[First published on April 10, 2019]
Season 8 of Game of Thrones returns to HBO on April 14th and the hype for the new season is certainly in full swing. In the meantime, the Stage 1 Playoffs of the Overwatch League are just wrapping up, capping off an exciting first stage of the 2019 Season.
With the hype for both building so rapidly, it seems like it’s due time for a crossover. To begin to tackle such an ambitious crossover, The Game Haus has picked 32 of the show’s main characters and attempted to pair them with the OWL player or personality they most closely resemble.
GOATS has been coming for us for a while. Now that it’s here, it’s going to be a long winter.
Arya Stark – Carpe
There’s no deadlier assassin in the Overwatch League than Jae-hyeok “Carpe” Lee. If someone finds themselves on Carpe’s list, they’re likely not long for this world.
Bran Stark – Nate Nanzer
The Three-Eyed Raven of the Overwatch League. The knower of all things. The Great Puppeteer. Nate Nanzer. What can Nate do to keep GOATS from moving South, taking over the realm and crushing OWL viewership?
Brienne of Tarth – Fusions
A high-IQ brawler with excellent teaching skills and leadership, Cameron “Fusions” Bosworth has come onto the OWL scene quickly and made his presence known. But now that Winter is here, how long can he survive on the frontlines of battle?
Bronn – Eqo
Sometimes, all emotions can do is slow you down and distract you from what you really want – gold, a queen, and a castle. When it was apparent that George “ShaDowBurn” Gushcha was no longer cutting it for the Fusion in 2018, it was Josh “Eqo” Corona who stepped up and showed his valor. Eqo, as proven a sellsword as Bronn, has no need for trash talk or emotion, only a desire to take the OWL Grand Finals trophy and claim the league as his kingdom.
Cersei Lannister – Fissure
Few in the Overwatch League have earned the reputation as a villain quite like Chan-hyung “Fissure” Baek. After leaving the LA Gladiators high-and-dry in the playoffs last season, the equivalent of destroying the Sept, Fissure now wears the black and gold of the Seoul Dynasty. He may have lost some of his power since we saw him in the royal purple of the Gladiators but he’s no less out for blood.
Daenerys Targaryen – Geguri
Se-yeon “Geguri” Kim, First of Her Name, Queen of the Frogs, Lady of the Atlantic and Pacific Divison, Protector of Burbank, Princess of the Blizzard Arena, Breaker of Metas and Losing Streaks, and Mother of Dragons.
Eddard Stark – Seagull
We lost this one too early. After migrating South to the OWL-version of King’s Landing, the Dallas Fuel of Stage 1 – Season 1, Brandon “Seagull” Larned was doomed. Through all of his days, he was good, he was pure, and things just have not been the same around here since he left.
Euron Greyjoy – Anamo
What is dead may never die. The unkillable Taesung “Anamo” Jung may not be as sinister or chaotic as Euron, but he’s every bit as hard to kill. There’s no one in the league that wants to go up against Anamo armada of the NYXL right now. Well…except maybe the Seoul Dynasty.
Gendry – Crusty
Many are speculating that Gendry will be the one who figures out how to mine Dragon Glass and defeat the white walkers. This sort of grit and innovation can only be rivaled by the coaching prowess of Da-hee “Crusty” Park. The Shock’s coach has a proven track record behind the scenes and there’s no one in the league who is better at equipping their players than Crusty.
Ghost – Pine
When he’s around, everyone watching becomes just a little bit happier. He’s the deadliest, streakiest, and most beloved DPS player in the entire league. The Big Boss, Do-hyeon “Pine” Kim. Sadly, it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen Ghost or Pine but hopefully, that’s all about to change.
Gregor Clegane (The Mountain) – super
Only a Frankenstein-style lab experiment can explain the creation of the aggressive, gigachad main tank we know as Matthew “super” DeLisi. Although he may not be the most eloquent outside of battle, when it comes time to swing hammers, it would be wise to bet on super.
Grey Worm – Hydration
A man of few words. The only exception being when it’s time for Christmas carols.
Jaime Lannister – BenBest
It’s tough not to think that the end of GOATS may very well be the OWL-equivalent of Jaime losing his right arm for Benjamin “BenBest” Dieulafait and the Paris Eternal. But hey, even if their success on the battlefield is short-lived, at least he’s still the pretty boy of the league. That’s got to count for something, right?
Jaqen H’ghar (No Name) – Surefour
Lane “Surefour” Roberts is every bit of the angsty assassin as the faceless man from Bravos. With his long tenure in Overwatch and his ability to survive every meta, Surefour has been able to switch identities better than nearly any player on the league. This has kept him relevant for longer than most, as well.
Joffrey Baratheon – sinatraa
For some, Jay “sinatraa” Won is a player some would like to see out of the spotlight, wishing he would just have his day and see his way out. His trash talking and tactical crouching have made him a figure that some love to hate. However, at the end of the day, Sinatraa is a dangerous character that may very well sit on the Iron Throne for a season or two, so get used to seeing him.
Jon Snow – JJoNak
“The King in the Norf! The King in New Yorf! THE KING OF NEW YORK!”
Few are as deadly on the battlefield against worse odds as Sung-hyeon “JJoNak” Bang. Not only this but as the reigning league MVP, JJoNak has a true claim to the Iron Throne and the OWL MVP trophy.
Jorah Mormont – Muma
Few have as true a love and loyalty to the Mother of Dragons of the OWL than Austin “Muma” Wilmot. His constant support of Geguri is as wholesome as anything else in the league. That, along with Muma’s high-IQ playstyle and his proven skill in many great battles, make him a clear pick for the honorable exile, Jorah Mormont.
Khal Drogo – Ameng
The son of Khal Drogo was prophesized to be the Stallion who Mounts the World. The deadly main tank for the Hunters, Ding “Ameng” Menghan has been prophesized to be the Hamster who Mounts the World. Coincidence?
Lord Varys – Michelle
No one can get into the backlines of the enemy and extract vital information quite like the recent Sombra play of Min-hyuk “Michelle” Choi. Intel is often times just as valuable of a commodity as a strong sword or shield when playing the Great Game. This has certainly been true for Michelle and the Dynasty lately.
Melisandre – Wizardhyeong
At this point, it seems only something as strong as blood magic can bring the Washington Justice back into the fray. Will Hyeong-seok “WizardHyeong” Kim be able to revive this team just as Melisandre helped to revive Jon Snow? Perhaps bringing in Yeonjoon “ArK” Hong is the first step.
Petyr Baelish – Dafan
*Locks Torbjorn his first time on stage and looks out into the crowd, whispering, “Chaos is a ladder”.*
Podrick Payne – Viol2t
Podrick’s got the best D in the realm and a sword he’s growing more confident with by the day. Min-ki “Viol2t” Park has the most healing in the league and continues to become known as a deadly Zenyatta. Each has a vital role to play in the days ahead.
Ramsey Bolton – MonteCristo
Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles is the antagonistic analyst who loves bolo ties almost as much as Ramsey loved his dogs. He flays OWL fanbases with his savage trolling and has subsequently earned a very love/hate relationship with viewers. Just remember Monte, the North remembers.
Samwell Tarley – Bischu
Everyone, especially the Gladiators, are hoping for the quick return of their smiling communicator, Hyung-seok “Bischu” Kim. Through the cold of Winter, sometimes what a team needs most is someone who can put a smile on your face. Not to mention someone with as high an IQ as Bischu has.
Sandor Clegane (The Hound) – Reinforce
A burly man with a storied history of battle, Jonathan “Reinforce” Larsson now works in a much different capacity, helping to keep the OWL broadcast running smoothly and with greater depth. He has the knowledge to provide key insight and his contributions have already begun to be seen on the broadcast.
Sansa Stark – ryujehong
Je-hong “ryujehong” Ryu comes from a storied team in Lunatic Hai. He’s been through a lot over the years but continues to do what it takes to adapt and survive in an ever-changing world.
Theon Greyjoy – Sideshow
Once a great analyst from a respectable house, Josh “Sideshow” Wilkinson became Reek when he was trapped away in the cold, dark cell of the UK. Now, only slightly worse for the wear, Sideshow is back on the desk and ready to redeem himself.
The Night King – GOATS
Many didn’t believe in the existence of GOATS when it was North of the Wall in the wild lands of EU Contenders. But now, GOATS has made its way into the OWL. Will Baptiste be the Dragon Glass that can slay The Night King? Or, will more patch notes be required to crack the armor of the mysterious foe from the cold North? Either way, Winter is here and the league must band together if they want a chance at defeating this great evil.
Tormund Giantsbane – Fragi
The beard, the persona, the charm. Not much more needs to be said.
Tyrion Lannister – JAKE
While Jacob “JAKE” Lyon may be a bit taller than Tyrion, he’s got just as much personality. The quick talking Outlaw has been in the OW scene for a long time and has become a sort of figurehead for the esport. Just as Tyrion made his climb to power through wit and council, JAKE has made his name in the scene more from his charisma and ability to communicate, rather than his mechanical ability.
Tywin Lannister – HuK
While his moves may be controversial, they have yielded great results time and time again. Chris “HuK” Loranger has a way of pulling strings and making any roster moves necessary to make the Uprising as lucrative as possible. This may not be everyone’s favorite style of leadership but it is a great way to maintain a sustainable and consistently above average franchise.
Due to the brutal nature of GoT and the many main characters that have come and go throughout the show, not every character was able to be featured on this list. For the writer of this article’s sake, we hope readers understand if a certain niche character did not make it into this article. In the end, this is all the more reason for readers to come up with their own comparisons and drop them in the comments below or tweet them to @TGHEsports!
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