This week was the season premiere of the Overwatch League. A slew of new players are inducted to the league ranging from Contenders to the World Cup. One of those players had a great run in Contenders South America and participated in the World Cup for Team Brazil.

His previous performances impressed those within the Boston Uprising and this year, he is set to prove he belongs in the Overwatch League.

After the Uprising’s victory against the Outlaws in Week 1, Renan "alemao" Moretto spoke with Inven to discuss about being promoted to an Overwatch League team and what it means to be the sole Brazilian in the league.

▲ Boston Uprising's alemao - Photo by Robert Paul

Last time we spoke was during the Overwatch World Cup when you played for Team Brazil here at the Blizzard Arena. What kind of things did you learn from that experience?

I think I learned a lot because of the playstyle in Brazil and the playstyle at other places like Europe, North America, Korea, etc. is different. I learned more about team positioning, when to be aggressive, and stuff like that I learned from scrimming with the team. I think I'm learning a lot right now because of the Overwatch League than I did at the World Cup.

From your Team Brazil teammates in the World Cup, who do you think belongs in Overwatch League and why?

My ex-teammates have the potential to be here. Everyone has the potential to be in an Overwatch League team and should be here, to be honest with you. From the World Cup, ole is pretty good, honorato is pretty good, liko is pretty good, neil is pretty good, everyone is pretty good. Everybody should be here.

▲Team Brazil - Photo by Robert Paul

Moving forward to the present, when did the Boston Uprising contact you to join the team?

They asked me to do trials with them, so I played like 2-3 scrims with the team. I sent them some VODs too, so they can watch me play with BGH (Brasil Gaming House), my ex-team. They liked the way I played and gave me the chance to be here.

What did it mean to you to get signed to an Overwatch League team, particularly with the Boston Uprising?

It means a lot to me like I come from such an undeveloped region. We suffer a lot there because you can't play or watch full-time since the money is not there. You have to study, work, you have to do a lot of things besides playing. It feels really good to be here because it's an opportunity to show the world the potential that South America has.

Boston is such an amazing team. Everyone is so great. The team staff, the players, they are all great.

What does your family think about you signing to an Overwatch League team?

They're really happy but worried about my degree, you know? They want me to go to school and stuff. I understand, but I'm here. They're really happy and proud of me. They watch every game and cheer for me and my team.

What are differences in communication between playing for a Brazilian team and an Overwatch League team like the Uprising?

We have three coaches so we have more ways to communicate. We have good knowledge of how to communicate. It's hard to explain. In the game, it's not a big problem since I communicated in English before in ranked play. My only problem is speaking outside the game in conversation and stuff.

Being the only Brazilian player in Overwatch League, how do you feel like to represent your country?

It's really nice, but at the same time, I feel a lot of pressure since I'm the only Brazilian here. Like I said before, it's an honor to represent Brazil because it's such a great country. I love Brazil. The players are so good and hope to see more players here in Overwatch League.

Renan "alemao" Moretto - Photo by Robert Paul

What things are you looking to bring to the table for the Uprising?

I have a unique playstyle. I play aggressive and I think sometimes it's good and not good. Like today, we played against a team that's really aggressive too. Maybe they were playing DPS and stuff, so we thought Kellex would be better because he has a defensive style.

I'm still new to the team, so I'm still working a lot. I have to get that synergy going. I'm practicing a lot, scrimming a lot, and trying to learn as much as I can.

What are your goals for this season?

Get a good place in the Overwatch League with the team. My personal goal is to improve as much as I can. I don't want to be the player that plays only for a year or two then vanish. I want to be the player that's really good over time.

Lastly, thank you for the interview. I wish you the best of luck this season. Is there anything you want to say to the fans back home?

Of course. They help me really hard because it's hard to be here alone. It's nice to see all the messages they sent me. They cheer a lot for me so that's good. Every time I play, my Twitter is blowing up. It feels really nice. I feel much love for them. I'm really grateful.