Professional Overwatch has a special way of devolving into chaos and presenting the unexpected. The Overwatch League’s matches from week 24 were all or nothing setting up the Countdown Cup to be a captivating tournament. The weekend ended with two reverse sweeps and eight 3-0 wins. Teams are pushing themselves harder than ever before with the Playoffs looming in the distance.
A Lost Cause in the League
Last year, the Vancouver Titans were an unstoppable force in the Overwatch League. The young and talented roster was able to shake up the League and make a name for themselves as an expansion team. 2020 has been anything but favorable, and last weekend the Vancouver Titans were unable to claim a single map win. Their first loss against the Paris Eternal was expected given Yeong-han “SP9RK1E” Kim’s performance all season long. Out-paced and out-matched during the series, the Titans had the mercy of a quick loss. On Saturday, the Titans went up against the 12th seeded L.A. Gladiators only to be pushed aside with no resistance.
The Boston Uprising was in a similar position against the San Francisco Shock, and the L.A. Valiant. The Uprising has been a bottom team for a majority of the season and Overwatch League history. They have had their moments of more than mediocrity, but this weekend was not one of those moments. The San Francisco Shock had such little fear of the Boston Uprising that tank player Matthew “super” DeLisi chose to play Genji for this match up. The pure disrespect in every dash was a crowning moment for the Shock over the weekend.
Fueling the Flame
The heat of the Countdown Cup’s preliminary weekend was courtesy of Texas, in an arduous battle for the reverse sweep. The Dallas Fuel and the Houston Outlaws went head to head, putting on a show for their home state. The series began with complete dominance from the Houston Outlaws who managed to secure two maps with little resistance. Young-jin “Gamsu” Noh struggled on Volskaya, constantly bullied by the Outlaws’ exceptional DPS players. As the cowboys lost steam, Dallas added fuel to the fire and picked up the pace. The Fuel subbed in Stefan “Onigod” Fiskerstrand for Gui-Un “Decay” Jang, and the passive playstyle of previous maps was gone. The Houston Outlaws had no way to contend against the Fuel’s aggression, slipping up and creating an opportunity for their counterparts to succeed.
Week 25 of the Overwatch League will be more of the same dominance from the San Francisco Shock and Paris Eternal in the North American region. The Shanghai Dragons had a bye week this past weekend but will be returning to claim a few wins and maintain their dominance in the East. Playoffs are creeping closer, and the Countdown Cup bracket will begin next week. The top teams in the Overwatch League have little to fear, but those stuck in the middle of the rankings will need to prove their worth in the coming tournament.
