Week 24 of the Overwatch League did not go well for the Vancouver Titans. Leaving the weekend with not even one map win is something that can not happen if playoffs are the goal. Especially when they were predicted by many to take at least one win. There are of course a few noticeable weaknesses that contributed to their poor showing. The first is their lack of a dedicated flex DPS. Their roster has three DPS, all of whom are primarily hitscan specialists.
The second is a decline in coordination and unwillingness to change it up until it is too late. They need to be more open to in-game adaptations when their prepared strategies are not working. They looked their best when they finally realized Genji isn’t their strongest look and switched to more comfort picks. In order for the Vancouver Titans in Week 25 to have success, they need to right the ship quickly. They need to play better than ever before because this week, they take on the Kings.
Courtesy of Blizzard.
With the recent signing of Sean Taiyo “Ta1yo” Henderson it is very likely that Matthew “Super” DeLisi will get to keep his 100% win rate on everyone’s favorite cyber ninja. Breaking the hearts of high-quality Overwatch fans the world over. However, this signing makes an already terrifying San Francisco Shock even more intimidating. One of their only “weaknesses” prior to the rise of the SuperGenji was their lacking of a star Genji. Ta1yo fills this hole, and then some.
Bringing a vast hero pool and explosive skillset to this already stacked roster. The team is mortal and has shown to be beatable in the past. Yet this only comes against the top teams in the league, and even then the chance of the Shock winning is usually at around 85%. They co-ordinate better than almost any team. They have a top-three player at each role and are the reigning league champions. Beating them would be a mighty task for any team, for the struggling Titans, it is a behemoth.
Stranger things have happened, and even as recent as Week 24 bottom teams have beaten top teams (looking at the New York Excelsior) so nothing is impossible in Overwatch. The Shock though are a very adaptable team, one rarely thrown off guard. To beat them it has to be by exceptional teamwork. Which was one of the more glaring weak points for the Titans in Week 24. For example, the tank line needs to be more in sync throughout the game not just in flashes. Often Abtin “Shredlock” Shirvani was an early casualty due to individual over aggression and not being in sync with his team. Play as a unit, win as one.
It feels like a broken record to keep saying it but the DPS on the Titans, while exceptional, will not be able to win this game alone. Why? Well, they face a team that has one of the most stacked DPS lines in the league. Niclas “Shockwave” Jensen and Dalton “Dalton” Bennyhoff will need to be on their A-Game to succeed as the Shock will identify them as the Titans greatest strength and do everything in their power to neutralize them. The rest of the Titans need to do a far better job at enabling their star DPS to pop off and secure the kills needed to take maps.
As previously stated nothing is impossible. With the Shock incorporating a new player into the lineup their legendary synergy could be thrown off just enough for the Titans to see a crack in their armor. The Titans have had time now to go over their previous games and hopefully identify their mistakes and have been working hard on correcting them. A big thing could be to stop forcing Genji and utilize Echo perhaps instead. Another high mobility hero, with an impactful ultimate. It doesn’t hurt that Shockwave is far superior on the Echo than Dalton is on Genji.
The Titans will likely fall against the monstrous Shock as they continue their quest to come together as a team. They have been improving and looked quite good in the Summer Showdown, but the first week of the Countdown Cup was something of a step back. It shined a light on their lackings as a team. They are a hard-working team and in the future could compete with the likes of the Shock. At this time though, the Shock will not be denied. The Titans will likely fall, but they will go down swinging.
Follow Ethan on Twitter @EthanButler for all your Vancouver Titans, Overwatch League, Valorant and Esports needs.
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