You might have heard that Tycho and I will be battling each other in Overwatch at PAX East in just a couple weeks. If you haven’t heard about that then check out this page with all the details. Essentially we have each built a team of friends and we will be going head to head. The winner will get the Watch. That’s right, we actually made the watch and it’s going to start going back and forth between the real Gabe and Tycho. Or actually it might just stay with me, since I intend to win these whenever they pop up.

I’ve got a solid team I think. Here’s my imposing roster of professional ass kickers.

Kiko Villasenor

Kiko is the head of our design department here at PA and one of my oldest friends. He’s rock solid when it comes to shooters and I feel lucky to have snatched him up before Tycho.

Van Alan

You probably know Van as the guy who is directing the new Automata web series. He’s a pro behind the camera and a beast behind the controller. Van produced the old PATV series so he’s used to filming the action. Now it’s his time to shine!

Bill Amend

Bill draws the comic strip Foxtrot which I’m pretty sure everyone in the world has read. He’s one of the most talented cartoonists I know but he’s also a pretty hardcore gamer. His game of choice is usually Starcraft but I’ve convinced him to try his hand at Overwatch. I have no doubt that he’ll be playing at a pro level within the next few days.

Erik Bronnum

Erik is a relatively new hire at PA but he’s a long time gamer. Erik manages a massive WOW guild and racks up server firsts. He’s about as hardcore as they come and his support skills seem to have transferred over to Overwatch without any trouble. He’s also physically very strong so if we lose I will have him beat up Tycho.

James Turner

You probably know James from LoadingReadyRun. He has been a fixture of the Desert Bus for Hope charity event for Child’s Play where he has proven himself to be one of if not the, strongest bus driver. In fact the hours he has spent driving that bus have driven him mad and now he thirsts for blood. James is not a teammate so much as a loaded gun I intend to point directly at Tycho.

So that’s my team and I’m pretty proud of it. We’ve all been practicing individually as well as together. We also recently completed a series of brutal team building exercises via email that left us bruised and beaten but closer than most families. We are friends, we are teammates, we are warriors, we are lovers, but most of all, we are going to beat the hell out of Tycho and whatever team of misfits and vagabonds he manages to assemble from the scraps I left him.

I’m actually in Disneyland all week but that doesn’t mean I can’t practice. I brought my Razer and have been sneaking rounds in whenever I can. It helps that I love the game, so it’s not like it’s a chore. Lots of games these days want me to care about their “heroes” or their “Champions” or their “battlelords” or whatever the hell they want to call them. The character designs and the personality these Overwatch heroes have is easily the best. I am ready to buy toys of all these characters today. I want to go to sleep with a Reaper plushie. I want to pay too much money for a Widowmaker vinyl figure and I don’t even play her! It’s just a beautiful game and the more I play it the more I am in love.

No joke, that watch is mine!

-Gabe Out