Another year, and another Boston Uprising roster packed full of rookies.
The Uprising came into the season with high hopes of a new page. The ending of 2019 left plenty of fans with a feeling of uncertainty, especially after Boston released six players from the roster. A shiny new batch of players presented a new opportunity for Boston to turn their image around, and find themselves back into the fray as a middle-table team.
[Related: What does Boston do Now?]
Whether they liked it or not, the Uprising did produce new results with their new roster. The Boston Uprising could not pull the pieces together this season, ending 2-19 and failing to make it into the bracket stage of the playoffs. The silver lining in all of this, Boston did manage to hit big on some of the rookies this year. A few of these players are easily building blocks for a comeback season next year – that is, if Boston decides to hang on to them.
Myunb0ng: A+
If there’s one take away from this very terrible Uprising season, it’s this: Sang-min “Myunb0ng” Seo is a bonafide superstar. Boston made a brilliant franchise decision to reach out to O2 Blast early, trial Myunb0ng quickly, and sign him right away. While the latest Uprising flex support started slow, Myunb0ng was constantly a bright spot for this struggling team. He even continued to push for better results after the team functionally flatlined at the end of the season. To truly grasp how passionate he was in the play-ins, take a listen to the Uprisings sights and sounds segment. If Boston wants to prove they are in it to actually have a winning season, and not just make a profit from selling players, they need to sign Myunb0ng to an even longer contract.
Jerry: A-
All things considered, Tae-hee “Jerry” Min was an absolute slam dunk in terms of Boston’s scouting process. A literal unknown player playing for Meta Athena, Jerry came from playing off-tank and flexing a bit onto Sombra, to being one of the best Ashe players in the league. Despite not playing at the season opener, Jerry got the opportunity against Houston in week 2 and immediately stole the show. Jerry still has a lot to learn, however, as his hero pool remained a bit shallow through the season. His McCree was strong and he shockingly came out swinging on Symmetra, but his Tracer and Reaper play left a lot to be desired. If Boston doesn’t feel like Jerry can carry games, they need to keep him for his personality. An absolute fan favorite from the get-go, Jerry can be the face of a franchise alongside Myunb0ng going forward. It would be incredibly upsetting to see the Uprising fail to extend Jerry’s contract.
Punk: A-
The former Uprising Academy standout entered the league halfway through the season, and surprised onlookers with an amazing debut match. In Boston’s lowest point this season, Leyton “Punk” Gilchrist energized the Uprising roster. Though if one were to ask around, they’ll find that many former teammates and coaches were shocked he wasn’t added before the season. As an off-tank with a massive hero pool, Punk certainly serves as a cornerstone for this Uprising team. A meta-proof tank player is invaluable in this league. If the past two seasons have taught the Uprising anything, it’s just how important stability is in the tank line. Hopefully, Boston can hang on to the Australian tank, as he is sure to have caught the attention of the rest of the league.
Halo: B-
When the Uprising signed Halo after Week 3, it was a bit of a surprise to see him start the following match. At the time Gabe “Swimmer” Levy played the first 3 matches, showing nerves at points but looked okay overall. In the minds of the Boston coaching staff however, they felt Halo performed well enough in scrims for him to start right away. Halo came in with high praise from former teammates as a smart and mechanically skilled player. For the Uprising, Halo served as a rock in the backline. He didn’t make too many mistakes, but never really made the highlight plays teams need from their Lucio player. Maybe in a more stable season, Halo would have the chance to show a bit more playmaking ability, but for the moment, he was more reliable than extraordinary. It shouldn’t be a surprise to see Boston sign another main support to add some depth and to add some competition to the starting position.
Swimmer: C
Swimmer got the call up from Uprising Academy, and fans were excited to see the seasoned Contenders player get a shot at OWL. In his first-ever match, Swimmer attempted to solo-kill Jjonak in a rare support 1v1. It was an ambitious play that could have swung the momentum in Boston’s favor. However, he lost and it seemed like even at that moment his confidence took a massive hit. Swimmer would bounce back in the Houston marathon match, but eventually lost his starting spot to Halo. With only three matches under his belt, Swimmer decided to step away from competitive Overwatch. It’s unfortunate to see a young talent retire so early in their career, but sometimes players find out that the OWL scene just isn’t for them.
Brussen: D
Thomas “brussen” Brussen made quite the impression on the Boston front office throughout the Overwatch World Cup. He shined so much so that Boston signed the Dutch off-tank player despite already having three tanks on the roster. Brussen lost the offseason position battle and began the season on the bench. When his number was finally called a few weeks into the year, he couldn’t quite catch up to speed. He retired only a few weeks after getting the starting position, citing a lack of drive in Overwatch and excitement for VALORANT. Brussen may find his way back into OWL, as he currently is playing in EU Contenders once again. Hopefully, his second stint in the big leagues goes better, as he was one of Boston’s biggest whiffs in the scouting department this year.
Mikeyy: Inconclusive
We've been cooking up something special this week.
📺: https://t.co/RCtSAZgGhw pic.twitter.com/d11AJGsGRa
— Boston Uprising (@BostonUprising) June 13, 2020
It really would be incredibly unfair to give Michael “Mikeyy” Konicki a grade. He played in two matches, for two maps against Paris and Philadelphia – two incredibly difficult opponents. There truly isn’t enough information there to see if he would actually make a difference in an OWL match. He did get to scrim with the team before the playoffs as Boston was figuring out their tank line, but Cameron “Fusions” Bosworth proved to be much more of a leading voice than Mikeyy. Keep an eye out for the Wrecking Ball specialist however, as he might just make a splash yet in the Overwatch League.
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