The Gladiators, and the Pacific East and West Divisions, have not seen any action since February 8th due to unfortunate current events, but that will come to an end very soon, as four matches take place this weekend through online play. On Saturday, March 21, the purple and black pack go up against their LA rivals, the Valiant. Then on Sunday, March 22, the Yaters go up against the new-look Dynasty in their very first match of the season.
How will the team fare in their next two matches of the season?
Previewing Week 2
Los Angeles Valiant: 1-1
The Gladiators have been favorable against the Valiant in the previous season, but with a brand-new team, the Valiant should not be taken lightly. Before getting swept by the Vancouver Titans in Week 1, the Valiant have pulled off an upset as they took down the Dallas Fuel the day before.
The Valiant have new players with a lot to prove, such as damage player KSP, tank player Lastro and support player GiG, all of which show they can be formidable players. There is a chance that the Valiant can surprise a lot of people this Saturday, but with the Gladiators having more experience in the league collectively, never count them out against a less-experienced team.
Player to Watch: LHCloudy
LHCloudy has managed to be hit-and-miss on the Reinhardt months ago against the Titans. It seems as though they count on him to deliver in that role more than OGE, so this is a good opportunity for LHCloudy to rebound after crumbling when going down to the wire on Map 5. A match against a less-strong Valiant team can calm his nerves and allow him to hone his skills and work out any kinks in his performance.
The Valiant shouldn’t be as challenging as Vancouver, even though there are plenty of young, hungry talents across the board. So long as the Gladiators play with minimal errors, they should put this one away very soundly.
Prediction – LA Gladiators win (3-1)
Seoul Dynasty: 0-0
The Dynasty have been chomping at the bit to showcase their skills for the first time, and with new key additions to their roster, they’re hoping their team performance is worth all the wait. Profit, Bdosin and Gesture all come from the London Spitfire, all of which won the Overwatch League championship in 2018.
The Gladiators have proven they can go the distance against an elite team like the Vancouver Titans, but with the Dynasty yet to play a single match this season, it’s still rather uncertain how the pecking order is laid out until these teams actually play. The Dynasty can either be even stronger than the Titans or weaker.
Player to Watch: Birdring
While the Dynasty have three former Spitfire players, the Yaters also have a former Spitfire player in Birdring, which may be pivotal in showing the rest of the team possible exploits to the Dynasty’s gameplan. The Dynasty appear to be more “London” this season, which might give LA an advantage to how they can play against them.
Though it’s understandable that while three former Spitfire players are on the Dynasty now, they might want to try new strategies to answer the current Gladiators roster themselves. This is sure to be a chaotic match where Los Angeles has to stay ahead of the game all throughout in order to be victorious.
Prediction – Seoul wins (3-1)