Dynasty, Spitfire nonetheless taking pictures for Overwatch League title
Emily RandESPN
BURBANK, California — On Saturday, the London Spitfire and the Seoul Dynasty handed the primary spherical of playoff exams within the Overwatch League’s play-in bracket. London and Seoul superior to the principle playoff stage the place they will tackle the New York Excelsior and Vancouver Titans, respectively.
London is the defending Overwatch League champion. Seoul was the workforce with the best expectations going into the league’s inaugural season and nonetheless bears the load of not assembly these expectations and being South Korea’s dwelling workforce.
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It is easy to overlook the pedigree of those squads attributable to each groups’ inconsistent performances all through the 2019 season. London entered this yr driving excessive on a championship win — a victory that appeared doable due to the expertise on the Spitfire roster however unlikely given their 2018 common season performances. Seoul entered the yr centered on redemption for a disappointing inaugural season end the place the Dynasty did not make a single stage playoff and had been eradicated from season playoff rivalry as nicely.
Each now have an opportunity at fulfilling expectations of themselves and their fanbases.
For London, this implies better consistency.
London’s preparation for Shanghai was primarily centered on having completely different gameplans relying on whether or not Bae “Diem” Min-seong or Yang “DDing” Jin-hyeok was beginning alongside Jin “Youngjin” Younger-jin within the DPS function. Regardless of the prep, DDing’s Pharah was troublesome for London to include.
Spitfire flex tank Kim “Fury” Jun-ho says he thinks Shanghai is healthier than among the groups in the principle playoff subject based mostly on what he is seen from the Dragons. Even so, the defending champions all however gave their opponent the match however by some means stayed alive on Watchpoint: Gibraltar and King’s Row.
The primary-to-four sequence went to an Overwatch League document eight maps and ended on Ilios, the place London was capable of stave off Shanghai but once more. Because the Spitfire started to fold, help Choi “Bdosin” Seung-tae rallied his workforce.
“I really feel like on Ilios Ruins, enemy took it to 99% and we had been simply considering, ‘Oh, perhaps we go to Korea, go dwelling,'” Fury stated, “however he stated some issues about hero altering, technique and different good issues. We heard his voice, and we modified heroes and place. I do not understand how we received.”
Members of the London Spitfire have fun their Four-Three victory towards the Shanghai Dragons within the Overwatch League play-in event on Saturday at Blizzard Area in Burbank, California. Picture by Ben Pursell/Supplied by Blizzard Leisure
Fury stated that along with Bdosin’s phrases, he informed his teammates to consider the reminiscence of their earlier championship, and it helped them focus.
“After we completed the match I simply …”
Fury held out his left arm and pointed to it together with his proper hand.
“Goosebumps all on my physique. … I by no means really feel goosebumps or that blissful at different matches, regular matches, however season one, vs. NYXL, it was the identical feeling.”
After a pause, Fury leaned again in his chair with a loud sigh.
“I stated, ‘Overwatch may be very enjoyable.'”
Whereas Fury and London drew on their championship reminiscences to beat Shanghai, the Seoul Dynasty are extra centered on distancing their 2019 iteration from the reminiscences of a disappointing 2018 season. As a consequence of Seoul’s inconsistency, roster swaps, and Stage Four struggles to regulate to the brand new meta of a 2-2-2 function lock, Guangzhou was closely favored as one of many groups to make it out of the play-in stage.
Seoul beat Guangzhou in a extra convincing vogue than London beat Shanghai, with a Four-1 scoreline that included a draw on Horizon Lunar Colony. The Dynasty managed to include the Cost and projectile DPS star from Stage 5, Charlie “nero” Zwarg.
Members of the Seoul Dynasty Overwatch League workforce stroll off the stage at Blizzard Area following their Four-1 victory towards the Guangzhou Cost within the play-in event for the OWL playoffs on Saturday in Burbank, California. Picture by Robert Paul/Supplied by Blizzard Leisure
“Guangzhou is nice, however we’re ok to go towards them,” Seoul help Yang “Tobi” Jin-mo stated. “Guangzhou has this power the place Nero performs Pharah, and he is actually good at that. To counter that, we used McCree, and that labored.”
Tobi admitted he did not know why this present patch appeared to stabilize his workforce outdoors of the truth that it had many gamers who can play Sigma.
“With the meta change, we had been making an attempt to deal with every particular person participant,” Tobi stated, “and that labored very well. Outdoors of that, I am probably not positive.”
Tobi is used to criticism and disappointment by now, and though the setbacks of Season 1 damage, they allowed him to offer perspective to youthful teammates and maintain the Dynasty stepping into 2019.
“I can not say that now we have the perfect mentality general for those who have a look at our Stage 2 and three matches; in our large matches, we misplaced as a result of we did not have good psychological, and that may very well be our weak point,” the veteran help participant stated. “My function is to care for different gamers mentality, and as an enormous brother serving to out different gamers, naturally my mentality additionally turned higher.”
The truest take a look at of that enchancment will come towards the Vancouver Titans in the principle playoff stage. Though Seoul did upset the NYXL in Stage 1 playoffs this yr, this would be the workforce’s first look within the bigger end-of-season playoff bracket that would probably web them an Overwatch League title.
“I have never actually thought of it,” Tobi stated of his first season playoff victory. “As a result of we had been in play-ins, it isn’t essentially playoffs but, so I believe if we win the subsequent match, I will really feel prefer it’s a playoff win.”