To be sure, the objective of Overwatch is destruction. The roles in the game include “DPS,” or damage per second, and that’s Sinatraa’s primary role. The “tank” role—that’s what Super plays—creates space for the DPS role to do its job and also to absorb damage from the opposing team. “It allows your teammates to get better position, and be more aggressive, and be able to do the things that they need to do,” Super says. (There is a healing role, as well.)

Overwatch game roles have special powers and abilities that in some cases are designed to be complementary. (One character’s actions enhance or boost the impact of another’s.) But the biggest impact comes from something other than big weapons.

“Overwatch, especially, is a game [that’s] about communication and teamwork,” Sinatraa explains. “You can be the six best players in the world, but [if you] have bad teamwork or bad communication, you’ll be a really bad team.” The converse, he says, is also true: “You can have six OK players who are really good at working as a team, and they will be the best team in the world.”

Super adds that getting along well does more than lighten the mood. “It also helps when you come to criticizing or feedback; if you like someone, then you’ll be more open to accepting their feedback,” he says.

What’s more, the team’s communication skills are put to the test across languages. San Francisco Shock has six players from Korea, five American players and one player from Sweden. The minimum age required for league play is 18, and for these players, it’s an immersion experience equivalent to study abroad, Lautenbach explains.

Sinatraa expresses immense respect for his teammates’ efforts to learn English on the fly. “When it comes to communicating, we try to help simplify things so that it’s easier for them to understand,” he says. Still, when complex strategies or maneuvers can demand that, the more advanced English speakers translate “midgame, really fast.”

Teamwork under very bright lights