At the beginning of the off-season, there was a plentiful amount of legends that were looking for a team to join. Now with less than a week before the season is starting many teams have been solidified. That leaves the reality that some of these players will not be getting signed for the beginning of the season or maybe for Season 4 at all. Here is a look at some of the big names and where they landed.
Saebyeolbe was one of the big names that at the end of Season 3 was teamless. It was a surprise that the NYXL parted ways with their captain and leader. It was announced early in the off-season that he would, along with Taesung ‘Anamo’ Jung, would be joining the Seoul Dynasty. His journey was unlikely as the Dynasty already had two DPS players that had brought them to the grand finals. But the addition to Saebyeolbe has proven to be big in terms of marketing as well as having another Tracer player for future comps.
The Philadelphia Fusion has been a place of refuge for many LFT legends in this off-season. This could be part to Covid and visa issues. Both Rascal and Tobi found a home with the Fusion. Rascal on a personal stream said that he had not put a lot of energy into talking to other teams, but now that he was talking to the fans he felt bad. Tobi had a couple of offers as tryouts but was streaming more. Tobi was one of the last announcements that had been made. With the uncertainty of what visa would bring in the future, the best move for the Fusion would bring in pros that know the formula of the Overwatch League. Not only did the Fusion pick up two legends, but with starting their journey in APAC, with these two picked up a large number of fans in Korea.
Surprisingly there are still a few big names that are out on the field without a team. Two of which are former NYXL players. Haeseong ‘Libero’ Kim and Taehong ‘Meko’ Kim were staple players in the beginning seasons of the Overwatch League. These two are still in limbo. Most teams already have their tank and DPS lined up with the season fast approaching. There may be a chance for a mid-season pick-up where teams see they need to strengthen their roster.
Agilities is another case of a highly skilled player that does not have an Overwatch team. He is currently signed with the Toronto Defiant, not as a player, but as a content creator. This is after the LA Valiant let go of their roster to relocate to China and pick up a new team. This a huge homecoming for Agilities as he was coming back to the Valiant where he had started his whole Overwatch League journey. But this covid related departure has left a talented player without a home.
Terence ‘Soon’ Tarlier has an unfortunate story. There was massive excitement that the Boston Uprising was picking him up. Unfortunately, that ended with Visa issues. That caused the team to part ways with the DPS. Soon posted an announcement that he would be leaving the competitive Overwatch scene to start his pro Valorant career. Soon was one of OGs in the scene from his time with Rogue, the Overwatch World Cup, and then the Overwatch League. It is a loss of a great positive player, the community, and an EU touchstone player for the fans.
These are, of course, only a few of the many stories that have been swirling around the community. It was a big year with a lot of veteran players being in search of a home, retiring, or changing games. With the incoming of new talent and no new teams for veteran players to shift to, there will be inevitably players that will find themselves without a place. This season saw some harsh losses. But there is an excitement of bright new talent making their debut into the League this season. As the progression of everything goes, some will leave and others will go. The community won’t forget their contributions to the game and the league for those who won’t be back, and look forward to seeing the veterans who are rehomed play again.
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