theorized that a remote coach could be useful for recording, and it was). I didn’t know it at the time, but this was my last opportunity to see the boys.

Finally, the postponed trip was scheduled, tickets were bought, and I was scheduled to come for two weeks last week. Unfortunately, two days before the flight I received news that C9 was cracking down on budget, especially with us potentially acquiring another player (Kaan), and the trip would have to be canceled- that night while speaking with a member of the team, I questioned where C9 was getting the money for a new player if it couldn’t even afford a flight. 36 hours later I got my answer, as I was broken the news that I was being released to open budget space for Kaan.

Now, let me be clear, I hold no resentment to Noukky or Chris for this decision. This was an investment into a top player with long term upside over a coach who’s not likely to be able to fit in the LA in-person system, and money is super, super tight. I respect their decision- it was my plan for this season to be my last going back to this February (more on why later), and it’s objectively the best move moving forward for the Spitfire.

In regards to the announcement/farewell Tweet, C9 chose to not approve it (for I assume budget reasons), but chose to approve the same day a Boneback meme farewell post with some of the most ironic text you’ll ever read. Let me be clear, this is not at all the SMM’s fault or Noukky’s fault! I don’t even think our SMM was aware of what was going on, but man it made me laugh when I saw it- you can’t make this stuff up. I get it, meme posts are funny, funny means engagement, engagement is good for finance, but I really found this decision by C9 to be in bad taste and disrespected the amount of work and effort I put into their team. It’s not always the best financial min-max move to do the right thing, but it’s still the right thing.


Now, with all that being said, why was I planning on this being my last season? What do I think is wrong with Overwatch? I’m no esports, finance, or marketing expert, but here are a few of the issues I’ve seen and experienced.

1. Contracts/Pay
It’s not even a secret that contract value/average pay in OWL is plummeting. Now, there’s a lot of reasons why this could be so- plummeting viewership (28k viewers for the Shock vs. Boston match on a Friday afternoon?), the massive drop in sponsors during the offseason, and overly ambitious initial investment – I’m not smart enough to know why. Personally, OWL was not a financially responsible career for me moving forward- I worked a stressful 60-70 hours every week for 45k, and because I’m technically an independent contractor, ended up paying over 5k in taxes at the end of the year anyway (tax write-offs are tough to find).

To be fair, I’m a self-admitted horrible negotiator when it comes to money- I frankly don’t feel comfortable asking for more than I need at the time (I could be taking away budget from the players and the team needs), but I’m not in a position to where the pay was going to allow me to invest in the future. I’m skeptical that the scene is going to be able to pay better contracts for their coaches and players moving forward.

The scene is also plagued with horribly structured contracts that seem to be the norm in esports. For most players the contract duration is a downside not an upside, as a player can be dropped with two weeks pay at any time, and the length of contract is there to ensure if the player gets other offers, the buyout covers the length of the contract. I had to negotiate from 40k to 45k in my contract initially, but hardball negotiation can be difficult (for non- S+ tier Korean Contenders prodigies), as you’re often one push away from losing your dream opportunity (and, again, I’d say most of these orgs have really no wiggle room in the current state of OWL)

2. Future of Overwatch
I think Blizzard has done their best damage control over the past 6 months, but I’m afraid it’s too little too late. The horrific lack of content¸ the embarrassing lack of communication¸ the glacial approach to balance, the terrible mismanagement of the path to pro- all of these issues have plagued blizzard for not months, but years, and have certainly destroyed a huge portion of the fanbase.

The OW2 release really was a travesty as well- one new hero, a confusing beta rollout, and no ranked really was tough. The lack of ranked alone is 100% going to lead to at least a handful of OWL pros retiring in the offseason- either you start or… that’s it. The bench was a death sentence, even just for keeping your mechanics warm. I appreciate that Blizzard is doing their best to reverse these mistakes, but I fear it may be too late, almost certainly for OWL’s future.

3. Player Health/Growth
This one isn’t unique to Overwatch, but I imagine across esports. The way I look at esports is an opportunity to compete in a team environment, and an opportunity to grow as an individual into adulthood. I’ve tried to develop the character of the players I’ve worked with over the years, and I’m not certain that many teams in OWL have put this at the forefront of their team culture. I believe ChrisTfer did a good job of this with Spitfire, and it had a large hand in why we were successful. A lot of players come in as degenerate gamers- no social skills, unhealthy habits, and weak character. Improving these not only allows the players to play better (and more consistently, crucially), but allows them to leave OWL a better person. I don’t think enough teams are treating this as a priority, nor do I think these teams are hiring staff that prioritize these goals.

Additionally, I think some of the habits that OWL teams get into may even cement the unhealthy lifestyle, and even glorify it. Currently a lot of professional and amateur sports are undergoing a quiet “revolution” of what smart training looks like. Without delving too deeply into Feed the Cats, deliberate practice, the LA Ram’s injury prevention, and the High School Football coach stereotype, I seriously question the “grinding” that is prevalent among OWL players and OWL teams. The general training structure that got a lot of players to OWL is not necessarily the best to continue to grow and thrive in the league.

Triple block days, six days a week are common, and the lack of ranked isn’t a good enough excuse to me. To succeed in OWL, you MUST be completely focused for every map, every scrim block, and when you introduce greater grind, inevitably you don’t get to eat your cake and eat it too- instead you end up with diluting the energy/focus over the week, and reducing the fun of playing a video game for work. Having every hour of your day solely absorbed by the game for 9 months is not the best method for performing at your best over the course of the season, and puts players on the fast track for burnout and retirement.

Lastly, after all that negativity, I would like to finish out with some positive thoughts on the team.

Hadi: My Habibi- been through some tough times going into last season, but I never doubted your dedication. It’s been a wonderful experience watching you develop into a man with your maturity, leadership, and confidence. You’re living proof that growing as a person grows you as a player.

Poko: Idiot.

Sparkr: Like Hadi, it’s been a pleasure watching you grow and mature as a person. I’ve been the guy in your ear so much over the last season and a half, and I’ve got to personally watch you grow into a confident, communicative, and consistent DPS.

Shax: Mads Mikkelsen got nothing on you- this has been an odd season for you, but I could always trust you to perform on match day, and to show willingness to work and improve despite being limited in your role. I’ve always enjoyed our reviews together, and your professionalism is really second to none.

Backbone: You’ve changed a lot in the past year- I always hoped that you’d be able to show what you’re capable of. You did the hard things, didn’t quit, and look where you’re at now. Don’t stop.

Landon: Very, very proud of you, man. Brought into the most difficult of circumstances, and really done a great job. You know the respect I have for you as a person- make this a good experience.

Admiral: Please keep Denis “Mad Dog” Tari in check- thank you for your service.

Kaan: German prince, I take all credit for your growth because I scouted you and coached you for like two weeks back in my 2019 NA contenders days. Please make sure my royalties continue to arrive directly to my Paypal.

ChrisTfer: Greatly respect your work and leadership. Thank you for keeping me on this season.

Noukky: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to coach with the guys- as I’ve said before, you’re stuck with juggling a lot of different responsibilities, and don’t get thanked enough for your work.

CommanderX: You’re a good man and a great coach- sorely underrated in both (maybe that’s partly due to your unintimidating muscle mass and lack of masculine features). Always came to you when I was struggling with a problem, and you were always a good friend.

Thibbledork: You're a Social Media wizard, and you’ve been killing it this season, mate.

Poko: Seriously, you’re a good man. Professional, collected, and a great player. You deserve to succeed with whatever you do, and I’m thankful for the time I got to spend coaching you.

To the boys: I’ve said it once, I’ll say it one more time, my biggest regret this season is that I didn’t get the chance to see you guys in person. Hopefully we can fix that in the future- I love you guys!
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As for what’s next? I’m not certain. I’m open to finishing out the season with any OWL teams looking for a little extra help, but I’ll be likely moving on from the OWL coaching pursuit after this season into other pursuits- I’ve made it a habit of pursuing excellence to my best ability, and when I reach where I want to be, finding something else that inspires me. In addition, I had a rather damning doctor’s appointment this March where I was told many of my health struggles are potentially stemming from the stress of the job. I may return to sports coaching, return to content creation, pursue a lifelong passion of mine- music, or something else. I’m always open to any ideas that the OW community may have.

Overall, I’m extremely grateful for the time I got to spend in OWL- even though it wasn’t quite as positive of an experience as I’d have liked, getting there was by far the most challenging, rewarding, and educational job experience I’ve ever had. I don’t want this to come across as overly negative- I am disappointed that something I’ve dedicated four years of my life to has ended so anti-climatically, but what I’ve learned along the way made it more than worth it, and I hope this post sheds light on things that need to get better in the scene.

Lastly, I’m going to try to answer as many questions as I can about the scene, OWL, and coaching, so hopefully we’ll get a reddit thread setup so I can share my experiences and hopefully educate folks- that’s the reason why I wrote this thing.

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