"Before the season started I didn't really play that much,” Taimou said. “[I] felt like I was doing okay but after seeing how Stage 1 went I went into full tryhard mode and practiced every single day to no end.” That resilience, the unwillingness to accept the current state of affairs for Taimou was his driving force. It drove him when team IDDQD went on their historic winning streak. It drove him when Team EnVyUs and OGN’s Overwatch APEX came calling. And it drove him to reach the pinnacle of Overwatch talent, the summit of what every player hopes to one day be a part of the Overwatch League. “However, I didn't really start to play any better as the season went on and I was asking [myself] ‘why?’” Taimou has always had the power to reinvent himself and come back stronger. This time it was no different, but telling that to someone who is struggling mentally is futile. “‘Why does this happen and why am I not getting better?’ Eventually, it came down to Stage 4 with Aero who lifted our spirits and made us work as a team again. I stopped playing Overwatch outside of team practice almost completely in Stage 4 and had much more impressive results individually and teamplay wise.” For someone so motivated, it had to be incredibly difficult to step away seeing how it was always about moving forward with Taimou. This same drive was a double-edged sword. At times it gave him the motivation needed to shatter the mold, but it also fed into negativity as well.

Cheese! Taimou flashes a big smile at photographer Robert Paul during a pregame lobby. Courtesy Blizzard Entertainment

While he took a step back from the team and extracurricular practice Taimou continued along his internal path to find himself again ― it just so happened that he found another hobby along the way. “[I’ve been] playing other games,” Taimou admitted. When you think about it, it makes sense. Professional gamers like to play games, and using other video games as a place to unwind is not uncommon. “And cooking!” He immediately chirped up. “Cooking is a lot of fun and I try to do it as much as I can even though I am a very lazy person. I also spend time with my girlfriend and my two cats as much as I can. So, I guess it's purely mental for me. If I enjoy myself I will have a much bigger chance of performing well!” Taimou has experienced multiple imbalances not only within his own mindset but within his teammates as well. That same drive that fueled Taimou, also existed in many other professional players and, at times, they’ve also fallen off the wagon. Some have suffered minor breakdowns and have needed multiple recesses away from Overwatch entirely. While others have just reevaluated their current situation and retired altogether. Taimou has been lucky to find ways to preoccupy his mind in hope to combat overtraining again. Playing other games to unwind, finding companionship, and taking up cooking ― all of these activities outside of Overwatch attributed in his recalibration of his mental state. Subtract one or two things, and perhaps Taimou’s illustrious Overwatch career comes to a screeching halt towards the end of Stage 1. These days, he’s looking better than ever leading into the second season of the league and the growth was apparent. With this, Taimou continued to open up about his past and journey to reach the top as he adjusted in his seat. “I became a professional player the wrong way. Most pro players are kids who enjoyed playing competitive video games and happened to be good enough to become professional. Rarely would they actually pursue this line of work. I did it the hard way.” When competitive and professional gaming made it’s small but concentrated flow through popular titles like Halo, Counter-Strike, StarCraft, and World of Warcraft, it captured and teased the minds of the youth that we see rising up today. When you grow up with something used as a strong bonding tool with friends or even parents, and you see a potential career in it, you can understanding how incredibly enticing that would be to a young a feeble mind.

Learn how to practice more efficiently, [and] stop being a meanie on the internet. You'll burn bridges just like in real life.” - TAIMOU

“I dropped out of high school, thinking that there's going be glimmering lights and money in every game I played. Usually, there were a few thousand dollars thrown around and the games would eventually die off. I tried to go pro in different games like StarCraft 2, League of Legends, [and others but,] it never really worked out. I burned out multiple times and dwelled in depression.” This stubbornness led Taimou to where he is today. We can disagree on whether or not it was healthy for a child to be doing this, but it ended with him in Burbank, California with a lucrative contract with the Dallas Fuel in the Overwatch League. It’s that kind of resilience that you need to reach the top and it commands respect. “In the end, it paid off in its own way of ‘Wow, I actually bloody damn did it, who would have thought?’ It was an insane ride to get here but,” Taimou’s eyes drifted to the ceiling in deep thought. “I’d probably go back and do it the safe way if I could.” He chuckled. Taimou could have easily sat in the background and avoided the multiple APEX tours. The South Korean theater was a forge of hellfire, and Taimou approached it ― and emerged from it, something that not many people can say they’ve accomplished. He could have toned down his public personality and just kept to himself. This would have made life much easier for him coming from a PR standpoint, but he didn’t mind. In the end, it all led him to the same place. It was this cavalier-esque attitude that drew people to like Taimou, along with his incredible skill. Having the public microscope finely tuned on you brings a lot of burden to one's shoulders that you cannot replicate or understand until your under it, but Taimou felt little to no pressure once he hit the stage. It was nearly a second home to him at this point in his life. “I do not get pressured by the live crowd at all. And the people watching online I never think about, so I feel like I'm a normal person while I compete on the stage. I go out and I want to beat my opponent. Even on my days off I never really think about it because we're not that famous. I don't get chased around by cameras. Our fans, when they meet us, are very nice and usually just want an autograph and some pictures.” The godfather of the positive mental attitude movement ― or PMA for short ― was always quick to put things into perspective. He wasn’t that famous, so he faced no pressure. It wasn’t that big a deal, so he dealt with no worries.

Taimou embraces OGE and HarryHook after a hard fought victory. Courtesy Blizzard Entertainment