“Online friends aren’t real friends.” That’s a common refrain that a lot of gamers have heard. But we all know that the friendships we cultivate online matter just as much as those we’ve developed in our offline hours. In fact, because we spend hours gaming alongside friends who share the same niche interests, goofy memes, and memories of wild online shenanigans, the communities we form online can sometimes feel like a second family.

Though TL superfan and World of Warcraft aficionado Omi got his start in strategy games and found Team Liquid through League of Legends, he’s now a die-hard Liquid Guild cheerleader and a founding member of the WoW guild Liquid Plus. For Omi, gaming and an interest in computers came early, but he always hoped to find peers to share in his gaming joy. Team Liquid’s growing fan community offered just that: a space for gamers of all kinds to find their people, to grow and laugh and play together, and to offer each other support. For Omi, Team Liquid’s community is undoubtedly his second family.    

Luckily, busy dad gamer Omi took a few moments out of his day to speak to us about his journey to finding Team Liquid, his outrageously cool BlizzCon experience, and even the game that started his lifelong love of PC gaming. 

Hi Omi! We’d love to hear a little about you! 

My name is Juan Carlos, and I go by “Omi” pretty much everywhere. I’m from Texas and am married with two kids, who are huge Team Liquid fans as well. I led them to support Team Liquid, too, you know? They don’t watch the same games as I do, but my older one is a huge Valorant fan as well. 

I’ve been gaming my entire life, as long as I can remember. Ever since I was young, I was taught to use computers, and computers and gaming in general have always been a huge thing for me. 

How did you get started in gaming? 

Well, I started gaming when I was young, probably 9 or 10. My dad always believed that computers would be the future, so he put me and my brothers into computer classes to help us learn how to handle computers. It was during one of those classes that I found Age of Empires. I didn’t know what I was doing in that game at first, but that’s what ignited my curiosity about gaming. I had always had a console at home, but computer gaming started with Age of Empires. 

What inspired you to dive into the community surrounding PC gaming? 

As long as I’ve had a controller in my hand, I’ve been looking for people around me to grow a community of players. I always tried to find local players where I lived, to try and meet more people who share the same passion in gaming that I have. As a matter of fact, I tried to make a local World of Warcraft guild for the city and for the local college in my city, but unfortunately that didn’t work out because not many people played WoW. So, I’ve always wanted a bigger gaming community, and when I wasn’t able to build my own locally, I started trying to find a place to call home when it comes to gaming. Fortunately I found the Liquid Plus community, and have become a family with them. 

Is it the search for community that eventually led you to Team Liquid? 

I think I started as a Liquid fan in 2012, back when they were still Team Curse. I initially became a fan of the organization because of the League of Legends team. This was back when they were still fighting for a spot in the North America League. I started rooting for them because of the player Voyboy but from there my love for the organization grew, and it really became a part of who I am. Ever since then, I started bleeding Liquid blue. 

I’ve been a part of the Team Liquid community since it started. At the time, we were really focused on League of Legends, Counter Strike…but I’ve been playing World of Warcraft since the Burning Crusade. So I was actively playing World of Warcraft, but was part of a community with people that played all sorts of different games, including a small group of people in WoW who were part of Liquid Plus and also big Liquid fans. I realized I wanted to continue playing games with that kind of community. The Liquid community had become family to me, and helped me through many different tough times in my life. They offered me a place where I could be myself and grow as a person while also enjoying and sharing my passion for the team. 

What is it about the Liquid community that keeps you coming back as a loyal fan? 

What has kept me on as a loyal superfan is how things in the organization are done. They’re always striving to be the best in every esport they participate in. And they’re really connected to their community – we actually feel like we’re part of the team and we’re not just strangers rooting from the sidelines. [Liquid] has created this community that has grown to the next level. We’re not just some random people who talk to each other about something we all share. Instead this has grown to a point that I feel like Team Liquid is my second family. 

I’m really active on the Team Liquid Discord, and I’ve really created so many strong, really long-term friendships. Liquid keeps doing things for us, to strengthen the community and bring us together. No other team does that. I feel like Liquid cares about their fanbase and in return, I should support them and give them all the love that I have. 

Unfortunately for one of the community people in Liquid, Sarah, who was part of the small Liquid Plus chat we had, I kept nagging her every day: “Hey, we should do a Team Liquid guild! Let’s do a Team Liquid guild! We should all get together and play!” This was before Team Liquid acquired Limit (now Liquid Guild), so TL didn’t have a World of Warcraft guild or team running for them. Shout out to Sarah, who finally said, “fine, let’s do it! We’ll do it, please stop asking!” So that’s where everything started in Warcraft. The community guild is Liquid Plus, which is where all the World of Warcraft Liquid fans gather to cheer for Liquid Guild. We try to help them with the Race to World First, and we finally have a community where we can all play together!  

Wow, so you were really a driving force in starting Liquid Plus, huh? 

Unfortunately! Laughs I just kept bothering Sarah for a Liquid Plus guild until it finally happened. From then on, we have acquired so many amazing people from the Liquid community. I love every single one of them. They’ve all helped the guild grow so much, including the many Liquid staff who are a part of it! I mean…there are things that we couldn’t have done without the support of everyone who participates. The community is still going strong now! 

Outside of being THE influence for Liquid Plus guild, what is your favorite Team Liquid-related memory? 

Oh man, I have so many memories, to be honest! I think most of my gaming memories are related to Team Liquid. We have so many small things and dumb jokes that bring us closer together and connect us. I truly love being a part of this family. 

During COVID, Team Liquid was doing tailgate parties for fans who couldn’t attend the traditional esports events. During the parties, they’d have community games, and I happened to win a League game! When they asked me what I wanted on the back of my winning jersey, I was so excited I misspelled “undefeated.” When I received the jersey, I posted it on Discord and I never even noticed the spelling mistake until someone started to meme about it, and now it’s just become a thing. KBB did send me a corrected one, but that UNDEFATED jersey is probably one of my most precious treasures that I have. I became Undefated Omi on Discord after that one. 

I guess, um…I’m not sure if you ever heard of the burger situation? 

Oh! Tell me more! 

So KBB, the community manager in Discord, is someone I love as a friend. I was extremely surprised when I learned that he had never eaten a burger before! I was like, “KBB what do you mean? Like, you’re literally from where hamburgers are from! How can you never…” and he said he’d never ever had one. I tried for weeks to get him to let me send him a burger, and I started a hashtag, #GetKBBaBurger. I even commissioned a Yoshi holding a burger. It kind of turned into the cult of  “Get KBB a Burger” and even reached the higher ups! It was everywhere. But now I’ve become his protector – everyone has to go through me. No burgers for KBB ever, because he doesn’t want one! 

But my most fond memory? That’s meeting Liquid Guild, and my own Liquid Plus guild community last year at my first BlizzCon. I think that was the highlight of my year. 

I made a huge banner of the Liquid Plus guild tag and we used the Derp Horse as our logo. We brought it to BlizzCon with us because I wanted it to be a memory of the guildmates who I met there. But in the end, it turned out to be so much more! 

I got to meet most of the raiders in Liquid Guild, and they all signed the banner. We even had Driney sign it, and then Max signed over his name, and then Driney signed over again. My initial idea was to get that banner signed by the Liquid Plus guild and give it to the raiders in Liquid Guild to let them know they had a whole other guild rooting for them and supporting them. But then the banner was passed around by so many people. I got so many TL fans to sign it, and I got the guild to sign it. I even got the content creators from TL to sign it. At the end, they took the banner and hung it at the AWTF in LA, which is so amazing. Thank you to everyone who helped me with that memory.

I was so excited to meet the Liquid Guild players, and Max, and get pictures with them. My favorite Liquid person is Eiya. I got to hang out with her at BlizzCon, and I’m active in her streams and everything. Eiya is the one who took my banner to the AWTF to hang it for the guild when they walked towards their stations for the RWF. Seeing that banner hang up there is amazing. I feel like I’m there, and like I’m a part of it. 

What an incredible first BlizzCon experience! 

Funnily enough, I only got to go to BlizzCon because I won a Twitter giveaway for a ticket, just a week before BlizzCon happened. I told a WoW friend once, “someday I’m going to be at a BlizzCon in person,” but it was just one of those dreams that you really want, but circumstances won’t allow. 

One morning I woke up to this tweet congratulating me on winning a ticket. I thought it was a virtual ticket, until a friend told me it was a real ticket to attend the convention. I called my wife right away, and even called my mom! My wife said, “hey, I mean…what are you waiting for? Start looking for tickets for your flight!” Oh my God, that was amazing, meeting all those people and being there in person. That’s something I won’t ever forget. 

You’ve played WoW, a bit of Final Fantasy XIV, and recently, Tarisland – would you say MMOs are your favorite genre? 

Oh 100%. I’m always looking for something to keep me entertained, but nothing will ever top World of Warcraft for me. I’ve played it for so long and I’m so used to it now – I’m used to the story of the game, the lore, the people in it. I don’t see myself playing any other MMO seriously or having another one get in the way of WoW. I’ve also tried Guild Wars, Final Fantasy…but it’s always WoW as the one I go back to even when there’s tough times and things are not going the right way. 

As a WoW player and TL superfan, you must watch the Race to World First, right? 

I live and breathe the Race to World First! I’m really excited to have some more RWF content! It’s so exciting, right? Being able to support the team, talk with other people, hang out with all the people involved with the Race. I get so into it! The last race, I was so into it, I started telling Twitch chat that I would get a Liquid tattoo on my forearm. People started screenshotting it and passing it around – the race was SO close at the end, and I really thought I’d be going to get a tattoo. Unfortunately we didn’t win…but I really do actually want to get a TL tattoo, and I probably will eventually! 

Do you raid at all? 

I do casually. Before I got married, I was committed to a heroic [now Mythic] guild, but with more responsibilities in marriage and kids, I raid a lot more casually now. Now that my kids are a little older, I can at least raid consistently with the Liquid Plus community, and we do get every single Ahead of the Curve.

What’s your main class in WoW? 

Warlock was my very first character, and I played that until the Battle for Azeroth [expansion]. Then I played a little bit of Demon Hunter, and then switched to Augmentation Evoker as soon as that spec released. It’s definitely the class I fell in love with, because I like being able to support my teammates while still trying to stay in the back and not get killed all the time! I love Augmentation Evoker. Please don’t delete it, ever! 

What makes you such a Liquid Guild fan? 

First of all, they’re Liquid! I mean, before TL had the guild, I used to watch the Race to World First, but whoever won was just, “oh cool, they did it, congrats to them!” When Liquid Guild came aboard, that changed everything. 

I like how much effort they put into getting it done, you know? WoW is still a game, but the amount of pressure that these guys have to experience to become the number one, and the work they put in…it’s amazing. It’s something to look up to. 

What I think I love most about them is how, no matter what happens, win or lose, they always stay positive and return to get things done and get back up there. I love that they involve so much of their community in the Race to World First through splits and farming. That Discord goes crazy when it’s time to help Liquid Guild! 

Do you have other favorite games? 

I play a lot of League of Legends and Valorant. I’ve tried every single game where Team Liquid has a team, because I want to know what it’s about so I can root for them. I jump from game to game a lot. 

What are you playing right now to kill time before the launch of WoW’s The War Within expansion? 

Right now I’m playing Ragnarok Origin, which is a mobile MMO, which is keeping me busy until the War Within early access release [on August 22nd]. I’m so excited! I have purchased every WoW single collector’s edition since I started playing.

Outside of gaming, what hobbies do you enjoy? 

I used to be a really active soccer player when I was younger. I was introduced very young, and I played through all my years of school, and even into college. Right now, though, as a father, playing games with my kids is what I most enjoy. We now like different games, but spending time with my family is the most important to me. Whatever time I can dedicate to them, I do. 

Is your wife a gamer too? 

She’s not a big gamer, no. Back in the years when we were dating, I was really putting a lot of time into Gears of War. She went out of her way to buy an Xbox to play with me. Unfortunately she didn’t really get into it. She does sometimes have to pull me from the computer because I’ve spent a lot of time gaming. I love her so much! 

What’s next for you? Do you have any upcoming plans, or anything you’re really excited about in your immediate future? 

Any future plans include me having more time with my family, because my life really revolves a lot around them. Every weekend we get together to celebrate pretty much anything and everything. 

I’m really looking forward to meeting new people in World of Warcraft, and continuing to be a menace in the TL Discord. I can’t wait to cause chaos during the Race to World First!

I’m always excited for anything Liquid. I’m always waiting for new merch to drop. I need more WoW x TL merch to drop as well. I think the Liquid Derp shirt is my favorite piece of TL merch that I own. I need more jerseys! I own so many Liquid jerseys; I think my entire closet is pretty much TL stuff. Adding another jersey to my collection is always amazing.  

Do you have any closing thoughts for us? 

I just want to shout out everyone that’s a part of the Liquid community. Thank you for making it so that us real life introverts have a place to be ourselves and share our thoughts and passions. I want to shout out Gamerhcp, Dustin, Sarah who started the Liquid Plus guild, and KBB who is an amazing friend. Team Liquid is a huge part of my life, and hopefully it continues to be for a long time to come. 

And thank you all for taking me into consideration for this interview. Thank you everyone: the Liquid organization, the fans who make this an amazing place to be. This wouldn’t be possible without all the people who share a love for the organization. I’m excited to continue to grow together and be a big family.