The Paris Eternal are aiming high. With a discouraging 2-5 performance in Stage 2, fans were excited to see a return to the team’s early Stage 1 form. Harrison "Kruise" Pond, shot caller and Main Support for the Eternal has been one of the few staples within a roster undergoing regular lineup and strategy changes. Kruise spoke with Upcomer after the team's victory against the Florida Mayhem about adapting to the Sombra-GOATS meta, why Paris is seeing such major improvements, and whether or not he will try out for his fourth Overwatch World Cup.





Congratulations on the victory against the Florida Mayhem! Being 3-1 this stage, and your remaining opponents being Boston, Seoul, and Houston, how do you feel about the rest of the stage?





I mean, it’s hard to say. Seoul are looking strong, it’s all about what Seoul turns up with that day, they can be really good or just mediocre. They have top tier players, so they can turn up on the day and be amazing, it’s hard to tell. Outlaws have been pretty strong lately, this meta with the Sombra-GOATS is favoring them quite well because Danteh has a strong Sombra and Linkzr has a solid Zarya. It fits their players well. And then Boston, we already beat them, I’m confident against them. I’m comfortable in all our games, we have two tough games and one which I won’t underestimate, but that we should win. I’m confident against Boston.





Even though Sombra-GOATS has been used in the past two stages, it’s more popular in Stage 3. As a Lucio player, how have you had to adapt?





It’s definitely another thing to think about. I shotcall for my team, so it’s changed a lot of the way you do plans and the way you think about the game. One hero, you don’t think it would do much, but it changes a lot of ultimate orders and who you focus. So it’s quite a big change even though on paper it’s not - one hero, two heroes technically.





It was a bit surprising to see GOATS not being run on Havana’s Point A attack. Could you describe the double-sniper Orisa composition Paris ran, and why it worked out?





On Havana when teams play bunker, it’s such a long stretch. If you play GOATS, you just get your shield destroyed because there’s such a long distance to go. But with bunker you can set up to have a stronger bunker than them. So you do more damage, and pressure them, pull them, and kill them eventually. We matched their bunker and did a better version of it, might as well, right?





We’ve seen some roster changes with Danye and BenBest starting this stage. How has that impacted your shotcalling and playstyle?





I think Ben and [LhCloudy] are both very vocal players but they’re vocal in different ways. So Ben playing changes how I communicate a little bit because he is quite loud. So it’s different in the space in time I have to call. I’m still calling the same things, same plans and that, so it’s still pretty much the same.





Why do you think Paris has had such a resurgence this stage?





We figured out how to play GOATS better, something just clicked with this lineup. We felt like we were winning, we felt like we knew the game at a high level again and it went really well. But then the meta changed to Sombra-GOATS, so we had to sit down and figure it all out again, like studying New York because they did it really well. And then it just clicked. We know the win conditions, what we need to do and our players all trust each other.





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We’re growing as a team, we’re becoming way more friendly. In Stage 1 and Stage 2 it felt like there was a divide. People weren’t confident, we weren’t friendly, which is normal when you first meet someone, you aren’t naturally meant to be friends with them. You have to work with them. We’ve worked on that, and we feel like a family now, it’s nice.





With the long mid-season break, were you able to use that time to develop those relationships with your teammates?





A little bit. People like Danye and Greyy stayed and we would be in the office together, start playing games, see each other everyday. So yeah, me, Danye, and Greyy have gotten a lot closer.





As a staple of the UK World Cup Team, are you looking forward to this year’s tournament? Will you be trying out again?





Yeah, World Cup is always fun for me. Everyone from Team UK is hilarious, we get along so well and it’s really a family. Even in LA, a lot of them are here so I go out with them, I see them a lot. I’m trying out, World Cup is so fun, I love it. It’s chill, but the games also mean something.





What’s been your most memorable moment out of the three World Cups you have competed in?





Beating Team USA. Or playing against South Korea last year, those were the high points. We really thought we could win, we were doing so well, arguably the best anyone has done against South Korea. It was something to be proud of because they’re so strong and dominant and they’ve won every World Cup.





Has your World Cup experience helped you develop as a player?





I think so. I think every event, every team you play on LAN - some teams more, some teams less, some events more, some events less - you’re learning new things. Growing more mature as a player.





What do you think of this year’s World Cup format taking place entirely in California, with all competition taking place over a single week?





I liked the traveling, I think the traveling was cool. But I’m not too fussed because next year with Overwatch League I’ll be traveling a lot anyways. So for me, I don’t necessarily mind but I can see for people who don’t have the luxury of traveling a lot it being a bit of a bummer. It’s nice having two events to go to, it’s like having a high point in the year for players. But more games at BlizzCon, more time in California, nothing to complain about, really.



