After the end of the Overwatch League, some players are struggling. Bad enough to take a break from competitive Overwatch for a while. Even champions and star players like Seagull are facing their problems.
OWL professionals are burned out: In interviews, some pro gamers from the Overwatch League talked about how exhausting the last months have been for them and what marks those months have left.
The stars are so burned out that they refuse to play for the upcoming World Cup – or withdraw from Overwatch as an eSport altogether, like star player Seagull.
eSports is exhausting
The Overwatch League lasted over half a year until the end of July 2018. During this time, players were heavily burdened, trained constantly, and had to improve continuously.
Health implications: The pressure on the players is sometimes so great that some of them have serious health issues. Many players reported depression, fatigue, and sleep problems.
The problems escalated to the point that professionals became not only mentally exhausted but also physically:
- Star player Seagull gained about 20 kilograms, could hardly find rest at night due to sleep apnea, and lost the joy of playing
- Vice Champion neptuNo struggled with kidney stones, angina, and heartburn – all presumably triggered by stress.
Impending burnout: Already in May, it was observed that players often appear exhausted and tired. Some players, like Pine, were able to draw new strength after a phase of depression and have noticeably improved.
Other league members, like coach Vytis “Mineral” Lasaitis, had to leave the league due to burnout.
Mineral: “It’s very hard to find the balance between a healthy amount of recovery and optimal preparation […] I think most people in the Overwatch League walk on the edge of burnout in phase 4.”
Everyone needs balance: To avoid burnout, professionals distract themselves from the game. This often happens through physical training. The training plan of many pro gamers includes workouts at the gym.
The professionals themselves say that they sometimes need a break from Overwatch to perform at their best.
Player HarryHook says he likes to go to the beach for this: “I just chill, walk along the water – think of nothing […] I have nothing else to do there. I never think about the game when I’m there.”
Overwatch professionals need a break
The Overwatch League ended on July 28 with the final between Philadelphia Fusion and London Spitfire. For half a year, 12 teams with over 100 players competed for the title of the first OWL champion.
Seagull quits: One of these players is American star player Brandon “Seagull” Larned, who played for Dallas Fuel. Seagull is one of the most well-known Overwatch streamers, but in the OWL he only achieved a few wins with Dallas Fuel.
After the Overwatch League, he announced that he would be stepping back from the professional scene. Instead, he will return to streaming full-time.
neptuNo does not play in the championship: Another professional, Alberto “neptuNo” González, has declined the offer to play for his country Spain in the World Championship. neptuNo placed second in the OWL with Philadelphia Fusion – after a loss to London.
He states that he needs distance from the competitive Overwatch scene. He wants to enjoy the game again for a while and not exhaust himself in the process.
Even champions are tired: Two players from the winning team London Spitfire, Bdosin and Gesture, also talk about the tough times in the league. The league stretches over many months, and eventually, the players simply became tired.
It took a lot of energy for them to cope with the pressures of constant training, the duty to win, changes in the meta, and the absences of other players.
On August 26, the final event of the first season of the Overwatch League starts. In several friendly matches in various modes such as Lúcioball and surprise heroes, community-chosen All-Star teams will compete against each other.
More about the Overwatch League: With these tricks, the best players in the world won the Overwatch League
