Playing in a big event like the Overwatch League is a dream for many gamers. One who made it is Hyung-seok “Bischu” Kim of the Los Angeles Gladiators. In an interview with Invenglobal, he describes how it happened—and how things were for him before. And the situation before didn’t look too promising.
With the Overwatch League, Blizzard has created a gigantic spectacle for eSports this year. With its own arena and players from around the world, the game studio offers entertainment for almost half a year.
To be able to play in the Overwatch League, players must be among the best. Each player is contracted by a team for one year—of course, the owners want to ensure quality.
One of the players in the league is Hyung-seok (“Aaron”) “Bischu” Kim, the Tank/Flex player of the Los Angeles Gladiators. In a detailed interview with Invenglobal, he talks about his past and how he finally made it to the league. We have summarized the most interesting points for you.
“Before I joined the LA Gladiators, I had 80$ in my bank account.”
Before Bischu started with Overwatch, he was a League-of-Legends streamer. During his high school time, he streamed in his free time but never really thought about playing in a team. Solo games and streams were more important to him.
However, the question nagged him whether he really wanted to earn money by streaming games and what his future would look like. He eventually decided that he preferred to play for his money. So, he didn’t go to college as his parents intended, but started playing Overwatch and probably moved to LA to join a pro team.
From the last dump to the league
With savings from his time as a LoL player, he struggled through Korea Town in Los Angeles. He was too proud to ask his parents for help and lived off his dwindling savings.
Bischu lived in the last dump, a hole, as he puts it. He was at the end of his nerves, surviving on “shitty meals” and waiting day by day for the call from a pro team. Just before he had to return to Korea due to lack of money, he finally received the relieving call from the LA Gladiators. At that time, he still had 80 dollars in his account.
For him, that was salvation: he didn’t have to go back to Korea, not return to college, and wouldn’t have to live with the question “What if…?”
“It’s humiliating when you lose. You disappoint your fans – that must not happen!”
With the contract in hand, things finally started looking up. Being a pro gamer also means work. A lot of work, in fact. Bischu: “If you don’t train hard, you won’t last long.” Nevertheless, Bischu knows that he now plays in the OWL because he deserves it. He has fulfilled that dream.
As a pro, however, a defeat must never be of no concern. Anyone who becomes complacent has already lost—and if you don’t care about losing, you lack the mindset that defines a pro.
Bischu doubts that a pro ever resigns. Pro players are beyond the point of an amateur who simply brushes off a loss. They play because they hate losing. Especially in the Overwatch League, much more is at stake—and more and more players are beginning to understand that.
“You are not good. You need to be better than the best.”
Bischu therefore makes every effort not to disappoint the fans of the LA Gladiators. “Nothing compares to the feeling when I was on stage and the fans were chanting my name. I don’t think I will ever forget that moment.” Consequently, it is also tough when one cannot meet expectations.
For him, that is the motivation to keep going and the reason why he loves this job. He also advises aspiring players: “Never be complacent, always be critical, you are not good. You need to be better than the best.”
