As we all know, Misfits Overwatch team is sitting on top of the world right now with their recent win of the Overwatch Open which took place back in October in Atlanta, Georgia. With an impressive prize pool of $300,000, it was no doubt that the world’s top talent would be there to get in on this. Once it was all said and done, Misfits were the team to hoist that first place trophy over their heads and take home the $100,000 prize.
Today we get to know an important part of this team in Mikaël “Hidan” Da Silva, who was actually playing for Misfits as a temporary player at that point, is a Support Flex player. We all know how important the support role can be in keeping the team alive in pivotal moments of the game. His amazing play took the team right to the top. So without any further ado, let’s get in to the questions.
Who are you and tell us a bit about yourself?
Hidan: “Hello! My name is Mikaël. I am 24 years old and I am an esport and new technology enthusiast. Primarily known in the Team Fortress 2 scene, I turned to Overwatch at the beginning of the Closed Beta and am now a pro player for Misfits where I play the role of Support Flex. I spent eight years in TF2. Before that, where I managed to climb up to being in a top four team with my old teammates DeGuN, baud, NiCO, Izzy, and Drosophile.”
What attracted you to Overwatch? Why did you pick the support role?
Hidan: “Overwatch had a strong resemblance to the TF2 class system and gameplay. I had a strong feeling that Blizzard would do very well to support this game and the esports scene that came with it. Since TF2 did not really have a pro player scene, I decided to make the switch to Overwatch. I started playing the game and tried out all the different roles. I started playing a lot of DPS, but felt like our support players were not doing their job right. So I started playing Mercy and ended up falling in love with it. I loved the gameplay. You could turn fights around by playing smart and using the mobility of the class. Then I started playing Zenyatta and that’s when I totally fell in love the support role. As a support player, you can see what is happening everywhere on the map and make decisions that are best for the team. Having good aim from playing a lot of DPS certainly also helped me be successful as a support player as well.”
In your opinion, what are the pros/cons of the support class?
Hidan: “The pros of playing support is that you are a necessity to the team. If you are not around to heal your teammates they will die. You will lose fights. This leaves a heavy impact on how well your team does. You are also the main line of communication for the team because you are everywhere. The cons would be the slaying ability. If your team is not doings its job in slaying, it can make it really difficult and frustrating for you to stay alive.”
What are your favorite heroes to use? I see you use a lot of McCree in Quick Matches, but your main role is support.
Hidan: “My favorite heroes to use are actually Zenyatta, Junkrat and Pharah. Junkrat and Pharah don’t see a lot of play time, but they match my playstyle. I love projectiles (launching balls, rockets, nades), it’s in my blood.”
Of course, I must also ask who your least favorite hero is and why?
Hidan: “My least favorite hero is Lucio. He is super important in team compositions but he is SO boring to play. The skillcap is really low on him. Lucio is usually the main call out person on the team since they don’t do much more.”
If you could make any changes to the game what would they be?
Hidan: “This is a very interesting question! I wouldn’t even try to talk about nerfs or buffs. I would probably love to make changes to the game itself. I would love if we could customize the HUD to have a better vision. Things like being able to move the HP/Ammo bars, or to be able to disable or enable weapons. I don’t think that will ever happen though = [ “
When you aren’t playing Overwatch, are you playing any other games? If so, name some of your favorites!
Hidan: “When I’m not playing Overwatch I usually play online games with my friends. Things like Rocket League, H1Z1, World of Warcraft, etc. I don’t play to many solo games, but I do like a few. Kingdom Hearts, Skyrim, Dishonored and Fable are some of my favorites. I’m actually really excited about Dishonored 2 coming out!”
Any non-gaming hobbies you’d like to share with the readers?
Hidan: “Just the same basic stuff anyone else does. Hang out with friends, go to events, go to bars. I also enjoy TV and movies.
So let’s talk a bit about the Overwatch Open. How did it feel to take down EnVyUs in the final? They were a heavy favorite going in to this event.
Hidan: “It was amazing! This was actually my first major event. We went in to the game very confident. The hardest part of the tournament was beating Rogue the day before. We knew that if we beat Rogue and stuck to how we played against them that we could win the whole thing.”
Well, you certainly impressed the right people. How did it feel to finally get that full contract from Misfits?
Hidan: “Feels very good, it’s like a dream come true. All those years spent in front of a computer screen finally equate to something. My parents never really supported me when I played TF2. I had to prove to them that I could do what I always wanted to do. Now they support me 100% and are proud of me. I feel so much better now.
Fun Fact: After the Overwatch Open, when we arrived back in Paris, my parents were standing in the airport with a banner that said “Congratulations Champions” with a Misfits logo on it.”
If you weren’t an esports pro player, what would you be doing with your life right now? Are you pursuing any side options?
Hidan: “I just finished 5 years of studying e-business and web marketing. So, that would probably be where my career would be headed. Funny thing is that I told myself after I graduated in August that I would give myself one year to see where this esports career goes and then call it quits after that if nothing happened. One month later I got the trial offer from Misfits. Now, I am a full time player. I feel that even in the future after I can’t play anymore I will still try to work in esports. Do some behind the scenes work for an organization or something like that.”
Do you have any thank yous or shoutouts to give?
Hidan: “Well first of all I’d like to thank you Maurice and GAMURS.com for the interview. I want to give a shout out to all the people who support me and the team. All of you are amazing, thank you for everything. It makes me want to improve even more. Shoutout to the Misfits family and all my previous team mates that I will never forget!”
Being able to interact with Hidan was an amazing experience that I will never forget. The whole process of reaching out to him and Misfits was really professional and smooth. I wish him and the whole organization the best of luck in the future. Want more interviews and face-to-face stuff like this? Let us know by commenting below or tweeting us @GAMURScom.
Maurice Barton is a writer for GAMURS and can be reached in the following ways:
Twitter @PmL_Molicious
Email at barton.maurice912@gmail.com
Published: Nov 3, 2016 12:20 pm