Liquid`shadder2k
February 28 2017
We're pleased to announce Liquid Overwatch's newest edition: Robert "shadder2k" Mocanu! The team consists of members with long standing histories in esports--some with legendary credentials. But when we first saw the young, 17-year old Genji player in action during tryouts, it was an instant fit; a 'sign this guy' moment.
Although it's his first forray into the world of professional gaming, his deadly skills are surrounded by some of the most experienced players in the Overwatch scene, and we hope to foster his talents and bring the team to a much better position.
"I am really excited about the team picking up shadder2k! He fills a void being a top-tier Genji player, and he brings great instinctive play across many other heroes as well. I think he has a very high skill ceiling and can make us quite a better unit overall."
- Tim "DaHanG" Fogarty
"For those that follow shadder2k on Twitch or Youtube, you need no introduction. For everyone else, shadder2k is a living highlight reel, with pages and pages of clips on his Youtube channel. I'm really excited to welcome him to our team."
- John "Tephus" Lewis, Team Manager
Interview with shadder2k
Can you give the Liquid fans a bit of introduction and tell us a bit about yourself?
Hey, my name's Robert Mocanu, otherwise known as shadder2k, and I'm 17 and from Romania. Most people know me for my Genji plays and starting today I'll be joining Team Liquid's Overwatch team.
You're quite young, have you had any prior experience in esports as a competitor or spectator? Or if this is your first time on a team, what excites you most?
I've been playing and watching e-sports for a few years now. Starting from LoL, then CS:GO, I've attended a few events and watched plenty of pro games, and I always hoped that one day that would be me playing on the stage. Due to lack of time and other things, I never really managed to play in another environment than matchmaking, but now with Overwatch there's different circumstances and I think it's my chance to finally compete. Yes, this is my first time in a real team and I'm really excited about what the future holds.
How did you get into Overwatch? When did you realize you're damn good? (Or have you always been good at shooters)?
Getting into Overwatch and basically reaching this stage was pretty much luck I'd say. I was getting bored of CS at that time and was looking for new games, when I found Overwatch on Twitch. I knew about the game before that but didn't really think too much of it, I then watched some gameplay footage and it looked interesting so I decided to apply for the beta. A few weeks later, I was going crazy about wanting to play the game, as many other people were at that time, and around mid November there was an invitation wave, in which I luckily got in, and the first few weeks of playing were the best time I've ever had playing any game.
I never really stopped to think whether I'm good at the game or not. I think the first time I realized I was decent was when I was playing against pros from other games or from Overwatch and was holding my ground, but I think anyone given the right mindset and time can become really good at what they do.
I never really stopped to think whether I'm good at the game or not. I think the first time I realized I was decent was when I was playing against pros from other games or from Overwatch and was holding my ground, but I think anyone given the right mindset and time can become really good at what they do.
Do you follow the scene at all? If so, what about Team Liquid made you want to join the team?
What made me want to join TL mostly is the fact that it has very good and experienced players, everyone competed at the highest level in other games and I think I have a lot to learn from them.
What do you bring to Team Liquid (Divine mechanical skills?)? And what role will you be playing on the team?
Other than the skills, I bring a fresh set of ideas and the possibility of running more diverse comps. I'll be playing the flex role on the team, that means I'll be switching between the DPS and Tank role quite often depending on what the team needs. Many people think I only play Genji and that I'm not good on anything else but hopefully I'll be proving them wrong.
Have you had some scrim time? What do you think the team could do better?
I've been playing with the team for a few weeks. I won't go into detail but I think we have plenty of things that we can improve on, and all we need is time.
What are your thoughts on competitive Overwatch as a whole, and the current meta (or predictions on upcoming meta)?
In my opinion competitive Overwatch has a lot of potential but it all depends on Blizzard and the upcoming Overwatch League. The current meta is a bit better than the previous one since it allows you to play more heroes and comps rather than the usual triple tank soldier that we've seen for a couple of month. I think it can be even better with a few balance changes but again it depends on Blizzard. Hopefully new heroes will shake up the meta more than Sombra did.
Outside of gaming, what are your interests?
Mm, outside of gaming I don't really have too much time for anything else. I'm really interested in space and I'd like one day to be able to travel to a nice place where you can actually see the sky at night. Other than that, I like watching shows and movies I guess, if you can count those as interests.
