“Circci” is a streamer who recently peaked at Rank 1 on the North American ladder at 4703 SR. The former console Overwatch player currently uses a hybrid controller-and-mouse setup on PC, and has had great success with it. I had the pleasure of speaking with him this past week about his gaming background, his transition from console to PC and his future in competitive Overwatch.
A lot of people may not know much about you. Would you mind giving us a bit of background on your gaming history? When did you start playing Overwatch?
I started playing Overwatch when the open beta on console came out in early May of 2016. I had not heard about the game until the day the beta came out and I decided to give it a try and really loved the game modes and how the game played out. I stayed on console until Season 7 and during that time I played on many teams, won a few tournaments, and made a name for myself in the community. After some of the better players left console to come to PC it was not as competitive and I was striving to compete at the highest level possible.
So, I moved to PC at the end of Season 7 and got my account to level 25 a few days before Season 8. When Season 8 started I was ready to go but I hated the way the keyboard felt so I started off on controller and found decent success with it, hitting 4250 SR. But, I did not like how impaired my aim was, so I looked for other alternative and found out I can play hybrid. My first season on PC, my peak was a little above 4400 playing primarily D.Va. Season 9 I also peaked a little above 4400 and Season 10 I took a break from comp (4350 peak) to focus on scrims and putting my name out there in the T3 scene. All the time I spent scrimming really paid off because last season (Season 11) I peaked 4550 which was a climb of 200 SR from where I finished the previous season. Then on top of improving in comp, I kept scrimming and kept improving and now I am sitting 150 SR higher than my last season’s peak at 4703. Before OW the only game I really played competitively was Call of Duty MW3 and Black Ops II.
That is awesome to see so much progress in your SR climb, congratulations. You mentioned that you played a lot of D.Va early on, which heroes did you use most through the climb?
Through my climb I used Dva and Mei the most. Historically, my most played hero is Mei followed closely by D.Va, but on PC my most played hero is D.Va. This season my Mei and D.Va play time are within minutes of each other and those are the two I played to climb.
You recently did a stream showing your controller/mouse hybrid set-up. Talk through why you use that set-up and how you’ve found success with it?
I found a lot of success with my hybrid set up due to how natural it feels to me. After having played Xbox for so long I was used to analog movement and it was a much easier transition. My forearms get sore after using the keyboard too long so this was a great solution. I also find that it has no downsides since I aim with a mouse. Technically the analog stick does have dead zones which you might think are a disadvantage but they actually are not. Many pros and respectable people, such as Jayne, have said that AD strafing too fast is counter-intuitive since your hitbox will stay roughly in the same place. When you AD strafe you want it to be fast, but not too fast, so I find the dead ones provide the perfect space of time before changing directions
Do you have any specific suggestions for those of us transitioning from console to PC? Are there any particular keybinds you find useful, and what kind of controller do you use?
I use a PlayStation navigation controller instead of the keyboard and aim with the mouse. I would definitely recommend this set up to anyone making the transition and also to remember that it’s the same game on console as it is on PC so your understanding of the game will carry over. Focus on improving mechanically at first until you feel fairly comfortable with the mouse and most importantly remember communication wins games so always keep the comms up!
I also use mouse wheel down to reload and mouse wheel up to use my ultimate, however, the best keybinds are gonna be whatever feels the most natural to you!
Having reached Rank 1 on ladder, are you looking to begin playing for an OWL or Contenders team? If so, have you participated in any tryouts so far?
I am definitely looking to get on an OWL or Contenders team. I am really hopeful for a contenders team and would love an opportunity to prove myself since I think my strong suit is team play. I have gotten a few offers to trial with T3 teams but I have not trailed with any contenders teams. So, I am just trying to get more recognition and hopefully, a team will give me a shot!
Big thanks to Circci for participating in the interview. You can keep up with Circci on his twitter or on his Twitch channel.
Stay Connected
Follow me on Twitter: @GoopyKnoopy I would love to dialogue with you about anything I’ve written!
You can also shoot me a line on Discord! (GoopyKnoopy#2205)
Featured Image Courtesy of Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
Follow The Game Haus for more sports and esports coverage.
Twitter: TGH Esports
Facebook: The Game Haus
“From our Haus to Yours”