“Today we are sad to announce the retirement of Daniel ‘Dafran’ Francesca,” the statement reads. “Dafran informed us of his pending retirement a week prior to Stage 1 playoffs.”
Dafran’s retirement comes hot on the heels of an impressive first stage for the Reign, who finished 5th overall with a 4-3, +6 record. The Reign were eliminated by the Philadelphia Fusion, 3-1, in the quarterfinals.
Dafran is well known for his on-stream antics. His signing was considered somewhat risky in the weeks leading up to the start of OWL 2019, but his strong performance on stage and improved mental attitude seemed to imply that such risk had passed.
“We will forever be grateful that were able to have Daniel as a member of the Reign family,” the release further said. “He is a mechanically gifted talent, but that is just the start.”
2019-03-17 / Photo: Stewart Volland For Blizzard Entertainment
Sources close to the Atlanta Reign confirmed the legitimacy of the announcement to The Game Haus shortly after the tweet was posted. According to said sources, Dafran has already returned home, and has no plans to return to Los Angeles at this time.
“Being a part of OWL has been one of the best experiences in my life and it is something to really look up to and strive for, if you are trying to go pro in Overwatch. It is so well done and it is way better than you would expect, it was for me atleast
Dont worry, the Atlanta Reign are gonna pop the f*ck off with or without me. They are all f*cking insane players and the coaching team is always working hard”
I will remember this for the rest of my life with no regret and I cant thank Sephy enough for pushing me forward to try it out. Thank you ATL Reign and OWL.”
We’ll continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
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