Originally posted at http://www.omnicpost.com/2018/05/23/agilities-interview/
The Omnic Post had a chance at an exclusive interview with Brady “Agilities” Girardi, player for the Los Angeles Valiant; a team on such a winning streak they managed to score a partnership with Razer. They played a close game against the Seoul Dynasty and walked away winners last Wednesday. Last Saturday, they won 3 games to 1 against the Shanghai Dragons. The Valiant’s win against the Dynasty gave them sole possession of 1st place in the Pacific Division, granting them a first-round bye for the postseason.
Can you describe how you matured as a player and person from when the Overwatch League started to now?
Agilities: I think I’ve learned a lot through my time with the Valiant. For instance, I had to go through rough patches and in the end, it improved me a lot as a player. It was a bad experience, but it was a significant lesson for me. I learned I needed to focus on my game and actually improving. Also, not getting complacent and devoting time because I was putting in the time before Overwatch League started so I realized that quickly. Then after overcoming those patches, my mental game turned around and I think it matured me considerably in a lot of ways. As a result, I think I’m a way better player than before.
Do you think teams are finally figuring out the meta in this stage and your thoughts about Brigitte in this meta?
Agilities: I think this meta is basically a huge gamble and you have to be quick with switching team comp. You have to realize when a comp is not working in this meta faster than other metas because this meta is like the other team waiting in spawn to switch when you show your comp, and you have to be aware of that. It’s like a meta that hasn’t been figured out in Overwatch League yet. However, I think Brigitte is a really good counter for dives so she’s going to be used a lot that way. However, it’s just a giant gamble. I think Brigitte is situational on certain maps because she can be countered pretty easy. For example, she’s not really good against Junkrat and Widowmaker. But, if you have a good off-tank/DPS player and the other team is playing dive, they should switch to Brigitte to counter.
Last weekend, we saw a glimpse of the substitute players (D-team). If the “D-team” improves, do you think they will swap into the main lineup during this stage?
Agilities: I think we will see the D-team at some point — called the D-team because they are primarily coached by daemoN. We didn’t play Finnzi and Izayaki last weekend since they had visa issues. So our other 6 players, including Finnzi and Izayaki, scrimmed and devoted a lot of time together. However, only switching 4 players instead of all 6 messed with the team dynamic because they’ve been practicing with that exact 6. I think once Izayaki and Finnzi get their visa issues straightened out, and be able to play in Overwatch League, then we’ll be making a lot more swaps. Teams will be used to our usual comp and there are maps where they’ve been performing well, so we’ll react accordingly.
On your twitter, you often retweet your fan’s tweets. How important are the fans to your performance when you play each week?
Agilities: They are very important. I get a lot of messages and I keep my social media like Snapchat, Twitter DMs, and Instagram very open. I like that they get to message me whenever they want and I try to respond as best I can. They’re always very supportive like when I’m losing, they’re supportive and they pick me up. When we’re winning, they’re always cheering me on, so it gives me a lot of motivation to do well.
After your games each week, the Valiant’s Twitter tweets where you guys eat. What’s your favorite food from around LA thus far?
Agilities: Definitely KBBQ, it’s so good! I really like Quarters, then there’s in K-Town called Oo-Kook, and there’s one in Beverly Hills called Genwa. I think those are the best 3 spots so far.
What is the inspiration behind coloring your hair? Would you dye your hair again? If so, what color?
Agilities: So originally, I dyed my hair blonde because Verbo and I were messing around and thought it would be a fun idea to change something up and do something new. It turns out the blonde actually looked pretty good on me so I stuck with that and a lot of people wanted me to. Then, I realized that I don’t want to get my hair dyed every month, so I went back to my original color. A lot of people didn’t like that, so I went back to blonde. Then, I realized it’s too hard again, so I went back to my original color again. I think I’m going to stick with this because it’s easier. If I dyed my hair again, it would probably be more of a platinum blonde or silver.
Of course, every team wants to get to playoffs. How will you help your team get there?
Agilities: I think there seems to be a more positive aspect of the team and it helped everyone through the season. I need to also focus on my own gameplay because I know that it’s a big part of it. I trust that the 5 other guys that I’m playing with are playing as well as they can, so I need to get at their level and hopefully play as consistently as they do. Overall, we’ll be a really good team and I can help get them to playoffs.
updated socials
Twitch: https://t.co/TAGbLVkQSF
Instagram: https://t.co/iFpyV7axpy
Discord: https://t.co/fcjuKeO6Og
Snapchat: agilitiess pic.twitter.com/csAwmAGFIX— Brady Girardi (@agilities) January 16, 2018
You can catch Agilities in social media such as Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also catch him streaming on Twitch. Watch Agilities and the Valiant continue to conquer the Overwatch League on Twitch and the Overwatch League website.
