The LoL Semi-Professional Owen "Panda" Magri - Interview

Time to freshen up the news feed with an exclusive interview. Anyone who's familiar with the local League of Legends scene knows of a certain roster, which has been drifting between the names of EvH and EDGE, which is practically unstoppable locally. This strong team has branched out internationally too, consisting of local youngsters. One fundamental reason as to why they've had such great success is none other than Owen "Panda" Magri. Eager to learn more, Gamers.com.mt reached out to him for a general interview while also asking certain questions which you're bound to enjoy - and he gave some great answers too. Read on to learn more about the Maltese semi-professional LoL player, who's also a student. 

1.) Let’s get to know you first. Introduce yourself by describing your personal life, your career in esports and anything else on the side.

I’m 19 Years old, mostly known as Panda and currently studying Software Development. I was introduced to esports 3 years ago when I participated in the Malta eSports Festival 2015. Since then, I’ve participated in every Maltese League of Legends LAN and have only failed to win one. During these 3 years, I’ve joined multiple organisations outside of Malta and participated in two Major Events, these being Infoshow 2018 in Kaunas and Gamescom 2017 in Cologne where I’ve competed against the likes of Bwipo, currently Fnatic’s Toplaner.

2.) As most of you know, Owen forms part of the dominant EvH LoL roster and has been competing very successfully for the past few years. With that being said, he’s placed 1 st at almost every single event due to his individual strengths and his involvement in the team. What has the journey been like up to this moment? How and when did it all start for you?

I’ve had a very successful run in the Maltese scene and enjoyed every second of it. After beating EDGE, who was the most dominant team in the scene for a long time, in the final and winning the Malta eSports Festival 2015, I went ahead and joined them. From that point onwards, we’ve made a strong name for ourselves.

3.) EvH and EDGE are some of the most prolific esports organizations on the island. What was the process like to get signed by them? Did you ever expect to reach this point?

EDGE was the biggest name in the Maltese League of Legends scene and different organizations had reached out to us to join them. Later on, in 2017, we were offered to join EvH as their League of Legends team. We appreciated EvH’s success in the Overwatch Scene and after a long discussion with Mike Saliba, both parties came to an agreement and dropped EDGE to become EvH’s League of Legends team. In my opinion, with our success in the scene, it was just a matter of time until an organization that we liked reached out to us.

4.) The next two questions should appeal to many Maltese teenagers trying to make names for themselves in the local scene. You’re currently balancing being a student and an esports player. How do you manage to do so? Does one pursuit affect the other in any way?

With a bit of time management, it all comes down to how effective your practice is. There’s no need in grinding for hours on end. I might learn more in 3 hours than another person would learn in 8 hours. It all comes down to how seriously you take training and the mentality you have moving forward. Players have reached much higher than I have while also being students, so it is definitely possible.

5.) What sacrifices have you had to make to pursue esports? What would you say are the best and worst parts of being an esports player?

With having to play the game seriously for so long, it can sometimes become a bit dull and boring. Having to sacrifice playing other games for fun to keep improving on League is a challenge. The best part of being an esports player would have to be seeing the hours of work you put in, turn into success. It’s an indescribable feeling of winning and having that weight lift off your shoulders. The worst part would be the tension between teammates. When playing with them for so long and everyone trying hard in practice, negative energy can definitely build up between the team. It’s all about turning that negative energy into something productive.

6.) What are your individual goals for this year as a player?

For this year, I’ll be focusing on myself and becoming a better player overall. When I feel like the time is right, I will look into joining international teams to compete in Major Events.

7.) What are your general thoughts about the MCS #4? Will you be competing at the event?

I haven’t looked much into it. I’ve heard there are a lot of teams competing in the CS:GO Scene, so that’s nice. As for EvH LoL, we won’t be taking part of MCS #4. We feel like the Maltese League of Legends Scene is not moving forward and all the hours we’re putting to practice as a team are going into waste.

That final response does leave a bitter taste. It does seem that that individual talent of Owen and that if his team is not being nurtured enough by the local scene which has room to grow - we're happy to see them take the initiative to the international scene where they will continue to perform to their utmost. We'd like to thank Owen for his enthusiastic participation and great replies, Gamers.com.mt wishes you the best for your future. 

We're curious to find out how the local LoL scene performs at the Malta Cyber Series #4.