In most eSports games, supports find it hard to make it into the spotlight. Since offensive heroes are always the ones to finish off the enemies, they usually stand at the center of attention. However, here’s a pro who changed all that- Ryujehong, a MVP healer for Lunatic-Hai, who led his team to victory in Overwatch APEX Season 2.

Ryujehong has what you’d call a natural gift for playing FPS games, as he holds many victories in Counter Strike and Special Force 2. After he finished his military service, he went into playing Overwatch in 2016, which opened the door to a new stage in his life. As Overwatch grew popular, Lunatic-Hai and Ryujehong gradually became more popular as well.

In order to repay the love and support of his fans, Ryujehong delivers dramatic game performance in Korea’s best Overewatch league. He always says that it’s because of his fans’ support that he’s trying to be the best he can be. We had some time to talk with Ryujehong about several subjects.

 

Q. Could you please introduce yourself?

Hello, I’m Ryujehong, a healer playing for Lunatic-Hai. Nice to meet you.

Q. You were placed 1st in Overwatch APEX Season 2, the biggest Overwatch tournament in Korea. How did you feel about it?

As you said, it’s the biggest tournament here. I felt extremely happy. I couldn’t quite put into words how happy I was.

Q. You’ve been selected as the MVP for the Overwatch APEX Season 2 Finals. How did you feel about that?

All of my teammates did excellent in the finals. I heard that it was put to a vote, but I feel I got more than I deserved.

Q. You are a veteran player who also has a history of winning at Counter Strike and Special Force 2. Do you think there’s any difference in the victories for Overwatch APEX compared to other game titles?

The size of the stadium and audience are totally different compared to the previous game titles I played - I was really nervous to play in front of so many people. I felt a bit stiff thinking about how many people were watching me, but that also made me swell up with pride when I lifted that trophy upon winning. We were about to lose since we were behind 1:3, but everyone kept saying, “We can do it,” and we didn’t give up and desperately tried hard, so that’s why we were able to win.

Q. The farthest you got in APEX Season 1 was the quarterfinals, but in this Season, you were placed 1st with great performance. What changed between the two tournaments?

Back in Season 1, our team wasn’t doing so great. After we lost in the Season 1 quarterfinals, we went over our gameplay and figured out what we could improve. By doing so, we were able to do much better in Season 2.

Q. It seems that from this victory, Lunatic-Hai has proven themselves to be the best team.

I think so too, but Overwatch is a game with a lot of variables and other teams can improve at anytime. We will try our best to stay on the top, but we think it could be temporary since we know other teams will try hard as well. But I want to say our team is the best for now.

Q. After you played against RunAway in the finals, you’ll be starting APEX Season 3 in 3 weeks. You might not have enough time to rest or prepare compared to other teams, will that be alright?

It’s true that we might not have enough time to rest, but I don’t think we don’t have enough time to prepare. As it begins early, we are trying our best to do better. I am a little bit sorry that we have to play early.

Q. After the finals, as Rogue and EnVyUs were invited to play, all the teams that will be entering APEX Season 3 have finally been picked. There are many rebuilt teams, but is there any particular team that you’ve got your eye on?

First, there are many stronger teams in our group. I think every team will play well. All teams playing in the group stage are great, so I consider them all competitors. If I must pick one though, I’d pick Rogue.

Q. You are known for your exceptional Ana plays. Do you have any tips on playing Ana?

I think I got that image just because I played Ana at first. Here are some tips for you: when I play a game, I always decide on which hero I should focus on healing, like McCree or Reinhardt. I always keep an eye on their HP and also keep tabs on any opponents that could be a major threat to our team. I keep a lookout for which direction the opponent team will come from, since you can predict that based on their team composition. Charging compositions these days are so obvious.

Q. Ana was nerfed recently. Do you think that will affect your future matches?

I saw that there are many teams that don’t use Ana in recent NA tournaments. Since Zenyatta is better now, I don’t know if many people will use Ana. And since Lucio’s heals got increased, Ana stepped down from the must-play picks, giving way to other healers. You can still play Ana, it just depends on the situation though.

Q. As there was a new healer patch that came with the appearance of a new hero, Orisa, a big meta change is expected in APEX season 3. Do you think these changes will affect Lunatic-Hai and if so, then how?

I saw that people still use charging compositions in NA tournaments. I don’t think there will a big change. There still will be a charge meta in this season. Orisa came out, but I don’t think Orisa is a must-have pick, but rather someone that will be played in special situations. They also buffed Lucio, a hero that seems to go more with a charging composition. Unless Tracer and Genji get nerfed, I think charging compositions will continue to be used.

Q. Do you have any plans to play support heroes that you didn’t play much before, like Mercy or Symmetra?

All teams don’t use Symmetra since she doesn’t seem to go with the current meta. I don’t think she’ll ever be played. As for Mercy, we use Mercy with Pharah in what we call, ‘Pharmacy’, although I don’t think our team will be using this combo. Our team is best at charging compositions with Genji and Tracer at the front, and there are other healers that go with that style more than Mercy does. When we have Mercy on our team, we need to set positions that will protect Mercy, and with a charging composition, it’s hard to do that.

Q. It seems like it’s hard for healers to receive more attention than offensive heroes in this game, but it seems to be the opposite with you. Have you ever thought of playing an offensive hero in the tournament?

I think I got all that attention because I got quite a lot of kills for a healer. I think I was lucky. I’d play a damage dealer if I was better than other players at playing one, but everyone’s better than me when it comes to offensive heroes, so I don’t think I will be changing my position. I am fairly content playing as a healer.

Q. There are many fans who come to see you play in the regular League, including at the finals. Can you actually feel how your popularity is growing each day?

We had many fans coming to watch when Lunatic-Hai played in Special Force 2 tournaments, but not this many. After our first match in Overwatch APEX Season 1, we went to the 1st floor of the stadium to find ourselves surprised by how many fans came to see us there. I think we’ll have to keep on winning and build our careers so that we can repay all the support and love that our fans are giving us.

Q. What do you think is the reason behind the popularity of Lunatic-Hai?

I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because while other teams were made in order to play Overwatch, Lunatic-Hai has been around for a long time playing other games. Most of our team members played together long before Overwatch came out.

Q. You are known for your personal game streaming; do you like communicating with your fans?

When I’m playing alone, It’s no fun unless I stream. I don’t know how it is for other pros, but I do both personal streaming and practice at the same time. I tend to stay focused on playing when I am streaming. I also find it fun to communicate with my viewers. The viewers and I like to keep it light, so we’re all feel free to enjoy ourselves.

Q. Some say that you’ve been getting into personal streaming so much that streaming is the reason you didn’t come up with a good score at APEX Season 1.

I think that depends on the team score. Nobody would have said that if we kept streaming and won at the same time. I think streaming has not much to do with the tournament score; in the end, streaming is practice.

Q. What kind of player do you hope to be in the future?

I want to be a player that people will remember for a long time. I hope I can play past 30, and it would be nice if that really happens. People say your gaming abilities fade as you grow older, but I disagree, although I am worried that it might be true. But still, I don’t think I lack in talent compared to other teen pro players. I think it’s alright if I do grow old as long as I keep trying hard.

Q. You’ve already finished your military service. Does that mean a lot to you?

It does. Most pro players worry about it when they reach their mid 20’s. It’s something you can’t stop thinking about even though you want to. I feel at ease considering that.

Q. It’s been announced that eSports has been included in the Asian Games recently. It seems that the status of eSports is rising. What’s your take on this as an active pro player?

They haven’t chosen the game titles yet, but this opens several opportunities for pro gamers, which I’m a bit envious of. It would be nice to enter if Overwatch does get to be an official game title at the Asian Games (Laughs). I think it will be a big motivator for younger pros. If I hadn’t finished my military service, I might have tried really hard to play for the national team. As a pro gamer, it feels great to see how eSports is growing. I hope things work out for eSports in future.

Q. Please tell us of your resolution for APEX Season 3.

Season 3 will be starting soon, and I promise we’ll try hard to continue keeping the champion title we earned in Season 2. We appreciate your support and interest.