Interview with DIG evokje on Overwatch characters, maps, and more

Elvinas "evokje" Padegimas drew a lot of attention during Team Dignitas' fantastic run during the XTRA Cup. evjoke is a veteran in the competitive scene, competing in multiple tournaments since the game's inception. In the past, he has won many weekly tournaments and even took first place at The Gauntlet.

Now, evokje is the backbone that allows Team Dignitas Overwatch to find it's footing each match. We recently got the chance to ask evokje some questions about playing in the support role, character balancing, map mechanics, and future updates.

Playing support might not lend to as many flashy highlights as other roles, but supports are usually huge factors during games. Which support character do you find the most impactful?

evokje: Right now Ana is the most impactful support in the game. I find it hard to call her a support because her DPS and 1v1 ability is insane. She has super good CC with her sleep, insane healing or heal denying with her grenade, and the ultimate that turns your teamate into Terminator. Pretty impactful support.

 

Lucio is far and away the most picked character in the competitive scene, being picked in over 90% of professional games every month. This leads some to believe that he is overpowered because he is still picked so consistently, even after a series of nerfs. What is your opinion on this?

evokje: Lucio is picked only because of the speed boost. He doesn't do much damage, he doesn't heal a lot but there is no other hero in the game with a speed boost and without it the game becomes very slow.

 

Follow-up question. What do you think needs to be changed so that more support picks are viable?

evokje: At the moment you can play all the supports. It just depends on how and what comp your team wants to run.

 

One of the biggest memes in the community is waiting for multiple targets for a Mercy's Resurrect, but only having one target at a time. Is it ever good to Resurrect one target or should you be holding on for the clutch moment?

evokje: I have seen this in ranked too often :D. Resurrecting one person is fine but it depends on the situation. For example, if your Ana just died and she has nano boost that she can combo with someone, you should just res your Ana and let her ult somebody. Resurrecting 1-2 just to keep the momentum going is completely fine, too.

With new characters being added to the game at a pretty consistent pace. Is there anything you would like to see a support character have in the future?

evokje: I would like to see them experiment with supports that don’t heal. Maybe a full CC support character or something similiar.

 

Who do you think is the most underrated character right now?

evokje: I would say Winston. A smart Winston player can carry super hard in a dive comp.

 

On the PTR, Bastion can no longer headshot in Sentry Configuration and always has maximum bullet spread. But, he also gains Recon Configuration, which limits his magazine size and gives him more accurate shots. What are your thoughts on the Bastion changes currently being tested?

evokje: Bastion looks strong but I don't think he will be seen too much in tournaments. When he is in recon mode his hitbox is gigantic and pretty easy to kill. When you are in sentry mode it’s not that hard to play around him, if you are aware of where he’s sitting. But the buffs definitely make him more viable for all the Bastion mains out there.

 

Are there any character balance changes you'd like to see in the near future?

evokje: I would love to see Ana get toned down to not be the best healer in the game and an insane DPS character at the same time. And nerf Roadhog’s right click.

 

The gate on Eichenwalde will no longer close behind you! Just how big is that change?

evokje: That is actually a huge change for the map. You won’t get completely locked out of the last point by a Mei anymore with more entrances into the room. I would still like to see them change the first point choke.

 

On Oasis, the bounce pad leads to some cool strategies. Do you think mechanics like that are good or bad for competitive play?

evokje: The bounce pad is an interesting addition for the map and I don't think they are bad at all. The mid air nano boosted high-noons are hilarious to see.

 

Any map mechanics or ideas you'd like to see in the future?

evokje: I can't think of any but I would like to NEVER see moving platforms on any maps ever again.

 

Blizzard recently noted that they would be adding an additional 9 "Capture the Flag" maps to the three in the Year of the Rooster event. Do you think CTF will be a viable game mode in competitive play?

evokje: I can see CTF being a viable game mode but it definitely needs some changes and an actual new map for it with some interesting movement mechanics, so you can catch up with the people who take your flag. As of right now it feels like if your flag is taken you’re probably not getting it back.

 

How do you think the addition of the Server Browser will change the game?

evokje: The server browser is a really fun addition. I don't think its gonna change much in the game but it’s going to be really fun to see what fun modes people can come up with.

 Is there anyone whom you'd like to give a shoutout to?

evokje: Team Dignitas and my teammates!

 

A big thanks to evokje for the interview. If you'd like to see more of evokje, you can find him streaming on twitch or follow him on twitter.