Many players and teams made their presence felt throughout Overwatch League stage two. Some of these players severely improved their play over the course of the stage and from stage one. Others were playing at Blizzard Arena for the very first time. These players made watching every match an exciting and unpredictable event, and then brought the highest level of competition to a grand stage.
Fissure Leads the Gladiators
A major flaw throughout their play in stage one, the Los Angeles Gladiators were able to swing Fissure from the London Spitfire. Being on the stage one championship team, Fissure wasn’t happy with his playing time. After his play throughout stage two, it’s easy to see why. Fissure has been an integral part to the rise of the Gladiators. They seem to engage and work well together, and the sense is that Fissure is leading call-outs and plays while being the aggressor. When the Gladiators have struggled during stage two, Fissure has been focused and shut down by opposing teams.
His play with Winston during the Overwatch League has been the guiding light for the Gladiators, giving both Hydration and BigGoose more room to work during matches. Hydration especially has benefited from a strong main tank, and has flourished alongside Fissure’s play with the Gladiators. Fissure’s incredible play vaulted the Gladiators to a 6-4 record, a reversal of their stage one record.
EQO Dashes the Fusion into Playoffs
Eqo made a splash in his Overwatch League debut. He cut through the Florida Mayhem and Boston Uprising like they were butter during week one of stage two. He hasn’t stopped since. With his dominance, it pushed ShaDowBurn to improve his play, and has given the Philadelphia Fusion some of the most potent DPS in the League. The powerful play and draw of Eqo has also given other Fusion players like fragi more room to operate, which has helped propel the Fusion into the stage two championship matches. While the DPS wasn’t lacking during Philadelphia Fusion’s stage one, but it has improved even further with the great addition of Eqo.
Logix and Florida Contending
The Florida Mayhem had only six players on their roster and won a single game throughout stage one. For stage two they added a flex player in zappis, and they added a new dimension to their DPS. Logix has finally found his groove. A great Tracer in the Contenders, Logix didn’t look too impressive throughout stage one. As the team regrouped, Logix has improved the most.
The Mayhem have done away with their funny intro gags, and have become serious, and their play has reflected as much. They improved to 3-7, taking out teams like the Dallas Fuel, Los Angeles Valiant, and San Francisco Shock. They took the Houston Outlaws to a game five, challenged the Gladiators to take a 2-1 win, and look to continue their strong play. Having a mesmerizing Tracer player in Logix has helped them turn their season around, and has given Florida Mayhem fans something to look forward too as the season continues.
Fearless and Ado, Hope for the Dragons
The Dragons need help. They knew this coming into stage two, and signed four new players to get the help they need. Unfortunately, thanks to visa problems, only two of them arrived in time to play during the final week of stage two. Those two made an immediate impact however. Fearless and Ado, with no practice time, with a language barrier, made the Shanghai Dragons harder to play against.
They both looked good, even with the times where communication seemed the clear problem. As they continue to practice with the team during the off week, and with the arrival of Overwatch League’s first female player in Geguri, the Dragons have nowhere to go but up. If the play of two of their additions are anything to go by, the future looks bright for the Dragons.
They did struggle to win even a map during stage two, but that can largely be attributed to the losses they suffered in Diya and Undead. Both players returned to China for separate reasons, and left gaping holes in the Dragons’ roster. With reinforcements on the way, and a fresh mindset for stage three, the Dragons look to rid themselves of the image they currently hold.
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Featured image courtesy of Robert Paul and Blizzard Entertainment