i doubt the popularity was "a big factor." taimou is one of the most prolific players in the scene, and team envyus alone has been the most successful team since the inception of competitive overwatch. they don't need more big viewer numbers to succeed any more than they already are. sure it's an added bonus to tack on an enormous fanbase, but they could've done that with or without the bird. if you listen to kyky on dogman's recent podcast you can get a better perspective of how the team as a whole is thinking. not a lot of it really relates or points to a "popularity/fanbase" attitude. they likely understand that the fanbase is a bonus/byproduct of success.
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