The 2018 Overwatch World Cup was a major highlight of the off-season, and it provided countries a chance to showcase their talent. Time in that spotlight provided several players with a chance to make names for themselves. As Overwatch League teams started signing new players, many new arrivals had already developed reputations and earned new fans at the World Cup. Heading onto the stage for the first time gets that much easier when people already know who you are.
Below are a handful of World Cup players worth keeping an eye on as they move into the Overwatch League. Some are returning players whose time at the World Cup sets a precedent for what they’ll bring to season two. Others are new to the stage, but managed to establish themselves on their national team. In both cases, these players used the World Cup as a jumping point for things to come.
Team South Korea: Pan-seung “Fate” Koo (Los Angeles Valiant)
With a 2018 lineup stacked with Overwatch League talent, the South Korean team used BlizzCon to issue a reminder that they’re the reigning champions for a reason. During the regular season, most of them will play on teams expected to dominate, including the season one champion London Spitfire and the general powerhouse New York Excelsior.
Fate’s team, the Los Angeles Valiant, hasn’t been viewed with as much affection. Most power rankings expect them to fare decently, with their strong core and solid season one performance. The departure of Terence ‘SoOn’ Tarlier, however, is often cited as a major problem for the Valiant, with some believing that the team has lost the player with the most carry potential.
This season, Fate has something most of his World Cup teammates don’t have to worry about – the opportunity to prove people wrong. Fate is a strong main tank in his own right; paired with Indy “SPACE” Halpern on off-tank, he makes up part of one of the league’s strongest tank duos. In the continuing tank-heavy meta, a duo that skilled is vital, and the two create a strong core to build around. With Fate taking a forward role, the Valiant have the potential to remind fans that they don’t need a carry.
Team China: Xu “guxue” Qiulin (Hangzhou Spark)
Undoubtedly the most anticipated player on the Hangzhou Spark, guxue’s performance at the World Cup captured plenty of attention. As Team China breezed past Teams Finland and Canada to the finals at BlizzCon, his main tank play had people talking. As season two predictions roll steadily in, guxue’s presence alone often bolsters the Spark’s rankings.
To give credit where credit is due, guxue’s tank play is far from Hangzhou’s only strength. On paper, the Spark are one of the more promising expansion teams, with experience and familiarity on their side. For guxue, however, the season ahead provides a unique chance to build on both the skill and the notoriety he established at the World Cup. If his showing with Team China is any indication, he’s on course to become one of the league’s most renowned main tanks.
Team Canada: Lucas “NotE” Meissner (Boston Uprising)
The Boston Uprising remain a wild card for the season ahead, and they face mixed public opinion about their potential. For all the questions still out about their roster, however, they do still have a solid core, particularly in their returning tank lineup of NotE and Young-jin “Gamsu” Noh. Between his talent as an off-tank and his experience on the stage, NotE in particular could prove a grounding influence.
The Uprising brought on two new tank players during the off-season. Both Min-seob “Axxiom” Park and two-way player Cameron “Fusions” Bosworth specialize in main tanking. It’s unclear who will take on which role, especially if a three-tank meta endures into the season; but NotE’s off-tank has proven reliable during both season one and Team Canada’s World Cup run. His skill, when added to a familiar support line, provides a good base to build around. Considering how much is still unknown about the Uprising right now, a good base is just what they need.
Team UK: Harrison “Kruise” Pond (Paris Eternal)
Few events at BlizzCon got nearly as much attention as Team UK’s upset victory over Team USA. Though they ultimately ranked fourth overall, that victory was likely an exciting moment for Kruise, who has played with Team UK for every World Cup so far. Kruise’s World Cup experience is just part of his Overwatch history, and seeing him take his next step into the Overwatch League makes him especially interesting to watch.
Kruise fits in on the Paris Eternal, one of the more experienced expansion teams. Three of their players have prior Overwatch League experience, while the others have experience on a variety of teams, including Mayhem Academy, Young and Beautiful, and Rogue. Despite this, people are hesitant to expect much from the Eternal, with many expecting a middle of the road performance. In any case, Kruise’s time with the Eternal is an opportunity to continue the growth he demonstrated on Toronto Esports, and his presence provides Paris with a solid support player to work with.
Team Finland: Joona “fragi” Laine (Philadelphia Fusion)
During season one, fragi often fell to the sidelines in favor of fellow main tank Su-min “SADO” Kim. His performance with Team Finland this year, however, proved that he still has what it takes. If the Fusion can mesh his aggressive playstyle with their own strategies, this season could provide him with a chance to shine again.
Current meta trends, combined with minimal changes to Philadelphia’s roster, could easily result in more playtime for fragi. Regardless of whether the three-tank meta continues on, the game still trends towards tank-heavy gameplay, a style that allows fragi to thrive. Between their playoffs run and their continued synergy from last season, the Fusion is expected to do well in season two, and a strong, three-man tank line could easily enable that.
Team USA: Grant “moth” Espe (San Francisco Shock)
Despite Team USA’s disappointing BlizzCon showing, moth demonstrated several times that he’s a support player worth watching. Like NotE, his individual skill and experience with his team could prove a stabilizing element for the Shock, a team with many lineup questions going into the season.
San Francisco currently has a DPS-heavy roster, sparking questions about whether they plan to trade during the season. In the meantime, observers aren’t quite sure what the starting lineup will look like. It’s likely, however, that they’ll base the roster around moth and Nikola ‘sleepy’ Andrews, their proven support duo. With so much to learn about the Shock’s season plans, starting with a familiar backline is a good idea, and it will be interesting to see how that backline enables a potentially wide variety of teammates.
Team Brazil: Renan “alemao” Moretto (Boston Uprising)
Team Brazil attracted some attention at the Los Angeles qualifiers, where they put up a strong showing and finished third. Although they didn’t move on to BlizzCon, many of their players impressed on their own. Among them was alemao, who stood out enough to get picked up for the Uprising’s support line.
The World Cup can be especially useful in scouting talent, as alemao’s signing showed. The South American Overwatch scene is often overlooked, and Team Brazil’s presence at the World Cup is a vital opportunity for many of their players to get noticed. On the Uprising, alemao can continue to build off of the attention he got on Team Brazil. Season two will be full of chances for him to prove himself, and he’s definitely a new arrival to watch.
Team Sweden: Kevyn “TviQ” Lindström (Florida Mayhem)
TviQ’s continued presence on the Florida Mayhem comes with many questions. As one of the only players to survive the Mayhem’s roster upheaval, it would make sense for him to see some playtime, but now he’s one of two non-Korean members of the team. How is he faring as the team’s sole Swede? Will he see any playtime at all? For now, TviQ remains a very unknown factor in the Mayhem’s future.
TviQ’s performance this season, however, will likely determine his future in the game. Despite high expectations for Team Sweden, they placed fourth overall, and many of their players stepped back from the scene since then. Jonathan “Reinforce” Larsson has stated that he doesn’t expect to try out for the team next year, while Sebastian “chipshajen” Widlund has moved out of the spotlight following the Bangkok qualifier. TviQ’s performance – both personal and in the context of the Mayhem – will likely hint at his future in Overwatch, so it’s worth keeping an eye on where he goes from here.
Team Germany: Steven “Kodak” Rosenberger (Atlanta Reign)
Though Germany’s national team placed fourth at the Paris qualifier, Kodak’s performance clearly impressed. He was picked up by the Atlanta Reign shortly after, becoming the first German player in the Overwatch League. He’s one of two support specialists on the team, and his skill in the role could make him an invaluable teammate for mid-season meta changes.
The Reign are one of the more inexperienced expansion teams, leaving them ranked a bit low in power rankings so far. They have a lot of potential – the question is whether they can harness it. Kodak’s showing with Team Germany indicates that he has that same potential, and he’ll prove an interesting player to follow once the Reign take the stage.
Honorable Mentions
Li “Yveltal” Xianyao (Team China, Chengdu Hunters)
Scott “Custa” Kennedy (Team Australia, Los Angeles Valiant)
Benjamin “uNKOE” Chevasson (Team France, Dallas Fuel)
Benjamin “BenBest” Dieulafait (Team France, Paris Eternal)
George “ShaDowBurn” Gushcha (Team Russia, Paris Eternal)
Stay Connected
Follow me on Twitter: @soundchecck! I’m happy to talk about anything I’ve written! You can also get in touch with me on Discord (soundchecck#7242)
Featured image courtesy of Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment.
Follow The Game Haus for the latest on all things sports and esports:
Twitter: TGH Esports
Facebook: The Game Haus Esports
Want to show off how much you like TGH? Check out our merch shop here!