New York Excelsior vs Florida Mayhem- Week 4

Nursing their wounds from a rough third week, the NYXL are looking to bounce back with a strong week four. Despite the success of their homestand opener, the NYXL have not quite been reaching the high expectations set for them. Last weekend their struggle against a dominant Philadelphia Fusion was evident, and they suffered a grueling 3-1 defeat.

Though they were able to sweep the Houston Outlaws on Sunday, a victory against the 0-4 Outlaws is bittersweet. The current meta utilizing Mei has not been kind to Seung-Jun “WhoRU” Lee, but with Hero Pools on the horizon- the meta will soon shift. Whether or not the shift will favor the NYXL remains to be seen, but certainly the talent is there. While NYXL “stonks” may be trending downward, there is no reason to sell just yet. The NYXL hold strong near the top of the Power Rankings, and the team can be expected to excel(sior) in week four.

New York Excelsior (3-1) v Florida Mayhem (1-1)

Saturday, February 29^th– Hosted by Houston Outlaws

Photo by STEWART-VOLLAND for Blizzard Entertainment

The Florida Mayhem played their only two games of the season thus far in week two. During their first match against the Houston Outlaws, the Mayhem looked much stronger than they had in the past. Florida took the aesthetically fun game, swathed in Houston green and Mayhem pink game effects, with a 3-0 victory. Their next game was against home team juggernauts the Philadelphia Fusion, and it did not go in the favor of the Mayhem. Florida were unable to take a single map and were swept by the Fusion.

Though it is still early in the season, Florida is expected to land toward the bottom of the league. This doesn’t mean that the NYXL should go into this match complacent. The small bugs that the NYXL still need to work out are weak points that Florida could potentially exploit. Despite Florida looking better than ever, New York is a top-level team and would need to make a lot of mistakes for Florida to pull off a win.

What should be a relatively straightforward match for the NYXL is an opportunity to continue fine-tuning their playstyle. New York is trying new strategies from their usual defensive style and still figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Expect to see continued improvement from the NYXL, and a victory again the Mayhem.

Prediction: NYXL wins 3-0

Player to Watchba

Photo by STEWART-VOLLAND for Blizzard Entertainment

The player to watch this week is Hong-Joon “HOTBA” Choi, one of the NYXL’s offseason off-tank pickups. A veteran OWL player, HOTBA has been in the league since its inception in 2018. Though new to the NYXL, HOTBA had an amazing first week, showing that he was having no problems finding his groove on stage. HOTBA’s playstyle leans toward aggressive, so he may be forcing some of the other players out of their defensive comfort zones. Don’t expect him to tone it down though, as it seems the 2020 NYXL are favoring this type of out-of-the-Andbox thinking. As the NYXL keep working ever upward throughout the season, HOTBA will surely play a pivotal role in their success.

Questions?  You can message Rhiannon on Twitter @Psyryn_OG and ask away.

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