The Seoul Dynasty started Season One of the Overwatch League as overwhelming favorites for a spot in the grand finals. The stacked roster captained by Je-hong “Ryujehong” Ryu seemed to have the swagger needed to further cement Seoul as the esports mecca it truly is.
The team entered the season with great expectations and unfortunately failed to meet those them. Seoul derailed late in stage two of season one and never had a chance to recover. Their lack of rhythm, inability to conform to the meta shifts and their absence of depth at the tank position seemed to be their overall undoing.
What Went Wrong?
Too many times last season, they seemed to make baffling decisions while setting their starting roster for the match. Players fit to start were often benched to make room for players that lacked coordination with the team as a whole. Throughout the season, there never seemed to be a core starting six for the Dynasty. Even with such an extensive roster, Seoul never seemed to start the guy that would come up with the big play when they needed it most. Prior to season one, that spot seemed reserved for Jin-hyeok “Miro” Gong at main tank.
Miro is highly regarded for his revolutionary play on Winston. During the early competitive scene, Miro was able to get a lot out of Winston’s kit in ways many others hadn’t even comprehended yet. His obvious talent made him a key founder of Lunatic-Hai, winners of two APEX titles. During Lunatic-Hai’s peak, Miro was regarded as the best main tank in the world. Some even going so far as crowing him the best player in Overwatch.
However, the expectations for Miro were set too high. Though not the only reason for Seoul’s struggles in season one, Miro’s inability to adapt to the changing tank meta throughout the season caused an inconsistency at the position for Seoul. This inconsistency later created major roster issues as Seoul looked for any sort of tank presence on the roster. By stage four, Seoul would be starting team captain Ryujehong at main tank while Jin-woo “Gambler” Heo and Jin-mo “tobi“ Yang filled in for Ryujehong on support.
Finding The Core
The recent releases of Miro, Gi-do “Gido” Moon and Seok-woo “Wekeed” Choi show that Seoul is ready to commit to a starting six. Wekeed’s departure proves that Seoul has confidence in Star DPS Byung-sun “Fleta“ Kim and partner Sang-beom “Munchkin” Byun. This is a major upgrade for Seoul, as this commitment will allow Fleta to better gel with his partner, potentially igniting one of the most successful DPS duos of season two.
Gido’s release solidifies the support line with Ryujehong and Tobi locked in for the Dynasty. The recent changes to the support meta will allow both to play their preferred supports; Lucio and Ana, more often. This alone could be a key for the Dynasty. Ryujehong’s Ana is a sight to behold. Allowing the team captain to play to their highest potential should show immediate results heading into season two.
The only questions remained at the tank position. Kim “Zunba” Joon-hyeok showed marvelous skill on Zarya through the final stages of season one. A powerful tank core creates the foundation your team’s success is built on. Zunba’s presence guaranteed the team’s progress in season two would not come tumbling down. The only job remaining was to find a capable main tank that could synergize with Zunba and the rest of the Dynasty roster.
Fissure’s Arrival
As a bench player for the London Spitfire, Chan-hyung “Fissure” Baek was held back by the enormously talented London roster. A transfer with the Los Angeles Gladiators sent Fissure to a team in need of a talented main tank. His impact was immediately felt. Following their eighth place finish in stage one, the Fissure lead Gladiators would move on to the stage four championships while on their way to the season playoffs. Unfortunately, an alleged attitude problem caused the Gladiator’s decision to bench Fissure for their playoff run. It was clear, Fissure would be moving on heading into season two.
His talent is unmatched. Regarded by many as the best main tank in the OWL, Fissure was headed to a team eager to put his talents to good use.
Finally, Fissure broke his silence. Following his decision to come to Seoul, he broke the news to his stream “I got so many offers, really. There were honestly better offers, but I’ve been wanting to come to Seoul, so I gave up all the others to accept Seoul’s. It’s a team that’s worth it all.” With eight teams being added for season two, there is likely plenty of truth to Fissure’s statement.
After failing to make the playoffs in season one, Seoul took advantage of a previously missed opportunity. Realizing their tank play could hinder their season one success, Seoul made several offers to London prior to Fissure’s transfer to the Gladiators. Clearly a target of interest, the opportunity once again revealed itself, and the Gladiators were happy to oblige.
Miro’s season one struggles may not have been the only problem facing the Dynasty, but it did prove to be the most impactful. Fissure’s arrival stabilizes a once messy roster and solidifies potentially the strongest starting six in the Overwatch League. The Seoul Dynasty look poised to be a dominant force in season two.
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