Shock’s Choihyobin says they can’t make mistakes against NYXL

The San Francisco Shock took down the Hangzhou Spark 4-0 in the Overwatch League playoffs. Tomorrow, a match between the Shock and New York Excelsior will decide who faces Vancouver Titans in the Grand Finals. 

WIN.gg sat down with Hyo-bin “Choihyobin” Choi to discuss his previously harsh view of the Spark, how this match changed his opinion, and his predictions for tomorrow’s match against the NYXL. 

Earlier, you said that Hangzhou is an average team. After competing against them today, do you still feel that rings true? 

Choihyobin: My opinion changed today. I thought they were an okay team because they only had one type of strategy. But they threw a lot of things at us today. I was pretty impressed. I think they’ve grown and they’re a better team now. 

What about the match today surprised you? 

I think, in terms of what they prepared, we weren’t too surprised. But they were able to make mid-game adjustments that surprised us. 

In those overtime moments where they almost took the map, what was usually going through your head? 

When that happens, I usually don’t know if we are losing or not. I’m just focused on my play and give my all out. But when we are losing our OT fights, I usually go for clutch plays. 

Before this match, you said the Spark don’t excel in any area. What are some areas that your team excels in? 

There’s two things. Mechanically, we are one of the best teams in the league. Two, when we play really relaxed and for fun, our synergy is just through the roof. Those are our strengths. 

Even in high intensity situations, do you still remain relaxed and having fun? 

Losing to the Atlanta Reign in the playoffs was a good lesson. We weren’t enjoying the game as much. We talked to each other and said we should have fun regardless of results. And it’s worked really well for us. 

You previously played Roadhog and D.Va. Do you like the double barrier meta that’s popped up in the Playoffs? 

You’re seeing Bastion and a lot of Doomfist. Right now, we’re using double shields, but I think it will evolve again. It hasn’t stabilized fully yet. I foresee a change. 

What’s been your favorite part about playing Sigma? 

I like his kit and his versatility. When I am able to punish the opponent and do a lot of damage, it feels really satisfying. And it’s fun. 

What does it take to be a good Sigma? 

With Sigma, you’re able to look around at the same time as you attack. You need to have a very wide field of vision and be aware of your surroundings. At the same time, you have to output damage. Second, you have to have a good knowledge of the game, preparing for what’s going to come next in certain skirmishes. 

San Francisco Shock to face NYXL for Grand Finals spot

NYXL is all that stands between you and a spot in the Grand Finals. How do you think that match will go tomorrow? 

Obviously, we want to 4-0. If we win our first map, we’ll be able to smoothly ride it out. If we don’t win the first map, I think it will be a very intense battle. 

How do you plan to counter NYXL’s Bastion strategies? 

There are certain weaknesses to having Bastion. I think that, since we use him a lot as well, we understand how he can support his team. We have a good knowledge of that, whether it’s Bastion rotating or how to counter him. 

What will give you the most trouble? 

NYXL is really good at executing. They often have no mistakes. That’s something we’ll have to do as well. We will have to play the game with no mistake. If we do that, we’ll be in good shape as well. 

What would it mean to make it to the Grand Finals? 

We beat teams like Hangzhou today. All the teams we beat, we would want to win it for them. We would like to play for the losing teams as well.