Few players’ careers have been as storied and as strenuous as that of American flex support Dusttin “Dogman” Bowerman. Competing with countless teams spanning the course of Overwatch’s lifetime as an esport (most of which had been unsigned), Dogman now finds himself in uncharted waters of a familiar ocean--competing with the academy team of the Overwatch League’s Atlanta Reign in a meta that has allowed him to reassert himself as one of the most prolific flex supports in North America. I had the opportunity to ask him about his recent move to Atlanta Academy and about the role of a flex support in the current GOATs meta.

First of all, I’d like to congratulate you on getting picked up for Atlanta Academy. How validating is it for you to make such serious progress in your path to the Overwatch League?

Dogman: I don't necessarily believe in any validation in joining an Academy team. I've played in every Contenders season thus far and for two-thirds of them I played on the really good unsigned teams. I think this just sorta shows strength and belief in Atlanta and what they can do. I wanted to play on the best Contenders team, and to do that I needed to sign to [Atlanta] Academy. In a way, I've finally sold out. I've been purposefully playing unsigned for my entire career, and now it's ended up here. Obviously I would've preferred if it led me to OWL but I guess I got ahead of myself every time. However, this time I'm sure I won't give up; plus, I have a great team with me. Hopefully we can keep playing well.

You’ve been playing with Ajax for what feels like ages now, really. How important is it, would you say, to build up synergy with your main support? What’s your in-game relationship with him--how much do you need to communicate and how much do you just intuitively know about the one another’s play?

Dogman: I'd say it's something that changes from meta to meta. Having that good understanding of what to do in different metas with each other in terms of comms and understanding of peel is really important. Right now, we don't work necessarily together so much, but rather myself and him are cogs in our big wheel of a team. I believe it's really easy to confront each other as well ‘cause we have a friendly and “memey” environment as well. We take things seriously but we never go overboard and ruin each other's confidence. Myself and Ajax both understand [that] we're a team. But most importantly we want each other to succeed. And that's the driving force of our backline, the want to see each other succeed.

Several players have been changed between last season of Contenders and the current one. How do big roster shake-ups like this affect a team? Obviously there’s the issue of shotcalling, individual playstyles, etc.

Dogman: Obviously there's concern as to how well a new team will do. But once you see there's potential for success you get hope, and once you actually succeed you have a foundation for the future. Once you have the foundation you know you can be successful it just takes practice and the want to be good again. In a pro environment usually shot calling and general calls are determined by the meta, as I mentioned in a previous question. So it takes a good coach to know what's needed out of comms in each meta. The players need to adapt obviously as well but it's easier to find structure in certain metas compared to others.

In terms of skill ceiling, where would you rank GOATs? Is it a comp where you can just pick it up and play it well, or does more and more practice directly correlate to better play?

Dogman: I'd say the ceiling for GOATs is in a couple factors. How good is your team mechanically as a whole (as in do you have one or two players making huge mistakes and are they being corrected)?. Do your coaches understand what's right and what's wrong? To be honest, to be good at GOATs it takes mechanically skilled players and a good understanding of your individual jobs.

In GOATs, we see perhaps the greatest flexibility out of the flex support. Between Moira, Ana, and Zen, which would you say is your favorite to play in the comp? Alternatively, which would you say is the strongest overall?

Dogman: Ana was my favorite in general until I realized how fun Zen is in GOATs. Zen does so much in this meta. It's crazy. Sometimes, even in matches, it feels like you can carry games. You have a ton of impact on the game considering you're one of the main DPS dealers on the field. Overall the comp with Zen is the best just because of discord orb and damage output. I'm having a lot of fun in this meta but I'm surprised it's not over yet. I thought the fun could only last so long.

How much does your hero selection depend on the other team's variation of GOATs versus on your own?

Dogman: A lot of it is map dependent. There's a few things to adjust depending on what your opponent's doing but it's pretty rock paper scissors right now.

We’ve seen a serious decline in the use of Moira in GOATs. Why?

Dogman: Zen’s too strong. Moira can only hold off for so long but the damage Zen pumps out is too good. She's good versus other comps though.

Each flex support used in GOATs has historically varied in their roles--for instance, Zen has been far more damage-oriented and has had greater kill potential than Ana. How do these tendencies transfer over to GOATs? Are their specific roles the same as usual, or are they somewhat different due to the current meta?

Dogman: The meta does have impact on Zen's role. You weren't killing as much or generally doing as much damage until goats unless you were NYXL. I think NYXL was actually ahead of the game in using Zen in a similar way to he's currently used now. It's not exactly the same but having a Zen be a main damage dealer was really unheard of until NYXL. Now it's prominent in GOATs meta and I love it.

In previous metas we’ve seen some really good individual plays by flex supports, such as a Zenyatta killing half of the enemy team in one fight or an Ana sleeping a Nanoblading Genji. Do you think it’s more difficult for flex supports to make plays in GOATs meta than in the past or are the plays being made simply less flashy?

Dogman: I think flex supports shine the most in GOATs. Sure, it's not killing doses but clutch kills and timings are important. And the best Zens in GOATs are standing out.

Positionally speaking, where should you be when playing GOATs in relation to both the map and to each team? Does this vary based on which hero you’re playing?

Dogman: This is a difficult question to answer... In each meta, it varies depending on hero you play because they all play differently. Position is always hard to explain. Just don't stand too far back but also don't stand too close against spam heroes like Pharah.

As a Zenyatta, is it frustrating to try and put out damage when the other team is just covered in shields? Is it possible to work around this issue?

Dogman: Simple answer: it's not frustrating and there are workarounds. It's all about timings. Similar to playing Ana in previous metas, sometimes you can sleep dart a Rein when his shield’s down for a second.

Would you rather play against GOATs or against a traditional Dive comp? Or even against a Sombra-Doomfist dive?

Dogman: I'd rather play against GOATs ‘cause it's generally easier for a flex support to be a damage dealer; however, I'm fine with any meta.

How much do stuns affect you as a flex support? Are they something you really need to worry about, or are they mostly just an issue for others?

Dogman: Stuns aren't really an issue for me. It's mainly an issue the team as a whole works around.

What was your favorite meta to play and why?

Dogman: Probably Ana-Genji dive meta but I'm having a lot of fun playing Zen in GOATs.

Finally, are there any shout-outs you'd like to make? Where can we find you on social media?

Dogman: You can follow me on twitter and Instagram @DogmanOW. My Twitch is Dogman. And shout out to ATL Academy I love my team. Thanks for the interview!

Thanks again to Dogman for his time. Be sure to support him and his team in their playoff run in this season of Overwatch Contenders and their subsequent matches next season.

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