Dallas Fuel tank player Mickie awarded Dennis Hawelka prize

Pongphop “Mickie” Rattanasangchod, a tank player for Team Envy’s Dallas Fuel, is the first recipient of the Overwatch League’s Dennis Hawelka Award.

The award honors Dennis “INTERNETHULK” Hawelka, a former Team Envy player who died in November 2017 at age 30. INTERNETHULK was known for his extended impact on the Overwatch community. INTERNETHULK was a mentor and friend to many in the community, including Mickie. “It’s not just an award,” Mickie said in an interview with the Overwatch League. “Dennis has changed my life.”

Related: Blizzard to honor INTERNETHULK with a seasonal Overwatch League award

Mickie made his mainstream Overwatch debut at the Overwatch World Cup in 2016, where he met a number of different Team Envy players. In November 2016, when a Team Envy player dropped out before the OGN Overwatch Apex quarterfinals, INTERNETHULK reached out to Mickie. He joined the team in South Korea, and continued with the roster in the Overwatch League.

Overwatch fans and players often call Mickie the happiest player in the Overwatch League. Dallas Fuel echoed that sentiment when nominating the flex tank player for the award. “In a season full of ups-and-downs for the Fuel, Mickie was the constant force of positivity,” Dallas Fuel wrote, according to the Overwatch League. “He is welcoming. He is a teacher, a mentor, a [student] of the game, a hard-worker, a crowd-pleaser, and the first person eager to meet a new addition to the Fuel and get down to work.”

Mickie is the only Overwatch League player to represent Southeast Asia, and he wants to use that position to inspire players around the world.