After releasing star players Neko and Striker in the offseason, the Boston Uprising came into the 2019 Overwatch League season with several question marks. Surprisingly, unofficial team captain and main tank Gamsu was traded to the Shanghai Dragon just days before opening night. With no time to spare, Boston called up main tank Cameron “Fusions” Bosworth from their Contenders team to fill in. Critics and observers were shocked when the Uprising nearly defeated expected champion NYXL. What followed has been an up and down Stage 1 that has many believing Boston can be a playoffs team and a force to be reckoned with in the league.
Fusions first came onto the scene with London Spitfire’s Contenders team the British Hurricane. They won the 2018 Contenders Season 1: Europe Championship in his first season with the team. From there, he was selected to be a part of the UK’s Overwatch World Cup team as their main tank. His standout performance on Reinhardt caught everyone’s eyes, and many anticipated a future Overwatch League debut.
We were fortunate enough to get to speak to Fusions about what it was like as he prepared for the 2019 season. As part of the Uprising Academy, he was set to play in Contenders until the Gamsu trade. We talk to him about how it all went down, what being a part of the Uprising has been like, and how far he thinks the team will go.
Boston Sports Extra’s LoadScr33n: Fusions – just a few weeks ago you’re on the Uprising Academy and I imagine you’re preparing for the new season of Contenders. Where were you and how did you find out you were getting called up to the main roster?
Cameron “Fusions” Bosworth: I was busy preparing for the upcoming contenders season with Uprising Academy when Huk called me when I was at home to tell me that I would be called up to the main team in order to play. It was about a week and a half before the first match so I had to prepare fast to make sure I was ready to move.
LoadScr33n: What was that moment like? What were your first thoughts and who was the first person you told?
Fusions: When I was told I was really excited. It came as quite a shock since I really had no idea I would be brought up. I told my family that same night and my closest friends a little after.
LoadScr33n: Could you walk me through those few days between when you got the call and touching down in LA? What was that like for you and your family and what was the biggest hurdle to get to the states?
Fusions: To be honest there wasn’t really any big hurdles into leaving for or getting to the US. I was prepared with my visa already for about a month before that so all I really had to do was pack and be ready to go. My family was upset to see me go, especially my mum, but they were expecting that I would have to move at short notice for a while before that so they understood.
LoadScr33n: You land in LA and you have a day or two to prepare to play against the NYXL – currently the top team in the standings and widely expected to win the championship this year. Can you give me an idea of what those days were like?
Fusions: I just did my best to fit in and help out the team. Realistically we couldn’t make any other huge changes right before the game, so I went in giving 100% and we put on a pretty good performance.
LoadScr33n: We know what the expectations for the Uprising were from outside the team (not good). What was the feeling from the players and management about how you stacked up against the rest of the league before the start of the season?
Fusions: Obviously we had an idea of who the stronger and weaker competition was going into the season but to be honest everyone knows not to focus on what people think of us on the outside. They don’t see our scrims or how we perform and hadn’t seen a large majority of our players play at this level, so we knew we could easily beat their expectations, the challenge is how much we could beat those expectations by.
LoadScr33n: The team sent out a video at the start of the season with the theme “Prove. Them. Wrong.” What are the expectations within the team and what goals have you set for yourself this stage and the year overall?
Fusions: The general goal of the team is to polish ourselves as the season goes on and become a team that can compete at the top level and with any team. The potential in our roster is huge so we want to keep focusing and improving the more the season progresses. My personal goal is to by the end of the year be talked about as one of the top tank players in the game. It’s a tall order but I think with the help and resources I have, I can reach that goal, and I really want to push myself to be the best I can be.
LoadScr33n: Now that things may be settling down into a routine a bit, how are you finding life in the states, playing on the team, the daily scrim and vod grind, and just a complete change to your life than where you were just two weeks ago?
Fusions: I’ve gotten used to the routine by now, everything we need is prepared in advance so all I have to focus on is how to push myself in my free time. I really enjoy this lifestyle and living with the team because it really makes me feel like I’m competing at the top level and can invest every bit of time I have into being the best player I can be.
LoadScr33n: You didn’t get to come to Boston in the preseason visit with the rest of the team. Assuming you make it to Boston by the end of the season, anything specific you want to see in the city? Anything the other guys have talked about that gets you hyped for a trip down the line?
Fusions: My parents have visited Boston before and they really enjoyed it so I really want to visit at some point. My teammates talked a lot about stuff they did there and the things that really stood out was they mentioned an Escape Room they did in Boston that was a lot of fun and also how the sports culture in the city makes it a great place to be during matches across different sports.
We want to thank Fusions for taking the time to speak to us. At 3-3, the Uprising have a great chance of making the Stage 1 playoffs if they can defeat the Dallas Fuel this Saturday (although there are some complicated scenarios at play). Tune into Twitch this Saturday at 6pm to see how the Uprising do!
All photos are by Robert Paul and courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment
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