Lethal from birth - an interview with Spitfire's newest ace

Spanning crafts, Overwatch 2 professionals across the globe will consistently tout that they were born to do what they do. Future carpenters with a hammer and saw in their hands even a baker with a rolling pin. Every day someone somewhere is born with something embedded in their DNA.

Denis "Lethal" Tari of the London Spitfire represents a new evolution of that phenomenon; a gamer born with the sticks in their hands.

The newest addition to the London Spitfire caught up with GGRecon to share what his journey was like prior to Overwatch.

(Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.)

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Being born into a video game golden age, baby Lethal always had a controller within arms reach.

And we mean that quite literally. 

When exploring his history, Lethal recalled a memory of when he was around the age of three, attempting to play on one of his parent's consoles. The only problem was his hands couldn't properly hold the controller.

Unfettered, baby Lethal used the palm of his hands to make due.

At the age of four, Lethal and his parents attended the Dubai Summer Surprises, coincidentally the Championship Gaming Series (CGS), an early progenitor to modern esports, held a booth at the event. It was there that Lethal first saw competitive gaming on a wider scale.

While sweeping a rather infamous C-level executive in Dead or Alive 5 might not necessarily colour your future, the support and exposure around gaming at such an early age certainly might.

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Growing up, Lethal described himself as "extroverted" and incredibly energetic, "It was actually pretty easy for me to make friends," he explained. When he wasn't out on the football pitch or on the tennis courts, Lethal and his family bonded over video games.

Like most adolescence, Lethal chased his interests. School life saw Lethal focus in on math, science and geography. These gave him tangible, even visual queues, that scratched the itch of problem-solving and showed that he was improving.

However, the more abstract arts didn't quite strike his fancy.

The connections between gaming and more academic pursuits seem to be underexplored but Lethal seemed to feel enriched from his time spent gaming. 

When asked if it helped him in school, Lethal replied with a resounding and confident "yes."

"Gaming helped me to be able to take tests better and problem solve better," he said.

Another aspect that Lethal honed in on was his innate competitiveness which drove him towards traditional sports.

"I always try to be better than I was yesterday," Lethal shared some of his takeaways.

"I don't know. There is kind of no point in not being the best."

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His teenage years took competitiveness and married it with gaming. Always wanting to be the best, he took games like Rainbow 6 and Call of Duty and climbed their ladders quickly before setting his sights on Overwatch.

Those gaming roots took hold quite early and saw Lethal blossom in 2022 with an incredibly successful tenure alongside Harrisburg University and Illinois State University, also known as Redbird Esports. 

Unsure of his own role even these days, Lethal never was the Tracer for his other teams. He steadied himself on Overwatch's hitscan DPS cast and found purchase, but now he is more than ready to prove that he can become a world-class ace on Tracer as well.

Echoes from his youth pushed towards the surface. 

"There is no point in not being the best," Lethal said. He admitted he still had room to improve, negating deaths here, and making sure to stick the Pulse Bomb there, but the growth mindset was locked in. 

It was clear there was not an "if" he could be one of the best Tracers, it was a "when" in his mind. 

When asked what his younger self might say if he knew he'd be playing a video game professionally, Lethal's answer was quick.

"I think he might tease me, maybe call me a nerd," Lethal said.

"Eventually he'd be excited, maybe proud. I don't know if he'd believe it."

"But always back to joking and playing around."

What's consistently impressive are the "whys" of any professional pursuit.

Why they work so hard?

Why they chose this field?

Why are their goals what they are?

For Lethal, it seemed like it was a bit of not ever wanting to lose meeting the highs of knowing you're a step above your opponent. He was fueled by the threat of a loss but focused on the present, growth and more happy memories.

"Knowing that you and you're opponent are both playing and doing the same thing, and beating them?"

"I don't really know how to describe it. It's like you're a step above."

"It's like a ladder."

"When you win, you're climbing that ladder."

Lethal and the London Spitfire look to do the same this season. 

The 2023 Overwatch League season has only just begun but it was clear, Lethal and the Spitfire are ready to win by any means necessary.