Overwatch League continued in its second week with more competitive matches, unexpected wins, and upsets. From January 17th to the 20th, all twelve teams played another two matches at the Blizzard Arena in Burbank, California.
Once all of the matches were said and done, we got a good look at who the top teams in the Overwatch League actually were and who needs to improve going forward if they want a chance to make it to the playoffs. Before we delve into that, let's see how each match went down:
Day 1 — January 17th, 2018
Match 1: San Francisco Shock vs. Philadelphia Fusion
Beginning the festivities of Week 2 at the Blizzard Arena were the San Francisco Shock and the Philadelphia Fusion. These are two of the more middling teams in the League, but that doesn't mean they can't put on a show.
Throughout the entire match, we saw some spectacular play from the Fusion thanks to offense players ShaDowBurn and Carpe. In particular, Carpe's ability to switch roles from Tracer to a sniper like Widowmaker or medium-range character like McCree is impressive.
While the competition seemed more even than the dominating nature of the Seoul Dynasty matches, the Philadelphia Fusion was able to pick up the win due to their ability to win team fights. Going forward, the Shock needs to be more patient and make sure they are tracking the opposition's ultimates, or they will find themselves in sticky situations like they were on Oasis where they gave up entirely.
Match 2: Florida Mayhem vs. Seoul Dynasty
Seoul Dynasty came into this week undefeated and as one of the favorites to go to the playoffs. They continued to exemplify this notion in their first game of week two as they crushed the Florida Mayhem 0 to 4.
The Dynasty changed things up this time around subbing in some of the members from Week 1's starting lineup; KuKi came in for Miro, XepheR in for ZUNBA, and gido in for tobi. This was an easier matchup than the teams they previously went up against — which include the Dallas Fuel and the Los Angeles Gladiators — but that didn't stop them from destroying the opposition. You could hardly tell they changed things up as the Dynasty proves to be even more dangerous as they flaunt their backup players.
Those who continued to play from last week were the ones shining as Fleta and Ryujehong showed some expert play as some of the League's most dominant offense and flex support players respectively.
While they did struggle to get a single game point, what is impressive about Mayhem is their ability to change up compositions. Throughout the match, we saw them try using triple tanks, dive, and the Orisa/Roadhog combo which gives them a lot of flexibility.
Match 3: Houston Outlaws vs. Shanghai Dragons
The Houston Outlaws — the team shouted out by Seoul Dynasty's Ryujehong for being "really good" — and the Shanghai Dragons closed the first day of Week 2 with another one-sided affair. The Houston Outlaws picked up their first win of the season by winning all four games of this match.
The Shanghai Dragons are not just having trouble mechanically but also with executing on the fundamentals, most notably for positioning both of their tanks. Roshan was consistently too far forward to get any heals. Additionally, no one was peeling — which can be described as saving a teammate — so Roshan could survive the attack. The Dragons need to focus on tightening up their strategy if they want to see a single number in the win column.
Results:
San Francisco Shock vs. Philadelphia Fusion (1 - 2)
Florida Mayhem vs. Seoul Dynasty (0 - 4)
Houston Outlaws vs. Shanghai Dragons (4 - 0)
*Note: Bolded teams denotes the winners of its match
Day 2 — January 18th, 2018
Match 1: Dallas Fuel vs. Houston Outlaws
Just coming off of a win against the Shanghai Dragons, the Houston Outlaws started the second day with the Dallas Fuel. On paper, this cross-state rivalry was to be a highly competitive game, but Houston came out of each game victorious.
Jake stood out this match not only with his expert Junkrat play, but also showed some flexibility as an exceptional Genji on Oasis. Both of the Outlaws' offense players — which include Jake and LiNkzr — should be the two players you look for anytime this squad plays.
The story of the Dallas Fuel is becoming a sad one. Although they have had a tough schedule for the first two weeks — having gone against the undefeated Seoul Dynasty, as well as the Los Angeles Valiant and the London Spitfire (on day 3 of Week 2) — but this team was initially predicted to make playoffs. I think they still have a chance, but they really need to work on their coordination going forward.
Match 2: New York Excelsior vs. Los Angeles Valiant
I said it in my Wrap-Up last week, but living in a midwest state means there is no home team for me to root for. That was until I watched Boston Uprising and New York Excelsior. While the former may be a mid-tier team, the latter has surprised the League with some of the craziest plays this season so far. That did not change when they garnered a win against the Los Angeles Valiant in the second match on day 2.
I said it last week and I'm sure I'll say it in my excerpt for next week: Pine is an absolute powerhouse on control. Whenever he is subbed in, I legitimately get excited. However, he still didn't see any action past that. However, offensive player Libero and tank expert Meko really flaunted their skills on Numbani and Oasis, respectively.
Match 3: Philadelphia Fusion vs. Los Angeles Gladiators
Coming off of a win on day one, Philadelphia Fusion were the favorite against the Los Angeles Gladiators. It certainly seemed that way in the first two games, with the Fusion picking up wins for both the escort and assault maps. However, the Los Angeles Gladiators didn't give up, improved their performance, and somehow won three straight games garnering a "W" in the win column.
Hydration continues to show how great of an asset he is to the Gladiators as an incredibly flexible teammate playing brilliantly with multiple heroes including Genji, Roadhog, and Pharah.
Results:
Dallas Fuel vs. Houston Outlaws (0 - 4)
New York Excelsior vs. Los Angeles Valiant (3 - 0)
Philadelphia Fusion vs. Los Angeles Gladiators (2 - 3)
*Note: Bolded teams denotes the winners of its match
Day 3 — January 19th, 2018
Match 1: Seoul Dynasty vs. Boston Uprising
I mentioned the Boston Uprising as one of my personal favorites in the inaugural season. They aren't a powerhouse like the Korean teams are (i.e. Seoul Dynasty and New York Excelsior), but they play the dive composition well enough to potentially get a spot in the playoffs. However, the Dynasty is simply unbelievable and it would take a lot of work for the Uprising to defeat them. It was a battle for who's dive comp was better. As expected, the Dynasty comes out victorious.
Miro played an incredible match against Boston as an incredibly aggressive Winston leading his team to victory. Boston had a hard time keeping their supports up, which really affected their chances of winning.
Match 2: Shanghai Dragons vs. Florida Mayhem
The Shanghai Dragons have had the roughest start out of any team in the Overwatch League. Throughout the first week and into the first game of the second week, we saw a disorganized squad having trouble executing the fundamentals of pro Overwatch play. While they still didn't get the win against the Florida Mayhem, we did see a team with much more synergy; it was a promising sign that could potentially lead to them getting a win in the future.
When it comes down to it, the Florida Mayhem just played better. A lot of this is due to Logix's fantastic Tracer and Widowmaker play. The pulse bomb stick on Anubis is just one of many fantastic plays by the Mayhem's offensive player.
Match 3: London Spitfire vs. Dallas Fuel
Both of these teams are favorites to go to the playoffs. One of them I am certain will make it; the other, it's hard to believe they were a favorite at all.
The Dallas Fuel ends their second week with another loss. It is still early in the season and they did have the hardest schedule out of any team, but losing four games straight does not look good. They are a solid team with a slew of fantastic players, yet they continue to struggle. Hopefully, they will earn a win next week when they face the San Francisco Shock and the Boston Uprising.
Results:
Seoul Dynasty vs. Boston Uprising (4 - 0)
Shanghai Dragons vs. Florida Mayhem (0 - 4)
London Spitfire vs. Dallas Fuel (3 - 1)
*Note: Bolded teams denotes the winners of its match
Day 4 — January 20th, 2018
Match 1: Los Angeles Valiant vs. London Spitfire
What a great match. Two of the best teams going head-to-head in a match-up that lasted five games. Both teams made some awesome plays, but in the end, the London Spitfire came out up top.
This was not because the Valiant played poorly. Quite the contrary, they played great. They were able to make the switches they needed to in order to tie things up. However, they had trouble adapting to the switches on Lijiang Tower, the map they needed to take in order to win the match.
As far as I'm concerned, these two teams are not only playoff-worthy, but have the potential to make the finals. London is now one of the top three teams in the League, and I don't expect them to slow down this momentum.
Match 2: Los Angeles Gladiators vs. New York Excelsior
I think it is safe to say that New York Excelsior should not be underestimated. Ending their last game of the week with a win, they are one of three teams that are undefeated — the other two being London Spitfire and Seoul Dynasty.
While the Los Angeles Gladiators lost, I still see them as a team that can still make playoffs: they are a very cohesive team that has solid players like Hydration. We will just have to see the rest of the season play out to see if they truly do have the potential to get that playoffs spot.
Match 3: Boston Uprising vs. San Francisco Shock
Closing out the second week is a five-game match with the Boston Uprising against the San Francisco Shock. If I were a betting man, I would have lost my money because the Shock really stepped up their game in this match.
It was a back-and-forth affair between both teams. A lot of players — like DreamKazper, Neko, BABYBAY, and Danteh, just to name a few — really shined. However, the Shock have improved and tightened up their play showing they can possibly keep up with the best.
Results:
Los Angeles Valiant vs. London Spitfire (2 - 3)
Los Angeles Gladiators vs. New York Excelsior (0 - 4)
Boston Uprising vs. San Francisco Shock (2 - 3)
*Note: Bolded teams denotes the winners of its match
After the second week of Overwatch League was all said and done, we can see where each team falls on the standings, as it's a good representation of who the top teams are and who will potentially make the playoffs. Here are the standings after Week 2:
Standings
- Seoul Dynasty - 4 wins, 0 losses
- New York Excelsior - 4 wins, 0 losses
- London Spitfire - 4 wins, 0 losses
- Houston Outlaws - 2 wins, 2 losses
- Los Angeles Valiant - 2 wins, 2 losses
- San Francisco Shock - 2 wins, 2 losses
- Los Angeles Gladiators - 2 wins, 2 losses
- Philadelphia Fusion - 2 wins, 2 losses
- Boston Uprising - 1 win, 3 losses
- Florida Mayhem - 1 win, 3 losses
- Dallas Fuel - 0 wins, 4 losses
- Shanghai Dragons - 0 wins, 4 losses
It is obvious that the Seoul Dynasty is the best team in the League; I personally think they are going to the finals. However, there is one odd placement on this list and I think we all know who I am talking about. The Dallas Fuel was a playoff favorite: now, I am not entirely sure if they will even reach the top eight. As I mentioned before, they probably had the most difficult schedule out of every team, but when you are considered a favorite to win it all, you need to win. As it stands, they have lost all four games and are currently tied with the Shanghai Dragons at the bottom of the rung.
Opinion
I thought this week's matches were far more competitive than last week. I will also say that looking at just the game wins doesn't necessarily paint a good picture of how cutthroat these matches can be. Sure, a team can lose every game in a series, but that does not mean the team didn't have to fight for it. It is better to look at the stats of each game to see just how close each match was.
The Overwatch League's Inaugural Season is currently in its third week with more action from Blizzard's popular shooter. Check back soon to see what we thought of Week 3. You can also check out the first Overwatch League Wrap-Up discussing Week 1's matches and the League's potential for the rest of the season.