Overwatch Contenders Korea: Grand Finals Recap

One map into their Contenders Korea Grand Finals series against Element Mystic, the mood in the Runaway booth was far too bubbly. They had just lost their first Control map of the entire season and found themselves in unfamiliar territory – fighting from behind. Kim “Sp9rk1e” Young-han was on Doomfist, and the predictions of Korean pros, commentators, and analysts were coming true. Yet Runaway still dripped with confidence. They cracked jokes even as they faced their first true test of the season.

Runaway had the demeanor of a team that had been here before. The organization had, of course, been here many times in their storied past. This was a new Runaway though, one that was pegged as the underdog despite an undefeated run to the Grand Finals. Their considerable poise separated them from Element Mystic, who faltered down the stretch as Runaway won four maps in a row to claim a second consecutive Contenders crown.

How Runaway Turned the Tables

After a timid start on Busan, Runaway took the series to Numbani, a map they knew would force Sp9rk1e away from Doomfist. Element Mystic still seemed comfortable, and after the first round of attacks they held a significant time bank advantage. Runaway responded with a dominant overtime push and a defense that showed some surprising flexibility, including an impressive Sombra from Jeong “Heesu” Hee-su .

If Numbani was where Runaway found their footing, Horizon Lunar Colony was where they took over. A failed first point defense left them with seven minutes to defend on second as both teams swapped into comfort picks – GOATs for Runaway and Doomfist for Element Mystic. What followed was one of the most impressive defenses in the history of Korean Overwatch. Runaway refused to fall prey to Sp9rk1e, and began to feast on the rest of his team. They took fights on their own terms, often ignoring Sp9rk1e and winning before he had the chance to make an impact.

Even when they managed to start fights as they wanted, Element Mystic were unable to close them out. Thanks to some timely support ultimates and some miracle plays from Kim “Mag” Tae-sung, Runaway were able to shut the door on their opponents time after time. When those seven minutes had elapsed, Element Mystic had nothing to show for it and the air taken out of them.

Runaway refused to let Element Mystic back into the series. Whenever both teams were running GOATs – as is so often necessary in this meta – Runaway were the dominant team. They kept their cool at all times, never wasting an ultimate. Element Mystic, however, panicked with their backs against the wall.

This was never more apparent than in the main tank matchup. Across the series, Mag was a hero for Runaway, consistently landing huge Earthshatters and creating chaos with his Winston play. On the other side, Lee “Takoyaki” Young-hyun routinely used his ult on Mag’s shield or no one in particular. Element Mystic was never comfortable with their main tank, even subbing in Sin “Alpha” Jae-hyeon on Control maps. It worked on Busan, but by the time he came back in for the final map on Lijiang Tower, the series was firmly in Runaway’s grasp.

What Almost Wasn’t

Image Courtesy of Runaway via Twitter

Following their Contenders Season 2 triumph, it was uncertain whether Runaway would be returning for Season 3. The entire roster was shipped to the Overwatch League. The names and faces that fans had come to know and love were gone. Only the team’s manager, Lee “Flowevin” Hyun Ah, remained.

With the old guard out of the picture, Flowervin questioned whether she should continue the team. “I’ve heard phrases like, ‘Leave when people are applauding’ many times,” she said in an interview with Inven Global. Ultimately, there was too much history in Runaway to simply walk away from it all. “I even contemplated whether I should only keep the team for the first members and then seek to end it well like that. However, it just seemed too wasteful to let go of the knowledge and experience Runaway has in managing a team.”

With the decision made to run it back, Runaway was left with the task of replacing their entire roster. After a trial process that included 295 players, they finally settled on six. These were not names on most people’s’ radar. Gang “Gangnamjin” Nam-jin was plucked straight from the ladder. The rest of the team had seen pro play, but lacked the pedigree one might expect for such a high profile team. Despite their lack of experience, they enthusiastically carried the Runaway mantle. To pull talent from obscurity and to make them a dominant team is nothing short of incredible.

Runaway Secure Their Place in History

It was a remarkable season for Runaway, the perfect cap to a year of Contenders that saw them finally claim their first major title. No one expected Runaway to find success so quickly after sending the Season 2 winning roster to the Vancouver Titans. No one predicted that six players with no shared experience would be the first Korean team to have a perfect run on their way to a championship. Even coming into the final, zero of the experts polled predicted Runaway to best Element Mystic.

Even in the midst of an historic season, Runaway maintained the air of an underdog. Maybe it’s the pink jerseys. Maybe it’s the memories of Yoon “Runner” Dae-hoon leading that first Runaway team. Now it will be impossible for Runaway to fly under the radar anymore. Runaway have ascended. They are the greatest org in the history of Korean Overwatch. They have unseated Lunatic-Hai, the team that denied them a title so long ago in APEX Season 2. Runaway will have a target on their backs in 2019, but for now, their work is done.

Featured image courtesy of Overwatch Contenders via Twitch.

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