The past four days of this week featured the inaugural week of the Overwatch League. The preseason held last month gave fans some things to expect, but now the first season is in full swing. There were a ton of exciting matches, big playmakers, and perhaps the beginning of a dynasty (no pun intended). Let’s take a look at what went down in the first week of the Overwatch League.
The Results
Each team played twice over the span of four days, from Wednesday, January 10th through Saturday the 13th. Here are the results of each match. Every point is awarded when a team earns a victory on a map. There is a maximum of five maps played, with a minimum of three.
1.10:
- Los Angeles Valiant def. San Francisco Shock, 4-0
- Los Angeles Gladiators def. Shanghai Dragons, 4-0
- Seoul Dynasty def. Dallas Fuel, 2-1
1.11:
- London Spitfire def. Florida Mayhem, 3-1
- Philadelphia Fusion def. Houston Outlaws, 3-2
- New York Excelsior def. Boston Uprising, 3-1
1.12:
- Los Angeles Valiant def. Dallas Fuel, 3-0
- Boston Uprising def. Florida Mayhem, 4-0
- San Francisco Shock def. Shanghai Dragons, 3-1
Standings
Now that the first week of results is in, let’s check a look at the standings of each division.
Pacific Division
- Los Angeles Valiant (2-0)
- Seoul Dynasty (2-0)
- Los Angeles Gladiators (1-1)
- San Francisco Shock (1-1)
- Dallas Fuel (0-2)
- Shanghai Dragons (0-2)
Atlantic Division
- London Spitfire (2-0)
- New York Excelsior (2-0)
- Boston Uprising (1-1)
- Philadelphia Fusion (1-1)
- Houston Outlaws (0-2)
- Florida Mayhem (0-2)
Takeaways
Seoul Dynasty Lives Up to Its Legacy
Coming into the Overwatch League, the Seoul Dynasty has a distinct advantage over all of the other teams. As a unit called Lunatic Hai, this entire roster has already picked up a couple championships in Overwatch tournaments at the highest level. Their cohesion and the insane amount of skill has led to them picking up two sound victories over the Dallas Fuel and the Los Angeles Gladiators.
Philadelphia Fusion’s Momentum Doesn’t Last Long
During the preseason, the Philadelphia Fusion was the only team not to compete. While lacking experience on the big stage, they had one unique advantage: their strategy was a complete mystery. This worked out really well for them on Day 2 when they secured an upset victory over the Houston Outlaws. Right after their cards were shown, however, they lost two days later in a 4-0 shutout to the London Spitfire.
Week Two Could Be More Exciting Than Week One
Now that the initial week of competition is over, teams have three to four days to figure out how to up their game and perfect their strategies. This means that games are probably only going to get better and hopefully, there will be fewer shutouts. Teams like the Dallas Fuel could bounce back in Week Two with unconventional strategies that challenge the meta in new ways.
Standout Players
Ryujehong (Seoul Dynasty)
It is a pretty big accomplishment to be considered “perhaps the best Overwatch player in the world,” but Ryujehong of the Seoul Dynasty lives up to the claim. Known primarily for his role on support, he makes playing Ana a joy to watch. From out-dueling a Genji to stopping a Rip-tire faster than you can blink, he is a DPS and a support player in one. He can also play a mean Zenyatta, too.
Fleta (Seoul Dynasty)
There is a ton of great Widowmaker play in the Overwatch League, but Fleta is almost on another level. The best example of this work was on the Ruins portion of Ilios, where he was nailing consecutive improbable headshots so much to the point where the commentators called it “unfair.”
Striker (Boston Uprising)
While the Boston Uprising may not have had a great start to the season, they turned things around against the Florida Mayhem. A lot of that success was due to Striker, who was near perfect while playing Tracer. It seemed like he would barely miss a shot and make the most of every single moment.
Pine (New York Excelsior)
On the last day of games, Pine almost singlehandedly won Ilios for the New York Excelsior. Most notably, his McCree play on the Well map was stellar. He killed the entire Houston Outlaws lineup almost by himself, putting on a masterclass on how to play the cowboy.
Matches to Watch
If you missed the action, here are the notable matches worth checking out.
- Seoul Dynasty vs. Dallas Fuel – Temple of Anubis (11.10)
- New York Excelsior vs. Houston Outlaws – Ilios (11.13)
- Boston Uprising vs. New York Excelsior – Horizon Lunar Colony (1.11)
- Philadelphia Fusion vs. Houston Outlaws – Eichenwalde (1.11)
