Ex-Fuel player ‘OGE’ and Dallas aren’t teaming up, but both are searching for a winning culture - The Dallas Morning News

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Son “OGE” Min-seok wanted out of Dallas, got traded and still received a standing ovation when the Fuel saw him again.

It was a testament to his popularity among the Fuel fanbase after he spent 2018 and 2019 with the organization. The Fuel traded Son for Jang “Decay” Gui-un a little under a year ago on Oct. 29, 2019.

Neither Son nor Jang got exactly what they wanted out of their new homes. Son is a free agent and has already spoken to other teams, looking to leave the Gladiators.

The Fuel are hoping to be a new home for five Overwatch League-ready starters and reserve players. Dallas has a coaching staff to fill, as well.

The Fuel and Son are on opposite ends of free agency, one looking for a new home and another hoping to be a destination, but their goals are aligned. That doesn’t mean Son wants back in Dallas. He specifically told The Dallas Morning News that he wanted “something new.” A source confirmed that the Fuel don’t have plans to sign the tank player as of now, either.

Dallas doesn’t want to be an old version of itself, struggling to win games and develop chemistry. It’ll take some work to get there.

Of course, Fuel fanatics know what happened with Jang. The superstar DPS player requested he was released from the team and the Fuel granted that in August — in hindsight, this could be considered the starting point of the team’s current rebuild.

The Fuel had one player and one coach entering free agency on Saturday. Only Kim “DoHa” Dongha and coach Kim “Yong” Yong-Jin remained, as eight players had extensions declined and the coaching staff, sans Kim, was flushed.

Now the Fuel have what could become one of the stronger cores in the league after trading with the Paris Eternal for Yun “RUSH” Hee-won, tank player Choi “Hanbin” Han-been and damage star Kim “Sp9rk1e” Yeong-han. More on that here.

Three starting spots and all reserve positions have to be filled, but the Fuel will look far different from any of their previous teams.

So what made Fuel fans give thunderous applause for Son back in February during the Dallas homestand? Maybe it was just about seeing a familiar face.

But perhaps it was about recognizing will and commitment. Son wants to win, and be a part of a winning culture. He said he learned a lot with the Gladiators (11-10), but again, it’s time for something new.

Son originally said he wouldn’t ever return to Dallas, but quickly backtracked.

“Not never, but I left the Gladiators because I wanted to try new teams,” Son said. “It’s just weird because everyone got kicked by management. I just wanted to try something new, so maybe not Dallas.”

Son posted about his free agency status on Oct. 16, the same day Fuel players started posting about their own offseason.

He said it didn’t take long before he got offers as he had his Twitter DMs open and posted his Discord information. It wasn’t a stressful process, he said. It even gave the 21-year-old tank player confidence.

Since today I'm Free Agent
Dm on twitter
or discord
OGE#1001
Thank you :)

— OGE (@OGE_ow) October 16, 2020

“Maybe (teams) think I have potential still because I could possibly coach, but I just have to learn.,” Son said. “I think this year was hard because (COVID-19) happened and I stayed home for eight months. I didn’t know how to deal with that or not stress out. It was extra stress from this year.”

The main tank player has his eyes fixed on a good coach. He’s already received contracts, just hasn’t signed yet, he said. Wherever he goes, it will be a sign of confidence in that team’s coaching staff.

He hasn’t played under Yong, but he felt the Fuel needed to have a solid coaching staff before it worried about players.

“If they can get coaches, no matter what players they get, they can be good,” Son said. “I think coaches are more important than players.”

Son is in his South Korea home, able to relax with his family during the offseason. He said he’s learned more about handling the stress of isolation. The Fuel struggled with team camaraderie during the 2020 season, as well.

Whether the two ever link up again, it would take a strong rework for Son to be convinced back. His friendly dialogue with the Fuel on Twitter suggests a playful relationship remains. He’d almost certainly get another hearty cheer from the Fuel crowd, whether he was in blue or not.

“If they change things with players and the staff, and are winning,” Son said, “then maybe I’d want to go there in the future and it’d work.”

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Find more Fuel stories from The Dallas Morning News here.

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