Home » “Haters Will Be Haters” and Other Wisdom with Mickie from the Dallas Fuel

“Haters Will Be Haters” and Other Wisdom with Mickie from the Dallas Fuel

Brandon Padilla

Publish Date: February 23, 2019

[Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for format and clarity.]

If you’re a fan of the Dallas Fuel, you know Mickie. The constant smile, the ever-changing hair, the crazy hijinks on and off stage. His unending positivity earned him the Dennis Hawelka Award in the Overwatch League’s inaugural season, which is awarded to the player who is deemed “to have had the most positive impact on the community.” Fans across the globe unanimously agreed with the decision – who better to earn such a prize, than the player that Dennis himself plucked from obscurity all those years ago?

After a rough first season for the Fuel, the players scattered to the winds – many preparing to represent their various nations in the World Cup, or to finally rest after a strenuous first season. One even retired completely. After a contentious group stage for Team Thailand, Mickie headed home and got to work.

“My off-season wasn’t just about taking a rest. I was helping my family get a house, and trying to help my family in general. It took some time. I had to do a lot – getting a home loan, getting a car. There was a lot happening. I didn’t even have a computer for most of the off-season, because I sold mine before I left. That’s why you almost never saw me stream during the off-season – I just didn’t have a computer in the first place. I spent that time helping my family and being with my friends. It was a chance to reset my mentality.”

And would you say that has worked?

“Oh yeah. I feel pretty good compared to last season. Last season I often thought to myself, “This isn’t my home.” I still feel the same way – this still isn’t quite my home – but I feel like I’ve recharged myself. My energy is coming back. I know I can stay here.”

Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment

With that energy returned, the conversation shifted to Mickie’s stream, where avid fans from across the globe could tune in to chat and cheer in equal measure. Would those streams now return, I wondered, with Mickie back in the States (and with a computer, no less)?

“Oh yeah, I’ll probably do a little bit of everything. I streamed a lot more last season, because I wanted to meet more fans. I didn’t want to be forgotten. Some people missed me, so if I’m not playing on stage, you can keep track of me by following my stream. I think it’s good for the fans if I keep doing that.”

While we can look forward to seeing more of Mickie on his personal stream, it remains to be seen if we’ll see more of him on the OWL stage. As of the time of this writing, Mickie has yet to start a single map over his off-tank counterpart, Richard “rCk” Kanerva. Does he lack the Sombra flex capability that has become a staple for D.Va players in the League so far? Is he waiting for the right map, the perfect moment to strike, like BABYBAY? I had to know… but Mickie held his cards unusually close.

“Well, I can’t tell you much. There’s some strategy involved, so… hm. Yeah, I can’t tell you much.”

New Beginnings

After what can only be called a rough start to their OWL tenure, the Dallas Fuel have gone for a complete reset. Led by Stage 4 addition Aaron “Aero” Atkins at head coach, with a brace of off-season additions alongside, many have postulated that the Fuel have nowhere to go but up. And while analysts and journalists will clamor over the team’s performance, or where Dallas will eventually land in the overall standings, Mickie is content with simpler goals.

“After all this time, I still have the same goal I’ve always had – I want the fans to be happy. I want everyone to be happy. I want my teammates to perform well, and I want to be a good teammate. Who cares about being the best, or what people say about me – how bad I am, how good I am, anything like that. I just want our team to be one of the best, and for our fans to be happy to watch us.”

Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment

His efforts to uplift his teammates made me consider his relationship with his newest brother-in-arms, Zack “ZachaREEE” Lombardo. With the weight of expectation on his shoulders, and a rowdy Dallas fanbase desperate for someone to blame after a rough start to the season, I asked for Mickie’s thoughts on the Fuel’s newest recruit.

“ZachaREEE? I would say he’s still young, and he has a long way to go. Right now he might not be considered a top player, but I think he’s pretty good. He hasn’t peaked yet. I would say you’ll see a new ZachaREEE soon – he’ll improve a lot this season.”

Haters Will Be Haters

With a new horizon laid out before his team, I asked Mickie for any parting messages he wanted to send – a common thread in my interviews. Whether it’s for your friends, for your haters, or for your mom, I feel it’s important that a player can always get their messages out there at will. Mickie, unsurprisingly, surprised me.