Interview with Ian Huston of Team Envy

Ian, Director of Player Management for Team Envy, Dallas Fuel, Dallas Empire (Photo Credit: Team Envy)

Nice to meet you Ian. Do you mind telling us more about you and what you do at Team Envy?

Hello and nice to meet you! I am the Director of Player Management at Envy Gaming. This includes all of the teams under the Team Envy banner, the Dallas Fuel, our Overwatch League team, and the Dallas Empire, our Call of Duty League team. Along with others, I help oversee the operations for the aforementioned teams. I was originally announced by Team Envy on June 18th, 2019 as solely the PUBG Manager. From there, I was promoted to my current position and started that on January 1st, 2020.

What was the reason that made you come back into Rocket League? Why this roster?

Rocket League exists on a different axis as an esports title. It’s refreshing as a break away from the FPS titles that dominate esports and it’s incredibly easy for viewers, whether they’ve been watching for years or it’s their first time, to understand what’s happening. It’s very close to being that bridge to the mainstream in terms of esports and traditional sports, which we’re already starting to see over in Europe with the likes of FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Renault Vitality, and now David Beckham.

From the start of the year as I came into the office, it was very clear that we all wanted to get back into Rocket League as an organization. Let me tell you — Hastr0 was really excited to get back into Rocket League! I was put to the task to sign a top team. We were evaluating several opportunities, but this roster stood out to me. In signing a team in any game, there’s a set of criteria that needs to be met if you intend for it to be successful. Immediately, the raw mechanical skill of At0mic and mist was readily apparent. On top of that, Allushin was highlighted as a veteran with plenty of experience to guide the other two. With the team being younger overall, we felt that we would be able to foster this talent in the long-term with our support at Team Envy. In the initial discussions with the team, it felt like a great fit.

At0mic x Mist at Dreamhack Montreal and RLCS 8 World Championship (Original Photo: Stephanie Lindgren, Javier Muñante Bolivar)

Team Envy recently made headlines all across Rocket League related media. This was of course due to the pick-up of the 4-time World Champion Turbopolsa to the roster. What was it that attracted you to the idea of signing him?

When Turbopolsa is available, you sign Turbopolsa. Simple as that. Referencing the criteria I mentioned earlier, he has everything you want as a player. He’s been on multiple rosters through several different metas over the years, and the fact is that he knows how to get those wins when it matters. An added benefit in adding Turbopolsa to the roster was to mentor At0mic and mist, especially as they prepare for LAN tournaments.

*Turbopolsa wasn’t signed with Team Envy before going on to win the Brawl 10K with At0mic and mist. Additionally, Allushin is currently still part of Team Envy.

How surprised were you that Turbopolsa became available? How are the first weeks as a new team?

We hear about these moves before everything becomes public and I honestly did not believe what was told to me when I first heard what was happening with the overall roster shuffle. Within the day of receiving that news, we acted on it and you know the rest from there. As a slight aside, this is personally a surreal experience. For those that don’t know, I was formerly with Cloud9 and signed The Muffin Men back in 2017, where Turbopolsa was always competition. To now join up with him and be competing against Squishy alongside Turbo’s narrative with NRG, I did not expect this from “the script.”

Turbopolsa — The most decorated player in Rocket League history (Photo Credits: Psyonix, ZeeboDesigns, Javier Muñante Bolivar)

Did the format change in Rocket League Esports have any impact on Team Envy coming back to Rocket League? What are your thoughts on the new format?

We at Team Envy just really wanted to get back into Rocket League in the first place! This overhaul to the format was coincidental and not too much of a determining factor. As for the format, we love it. There is now an amazing support system in place with a clear path to get from being an amateur player to a professional one. Everyone loves watching Rocket League and it’s truly a huge treat to watch high level Rocket League. Moving from the old format where there would be roughly 10 weeks of regular season play through the year surrounded by high-profile events to what has been announced going forward for RLCS X has me very optimistic. The stakes for every match have grown, which will create more incredible moments now that we have more frequent opportunities for things to be tense.

The new look of Rocket League Esports, named RLCS X (Photo Credit: Psyonix)

Communication with Psyonix has been flagged as an issue historically by a number of organisations and players. Did this concern you when you were entering Rocket League and knowing the potential issues in advance?

From our perspective at Team Envy, we’ve had a genuinely positive experience from a wonderfully attentive esports team.

I can sympathize with the average player that it can be easy to get frustrated because esports and gaming in general both move and update at an insane pace to stay relevant and keep their player base saturated with content and competition. That being said, Rocket League is a very straightforward game and there isn’t really anything that needs to be adjusted to the game itself. Murty, Cory, and Ian, among many others, are all great people who are making something really special behind-the-scenes. Each step forward is deliberate and well-thought-out. If anyone continues to get frustrated after seeing this, trust in this Rocket League Esports team and be patient.

What are your thoughts on the Rocket League Esports revenue sharing platform and the Esports Shop? Anything that you would like to see that has not been done yet?

Getting to work with the developers on a revenue sharing platform to have in-game items, it’s something we love to see as an organization. Players, organizations, developers, and beyond — all parties benefit from this. I would enjoy seeing Team Envy decals in the game and I will definitely be one of the first to get them!

Rocket League has endless opportunities in that aspect — there is always something more to be done when you’re getting creative with cosmetics. Thinking of it now, I would love to see a Team Envy goal explosion.

When are the fans likely to see Team Envy cosmetics in the game?

*Laughs* Aren’t you the people that are supposed to have all this info, being as you are the #1 Source for RLEsports Intel & News according to your Twitter bio? When you find anything out, please let me know! In reality, the development process and in-game integration for cosmetics in any game does take some time. Regardless, we’re just as excited about this as you are and hope to see something in the near future!

A fan mock-up of what a Team Envy decal could look like in Rocket League (Credit: Hurricane Modding)

As we’re getting to the end of this interview, do you have any final thoughts or a message to the Rocket League community?

On behalf of us at Team Envy, we truly appreciated the warm welcome back that the fans gave us. Rocket League is an esport unlike any other and it feels like we are finally back home!

Special thanks to Ian Houston (@IanEsports) for taking time to sit down and answer questions from our team!