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Overwatch

Top moments from Overwatch League Week 28

The Overwatch League is only a week away from playoffs, and Week 28 upset a lot of power rankings. The Philadelphia Fusion fired back at the Shock, Seoul finally has begun to turn it around, and the Gladiators are on their last leg for Playoffs. These are the top moments from Week 28, and what to expect going into the last week of the normal season.

A Goose on the Loose

The Gladiators went into week 28 facing off against two low ranked teams. They began on Friday and faced the Dallas Fuel in what was a quick and clean series.  Ji-hyeok “birdring” Kim shined, putting down  Dong-ha “Doha” Kim and making his life hell. As exciting as the series was, it was the Gladiators’ second match on Saturday against the Boston Uprising that put them over the top. In a sneaky Eichenwalde bamboozle,  Min-seok “OGE” Son and  Benjamin “BigG00se” Isohanni teamed up for a four-man boop off the edge of the castle. The Boston Uprising finally stabilized and began their push onto Point A of Eichenwalde, opting to take the left-hand corridor. BigG00se had other plans, and with the Halt from OGE, he was able to send four members for a swim. The clean sweeps boosted the Gladiators’ overall standing and have put them in a do or die scenario. 

L.A. Valiant Reverse Sweep

The L.A. Valiant sat on the edge of eligibility for the Playoffs, and their match against the Florida Mayhem was jaw-dropping. Up two maps, the Florida Mayhem were having a heyday, and  Jun-ki “Yaki” Kim spent most of Busan and Numbani uncontested. After the half, something switched in the Valiant, and the deadly duo of  Kai “KSP” Collins and  Kyle “KSF” Frandanisa popped off, securing map after map. KSP plays Ashe at an exceptional level and uses her dynamite to weaken the enemy, only enabled by  Jae-ho “RaiN” Park and  Jung-won “Lastro” Mun. Lastro is a top tier Ana player, sleeping B.O.Bs, Primal Rage Winstons, and Nano-Blades with ease. An anti-nade paired with dynamite is devastating and opens the door for Winston to jump in and clean up.

Seoul Turning It Around

The Seoul Dynasty has had a rough time at the end of this season, with many fans, including myself, becoming accustomed to disappointment. This weekend, however, the Dynasty was able to win three back to back reverse sweeps against the bottom two teams in the APAC Division. Twice the Dynasty were able to clean sweep the London Spitfire, once on Friday, and once on Sunday.  Dong-eon “FITS” Kim is legendary with the Widowmaker, but what truly has made the Seoul squad unstoppable, is Fits and  Joon-yeong “Profit” Park’s ability to play most heroes at the highest level. The two interchanged between Sombra and Ashe flawlessly. On some maps, Profit would choose Mei, Pharah, or Echo to complement Fits.

I have hope for the Seoul Dynasty, as do many other fans. Going into week 29, they will be facing the Hangzhou Spark and the London Spitfire once again. Considering that the upcoming weekend matches are taking place with the same hero pool, Seoul is expected to win over London once again. If the Dynasty wants to be taken seriously and have a chance in the Playoffs, they need to defeat the Hangzhou Spark.

Philly Power

In the Countdown Cup, both the Philadelphia Fusion and the San Francisco Shock made it to the finals. After a close 4-2 win over the Fusion, a few members of the Shock decided to flaunt their newfound victory. A week later, the Shock was sent home 3-0 by the Fusion in a massive upset. The Shock came out and performed to the best of their abilities it seemed. The Fusion just played better. After another Championship title was ripped from their hands, the Philadelphia squad came back with a vengeance. The team is on a bye-week, and in this time, they’d be wise to analyze the Shock’s upcoming matches.

Week 29 of the Overwatch League will be tense, bated breath, the last chance for teams to raise their ranking. Week 28 showed that some teams, like the Seoul Dynasty, have a fighting chance. It also showed that teams like the Shock can fall as easily as they rose.

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Overwatch

The Overwatch League’s 2020 MVP Candidates are here

The Countdown Cup has concluded and the list of 2020 MVP candidates has been released. Playoffs are soon upon us, and once again it’s time to choose the champion of the League. 10 players were chosen as candidates for the 2020 Overwatch League 2020 season, and each differs in skills and experience.

Here are the 10 candidates for the 2020 Overwatch League MVP: 

  • Min-Ki “Viol2t” Park (San Francisco Shock Shock)
  • Jun-Woo “Void” Kang (Shanghai Dragons)
  • Jun-Ki “Yaki” Kim (Florida Mayhem)
  • Gi-Cheol “Cr0ng” Nam (Guangzhou Charge)
  • Yiliang “Eileen” Ou (Guangzhou Charge)
  • Kyeong-Bo “Alarm” Kim (Philadelphia Fusion)
  • Gi-Hyo “Xzi” Jung (Paris Eternal)
  • Byung-Sun “Fleta” Kim (Shanghai Dragons)
  • Jae-Hyeok “Carpe” Lee (Philadelphia Fusion)
  • Hyo-Bin “Choihyobin” Choi (San Francisco Shock)

Fans can head over to the Overwatch League’s website and vote, which weighs in for 25% of the final vote. Not only will the 2020 MVP receive an exclusive jersey patch and in-game skin, but they will also be awarded $100,000. Out of the ten players, below are my top 5 most likely MVP’s.

Top 5 MVP’s

https://twitter.com/overwatchleague/status/1292552240159494148

Kyeong-Bo “Alarm” Kim (Philadelphia Fusion)

The Philadelphia Fusion’s support player has been an aggressive force on the squad. Alarm is an adaptive support player who excels on just about every hero. The support star has put on a display with Brigitte and wiped out entire teams, and more recently, his Ana has been a lifesaver for the Fusion. They acquired Alarm from their Tier 2 Contenders team, Fusion University, in October of 2019. Fusion University went on a tyrannical raid through North America Contenders and in part to this talented support. Coming into the Overwatch League was a natural step for Alarm, and he kept pace with the rest for his veteran squad. He has had a highlight-reel performance so far this year, using Ana to shut down just about every team in the League.

Jae-Hyeok “Carpe” Lee (Fusion)

The veteran damage player Carpe has had a roller-coaster career so far in the Overwatch League. The GOATS era was rough for Carpe but the new meta and an improved team have enabled his 200 IQ plays. Carpe’s hitscan prowess is undeniable, but his adaptability during the Summer Showdown was astounding. Carpe found new life on Ashe, setting up EQO for devastation. So far Carpe has been having a golden season, flexing onto Symetra when needed, but maintaining an intelligent playstyle. Carpe didn’t see much playtime in the Countdown Cup but has never ceased to amaze.

Hyo-Bin “Choihyobin” Choi (San Francisco Shock)

Choihyobin is the San Francisco Shock’s secret weapon and has been for a while. The impact he makes in team fights is subtle, often setting up the superstars of the squad to do some damage. Choihyobin has proved to be a clever and annoying Wrecking Ball, contesting former Ball master Ding “Ameng” Menghan. On Sigma, Choi has been even more useful, setting up Gravitic Fluxes that trap entire teams in midair. He saves his Accretion ability for the perfect stuns and in the Countdown Cup he flexed over to Zarya with much success. This year, Choi has finally had the chance to shine on the Shock squad and show what he is truly capable of.

Byung-Sun “Fleta” Kim (Shanghai Dragons)

Fleta is a player who has been looking for this moment of recognition for years it seems like. The Fleta deadlift is well known in the Overwatch League community due to Fleta’s inhuman ability to pull back team fights from defeat. Fleta has incredible game-sense, otherworldly aim, and a deep hero pool. During the Summer Showdown, Fleta had a nasty Genji that showed no respect for his former team. Transferring from the Seoul Dynasty to the Shanghai Dragons allowed Fleta to break free and experiment with an improved Shanghai squad. The late pick up in November of 2019 was a crucial one to Fleta’s career, and so far, he has been the main proponent to keeping the Shanghai Dragons on top in Asia. 

Gi-Hyo “Xzi” Jung (Paris Eternal)

Most expected Yeong-han “SP9RK1E” Kim to make this list, but another rookie from the Paris Eternal has made a guest feature instead. Xzi is a hitscan specialist who has put down more than half of the League. The rookie has incredible game sense and knows how to play around his tanks to utterly dismantle the opposition. On Ashe, Xzi is an expert at chunking down the enemy and making it possible for Sp9rk1e to dash back and forth cleaning up any low health enemies. However, Xzi might be the deadliest Widowmaker in the League currently given his performance in the Finals of the Summer Showdown. Xzi is not the main damage player of choice for the Paris Eternal, but he is one of passion and potential, always learning and adapting to the big leagues.

Previous MVPs include Sung-hyeon “JJoNak” Bang and Jay “sinatraa” Won, support, and tank/damage player respectively. Voting runs until August 28th and can be done on Twitter or the OWL website. As previously stated the fans’ vote only accounts for 25% of the final decision, with the other 75% being left to the professionals. Make sure to head to the Overwatch League’s website to cast your vote for the Overwatch League’s 2020 MVP.

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Overwatch

The Countdown Cup’s opening weekend was heated

The final tournament of the Overwatch League 2020 season has begun. Many of the teams that competed over the weekend needed a win to keep the dream of playoffs alive. The Countdown Cup is the final tournament of the regular 2020 season. The wins that teams secure in the tournament will only benefit them going into Playoffs in September.

The Fusion Control Countdown Cup

The Countdown Cup kicked off over the weekend with the Philadelphia Fusion maintaining dominance in North America. The Fusion is currently the #1 team in North America after delivering a 3-0 loss to the Dallas Fuel and L.A. Valiant. The clean wins were exactly what the former champions needed, putting them in a favourable position fo the Countdown Cup.

The Vancouver Titans lost a close match to the Toronto Defiant, slipping up on Lijiang Tower and handing the Defiant the win. Vancouver was able to claim victory over the Boston Uprising but, it could be their last win of the year. The Titans’ 2020 season has been a downhill derby, losing matches that should be within their reach. The 2020 Vancouver Titans are not the same as the 2019 Vancouver Titans, and the hope is that 2021 will be better.

The latter half of the 2020 season has been monumental for the Philadelphia Fusion and Paris Eternal. The San Francisco Shock were expected to make it this far, but the other two have clawed their way to the top three of North America. The Eternal has been on a hot streak, wiping out every team they face. Week 24 and 25 featured a few unfair matchups benefiting the Paris Eternal, but the wins don’t deter from their fame. Already the Paris squad has defeated the San Francisco Shock and the Philadelphia Fusion, the only two teams standing between them and another tournament title.

Shanghai Dragons Dominate in the East

In Asia, the Shanghai Dragons have continued their reign of terror and the Seoul Dynasty maintained their losing streak. The last two weekends have set up a narrative for the Countdown Cup in which the Shanghai Dragons and Chengdu Hunters compete in the Finals. The Seoul Dynasty have failed to show up and perform in recent months. They have lost to nearly every team in Asia, and can’t seem to find their footing. They lost 2-3 to the Chengdu Hunters who are currently thriving and went on to defeat the Hangzhou Spark 3-0.

The Dragons in the East have maintained a tight grip on the Asia region. The New York Excelsior provided little resistance against the Dragons over the weekend. New York has had a less than favourable season this year, but are still a team of highly capable players. In Week 25 the Dragons took out the Seoul Dynasty 3-0, and the London Spitfire, 3-2. London has fleeting moments of greatness but lacks the consistency needed to win a tournament.

The Countdown Cup had a fiery opening weekend and it is only expected to get better. Not only do teams want the tournament title, but they are also fighting for a spot in the Playoffs. For some teams, the Countdown Cup is their final chance at making an appearance in the postseason.