Lassiz is an Overwatch streamer who is popular for his Zarya play. He is ranked #8 Zarya in competitive on Overbuff and top 500 Hanzo and Reinhardt. In this interview, he discusses his Overwatch gameplay and his personal history as both a gamer and professional streamer.

Lassiz back in 2014 when playing for Team Dignitas Smite

What age did you start gaming, and how did you get into gaming?

Lassiz: I don't recall the exact age I got into gaming, but I've enjoyed video games since I was very young. My mother actual played Nintendo with me all the time and I haven't stopped playing video games since.

Have you always been a PC player, or have you ever owned a console?

Lassiz: I've owned a lot of the consoles growing up and I believe my last one owned before the PS4 was a regular Xbox. Since around 1999 I've been a PC nerd and just enjoyed it much more than any consoles as I feel the skill caps can be a bit higher, as well as using a keyboard and mouse just seem more comfortable to me.

What made you want to become a streamer on Twitch?

Lassiz: I never really had any intention to be a streamer but I would try and stream for fun for my friends so I could try and make plays while they tuned in. Eventually, I started to get viewers, little by little. I really enjoyed interacting with chat as it grew and grew, and eventually it became a job that I absolutely loved. From playing professionally in SMITE to just streaming as a casual, I'd say it's the most fun (Although stressful at times) I've ever had in my life.

You play a lot of Zarya in competitive, so what's the biggest piece of advice for other Zarya players?

Lassiz: Playing a decent Zarya definitely includes trying to use your shields for counter play as well as just building your charge. There's a lot of plays to be made with her shields in particular, because they can be used to bait out damage, or crowd control abilities to turn the tide of a fight. Paying attention to those players on your team who tend to take the constant poke or get caught out of position are your main shield targets. I also really tend to focus the large moving targets the most, so that I may build up my ultimate charge efficiently and being a nuisance to their front line. On the note of Zarya's ultimate, it's very important you use it wisely and attempt to knock down shields or get D.Va out of her suit (Or risk her eating it) before trying to pull off a good ultimate.

Aside from Zarya, who are your top favorite heroes in the game? Why do you like them?

Lassiz: I really enjoy playing Hanzo and Ana as my other two characters. I like Hanzo only because I like to think he has a higher skill cap, and hitting some of his shots can be really satisfying. Ana is fun due to the fact she has some great heals, crowd control, and a necessary ultimate for her team.

What heroes are in your ideal team comp, and why would you combo them?

Lassiz: Two of my favorite heroes to combo with as I play Zarya, are definitely Mei and Ana. The reason being is that Mei's ult is just so obnoxious and can freeze an entire team for a long duration while in your ultimate. Also, you can build so much ultimate charge back during the frozen duration, and can almost have it back and ready before the next fight. The reason I like Ana with a Zarya ultimate is because of the Anti-healing on her grenade.

What game mode or map would you say you play best? What advice can you give other players about this map?

Lassiz: Pushing the payload is definitely my favorite, it's a constant grouping of fights and having to execute team play and synergizing your ultimates the best you can as you push forward or defend. The advice I have to give on these maps is to not scatter in one by one, as it really hurts your team whether you're pushing or defending, and you'll lose too much unnecessary time while thinking and playing selfishly, rather than grouping up before each brawl.

Some players, even in the mid ranks, are all about playing the meta and not playing any other heroes. Do you think it's necessary to play heroes in the meta? What advice would you give to those players?

Lassiz: The meta is the meta for a reason, and in terms of playing the same heroes over and over constantly, does make for stale game play, but it is also a nearly a requirement in order to keep climbing the ranks and performing more consistently. I'd say just learn the heroes that are constantly in the game, and learning two characters in each role can really help push your team toward an advantage of winning.

How do you deal with toxic teammates, and what advice could you give to players forwhen they are tilted?

Lassiz: Toxic teammates are and always will be a thing. Whether it's someone not swapping to another hero or someone just constantly bad mouthing you or the team. It's never fun to encounter these types of teammates, and the way to deal with them is either mute/block them, or trying to reason with them (God forbid) and pull some logic on the necessary things required to win.

What type of hero do you want to get added to the game? What abilities would you like to see in that hero?

Lassiz: I've never been great at thinking of heroes to add to any game, or what I would want in a kit. Lord knows I'd butcher it and run its balance into the ground.

If you could modify one ability currently in the game, what would it be?

Lassiz: Ana's ultimate is one of, if not the best ultimate in the game. It gives too much of a bonus to a teammate and really just changes the tide of battle a bit too easily for my liking.

Aside from Overwatch, what are some other games you like to play?

Lassiz: I like to play MMO's more than anything. Sadly, they're not the most enjoyable thing to watch on twitch, so I am very limited to streaming or even playing/investing time into these as much as I'd want to.

Thank you Lassiz for the interview! Be sure to tune in to his stream over on twitch.tv/Lassiz.