Shu’s Money Crew has been a force to be reckoned with in Europe, and for Overwatch Contenders 2019 Season 2 they’ve added Danish flex support, Danni "Ding" Rasmussen. With a number of years under his belt, Ding is looking to make a statement this season.





Formerly on teams like Young and Beautiful, Copenhagen Flames, and Grizzlys Esports, Ding is aiming for the playoffs this season⁠—and beyond. Coming off a week one win over Angry Titans, Ding now prepares for their week two opponent; Team Gigantti. He chatted with Upcomer about how he prepares for matches, how his new team compares to his former ones, and his concerns for Overwatch Contenders.





First, let's talk about your win against Angry Titans, which undoubtedly has to give you and your team some confidence and momentum going into the regular season. How do you personally keep a level head while in-game?





For me, it is about preparation for the game, making sure I am properly warmed up, have a bit of food, water bottle is ready for the game, and I need a semi-long shower. All to make sure those are things I do not have to worry about when I am in the game, so I can solely focus on my team, communication, and individual performance. This is very important for everyone playing at a competitive level, in my opinion, since it can make or break a series. If you are unfocused for five seconds, you could miss a call and lose a team fight.





The reason I ask is when you look back on Illios Well in your match against Angry Titans, you guys came back from a massive Control percentage differential. Could you walk me through what went into holding that point for so long?





The beginning of the round was super rough for us, both in terms of mentality and percentage on the point. However, we also knew that this is a point that can be hard to retake against this Monkey GOATs composition we were playing. So after we flipped at 99% - 0% we knew it was on them to make the big move and take the fight to us. So, we made sure our ultimate rotations were good, that our plans and targets were good, and just sticking to the plans we made got us through the round and got us the series win.





Image via Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment





How does your mentality shift during those comeback performances? Is there anything you notice that changes?





In this particular situation, being down 99% was really hard. But as soon as we flipped the point, we knew it was winnable and our morale just kept going up as we got more percentage. So I would say it is almost like a snowball effect, everyone adding that extra in their gameplay that takes it over the top.





Speaking of your team, talk to me about the new and improved Shu’s Money Crew. How are things going behind the scenes? Where do you feel like the team shines the most, and how is this team different from your past teams?

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This team is heavy on synergy, and it is definitely a defining factor in our success. Making sure everyone is there to back each other up with healing, shields, calling, etc. Where I think previously the teams I have been on were in the opposite end, more relying on individual performance rather than team play and good communication.





We obviously didn’t see Europe’s full strength at the Atlantic Showdown, so I’ve got to ask—what are your goals for this season? Are you aiming for the Gauntlet?





I always aim for the top. I do not really see a point in participating if winning it all is not the end goal. However, along the way, there is going to be a lot of ups and downs, so it might not be this season or the next. But eventually reaching the Gauntlet and then the Overwatch League has got to be the main focus, of course.





Last but not least, we’ve got to talk about the Contenders ecosystem. With the closure of many Overwatch Contenders academy teams, are you concerned with the future of Overwatch Contenders? Are you concerned with your future in Overwatch?





Yes, of course, it is something I think about—but I also trust that Blizzard will support the game and the Overwatch League further to make sure it stays big in esports.





As for my future, I knew the risk when I started playing Overwatch back in 2016, and I know the risk now. Hopefully it will pay off as time goes on, but for now, I just try to enjoy competing and hope for the best.





You, as a player, have in-depth experience with the Overwatch Contenders system. What would you attack first to help sustain and improve the amateur scene?





I think it’s important to play more games in Contenders—make the season longer with more games in the regular season so players get more experience in officials that can prepare them for an academy team or maybe even Overwatch League.





Allowing 3rd party matchmaking, such as FACEIT or ESEA, to create their own type of pro league, with tournaments and a separate ladder experience would greatly benefit the top tier competitors.





Lastly, having Blizzard reach out to the big tournament organizers around the world and help them setup tournaments could maybe give some people the spark needed to ignite the flame for them. I think a lot of people still love the game in many ways, but often the lack of tournaments and large downtime between Open Division and Contenders seasons can be very demotivating.