Coming out of the first weekend of #ATKOWFinals, the reaction from certain teams and players really gives a lot of insight into their processes and commitment to improvement.

There's so much to gain by playing against the top seeded teams - even if you're not going to win.

Absorbing information in games against the likes @AtkArena, @TheBeastyBoysZA, @XvG_2CP and @omnius_gaming run against you is so crucial in learning their decision making processes

I think it was ML7 who said that the way he recommends improving is by watching Overwatch League.

This isn't for mechanics - this is to learn the decision making processes of top tier players and how they construct their macro is so important in improving past mechanics.

The same applies to improving locally - you gain so much from playing your hardest into top teams, taking the L, and then gaining from those processes in post-match.

VOD review, honest discussion about compositional theory and failures. Learn from the adversity!

Seeing players leaving teams because they dare struggle against top seeds, or giving up before the game has even started makes me sad.

You're not taking your chance at pulling information from sides who, even when playing off-meta, have a lot to teach about playstyles & macro.

I'm super proud of how a lot of teams have come out of this weekend - I've received so many messages about taking a look at vods, or understanding what teams do, and heard a ton about teams taking this week to get additional coaching and improve in specific targeted areas. Great!

Improvement is EXACTLY the interaction you should have with these finals - especially as a newer player/team.

The power structure in local Overwatch is harsh and unforgiving - you climb it by grinding, by learning and by taking knowledge and understanding from defeat.

Overwatch is a game with a tremendous learning curve. It has detailed macro and micro elements and interactions, an intense individual barrier in heroes of widely differing playstyles, severe map dependencies and still then pure mechanics.

Take what you can from losses.

Because the only way you beat the ATKs, the GGs, the Edens, is by learning when they beat you - take their expertise and use it to supplement your own grinding, training, coaching and growth.

It sucks to lose, but it sucks even more to stagnate.

Either way, I LOVED being a part of this weekend's first games of Overwatch.

The community has developed so much since I joined and has a way better collective understanding of the game and meta than even a year ago.

I'm proud of you, South African Overwatch! You done good!