The Overwatch League wrapped up Week 1 of Stage 3 this past weekend. Teams like Paris and Seoul are looking great so far, but they’ll face stiffer competition in Week 2. The top teams are all but solidified in the Overwatch League team tiers, but many of the mid-tier teams are fighting for a shot at the season playoffs. Only three wins separate 4th place Gladiators to 14th place Paris. Each match has more importance for these 11 teams, and how they perform will directly affect their power rankings here at The Game Haus. Heading into Stage 3 Week 2, here’s how TGH ranked each Overwatch League team.
(MPD= Map Differential, High is the highest an individual ranked the team, Low is the lowest an individual ranked them, and LW= Last Week’s Power Ranking Position)
1. Vancouver Titans – Record: 16-0 MPD: +44 (High: 1. Low: 2. LW: 2nd)
The Vancouver Titans reclaimed the top spot in the power rankings after consecutive 3-1 wins. There were times against the Reign that the Titans appeared shaky, but they always stabilized and came in clutch when needed. The match against the Gladiators was more traditional Titans domination, with notable fact of 42 eliminations on Gibraltar before the Gladiator’s first. Heading into Week 2, the Titans look to pad their regular season record with two more wins against the Spark and Fuel. Barring a complete meltdown, the Titans should take both easily.
– Dalton Jewell
2. San Francisco Shock – Record: 12-3 MPD: +34 (High: 1. Low: 2. LW: 1st)
The Shock went into Stage 3 hoping to keep up the good work, but things did not go entirely to plan. San Francisco barely squeezed by a Reign squad that was out for blood. They got the win, but this match was way too close for comfort. Hopefully that was enough for the Shock to dust off the cobwebs, as they face the Outlaws and the Dynasty next week.
– Sam Putney
3. New York Excelsior – Record 14-2 MPD: +35 (High: 3. Low: 4. LW: 3rd)
In their return to the OWL, the New York Excelsior seriously struggled against the Outlaws, going to Map 5 against what most viewers feel is a team that is vastly under performing this season. Despite this out of character performance, the Excelsior seemed back to their normal selves in their match up against the Spitfire. This almost instant change in performance is most distinctly marked by the return of fan favorite player Jong-Ryeol “Saebeyolbe” Park, and his incredible turnaround performance on Sombra. Having visibly struggled on the hero in New York’s game against the Outlaws, Saebeyolbe showed amazing growth in his understanding and mastery of the hero in their game against the Spitfire. Time will only tell how relying on his Sombra will play out, or if this is just a temporary fix until the team’s usual tank starter, Tae-Hong “MekO” Kim, is feeling ready to play again.
– Miranda Rodriguez
4. Seoul Dynasty – Record: 9-7 MPD: +13 (High: 3. Low: 7. LW: 10th)
The Dynasty took an interesting route this week, fielding two completely different rosters. It’s clear that this experiment, at least thus far, is working out for them. They ended the week at the top of the Stage 2 rankings, with a couple of 4-0 sweeps. Next week, they’ll be put to the test against some more challenging opponents and fans will get to see if this roster shuffle will stand the test of time.
– Connor Knudsen
5. Los Angeles Gladiators – Record: 10-6 MPD: +13 (High: 4. Low: 6. LW: 4th)
The Los Angeles Gladiators came out of Week 1 with a 1-1 record. Considering they played the Vancouver Titans, it makes sense why they lost a game. The Dallas Game was the perfect opener to Stage 3. They came out with a 4-0 and Lane “Surefour” Roberts played the entire game, something fans have expressed their joy with. The Gladiators then played the Titans, where they lost 3-1. There were good and bad takeaways from the game. On the plus side, they took a map from the undefeated Vancouver team. On the negative side, they got their first kill on Gibraltar after Vancouver registered 42 eliminations. Next week they play the Philadelphia Fusion and the Washington Justice. Fans should expect them to go 2-0, with a closer game against the Fusion.
– Zach Stenzel
6. Hangzhou Spark – Record: 9-6 MPD: -1 (High: 4. Low: 8. LW: 6th)
The Spark came out of the gates swinging this week, handily taking down the Philadelphia Fusion with a 4-0 victory. For a team whose map differential often leaves something to be desired, locking down a win that decisive is an excellent start. As for next week, Hangzhou has about as up-and-down a schedule as they possibly can, facing both the Vancouver Titans and the Washington Justice. Though they’ll likely come out on the other side with a 1-1 record, keeping the score close with Vancouver could help them solidify their growing reputation as a very improved team.
-Darby Joyce
7. London Spitfire – Record 10-6 MPD: +12 (High: 4. Low: 8. LW: 5th)
The Spitfire split their matches in Week 1, sweeping a lower team and then getting swept by a higher team. The inconsistency that has followed the Spitfire from Season 1 has continued, with Jihoon “QuaterMain” Song taking over Lucio duty from Jongseok “NUS” Kim. QuaterMain didn’t exactly turn heads with his performance, but his stats are comparable to Nus and as he becomes more comfortable on the OWL stage alongside his teammates, we may see him shine. The Spitfire should have a win in hand for Week 2, but they’ll need to work on their consistency if they want to make stage playoffs.
– Dalton Jewell
8. Shanghai Dragons – Record: 8-7 MPD: -2 (High: 7. Low: 9. LW: 9th)
A strong performance from the Dragons to open Stage 3 provides favorable omens for the remainder of the Stage. With Atlanta coming out of nowhere to run toe-to-toe with San Francisco, Shanghai will have to play at peak performance in order to overthrow an unpredictable squad. Expect some exciting compositions, overtime rounds and the exciting clocking of heads.
– Jacob Renie
9. Dallas Fuel – Record: 10-6 MPD: +4 (High: 7. Low: 11. LW: 7th)
Classic Dallas as it were. Getting rolled one day and rolling the next. The match against the LA Gladiators was confirmation that the Fuel is a solid mid-tier team that had a slightly easier schedule last stage. The team as a whole is not quite on the level of London, New York and Shock. However they have the potential to beat teams like Hangzhou, Seoul and Shanghai. Getting 4-0 swept then dishing out a 3-0 against a lower team helps with confidence, but it doesn’t mean much in terms of how good the team actually is, only how bad they are.
– Ethan Cowan-Kazmi
10. Atlanta Reign- Record: 7-9 MPD: 0 (High: 9. Low: 13. LW: 13th)
The Atlanta Reign continue to look like the giant-slayers of the league, despite losing both matches this week. Taking two maps off the Shock and a map off of the Titans ought to make their fans proud and give them hope moving forward. With those two games and their two matches against NYXL out of the way, the Reign are paving the way for a late-season playoff run against some more manageable opponents.
– Connor Knudsen
11. Paris Eternal – Record: 7-9 MPD: -12 (High: 7. Low: 14. LW: 16th)
Paris had an incredible first week back. Not only did they get their revenge on the Toronto Defiant, but they were also able to take down the Boston Uprising. Coming into stage three with a new starting lineup, the Eternal put their faith back in Benjamin “BenBest” Dieulafait and Nicolas “NiCOgdh” Moret and it worked in their favor. Paris looked a lot cleaner this time around; they are becoming a more dynamic team that isn’t afraid to take risks with their compositions. Luís “Greyy” Perestrelo’s swap onto Widowmaker during Havana was an incredible sight to behold, and it helped them secure the map and win over the Defiant. Fans are extremely hopeful for this team’s future after this weekend.
– Kate Shepard
12. Philadelphia Fusion – Record: 8-7 MPD: -2 (High: 10. Low: 15. LW: 8th)
The Fusion’s game against the Hangzhou Spark was the most disappointing Philly has looked all season. Their inability to adapt is dragging them further and further down in the standings. Strictly adhering to GOATS, and nothing else, is killing this team. If the Fusion want to turn things around, and keep that dream of Grand Finals alive, they need to stop being stubborn and start taking risks.
– Kate Shepard
13. Los Angeles Valiant – Record 4-12 MPD: -13 (High: 12. Low: 17. LW: 14th)
The Los Angeles Valiant had both a weak and strong showing of 1-3 and 4-0 respectively in Week 1. They lost the match they were expected to lose, and won the one they were expected to win. The same issues from Stage 2 still plague the team, but they haven’t gotten worse.
– Aaron Gerr
14. Guangzhou Charge – Record: 6-10 MPD: -17 (High: 12. Low: 17. LW: 17th)
Guangzhou had a very up and down week for this first part of Stage 3. Their addition of Nero has been a huge boon so far, and a 1-1 first week isn’t a bad start. They certainly seem to be running more individual strategies that incorporate more DPS, but while it worked against the Hunters, it failed horribly in their match with Seoul. If other teams figure them out in the same way it could prove disastrous for the Charge, so the next few matches will be truly telling to if Guangzhou has actually improved over the break or not.
– Ethan Seftor
15. Boston Uprising – Record: 7-9 MPD: -9 (High: 13. Low: 18. LW: 12th)
Coming off of a disappointing Week 1, the Boston Uprising are struggling to find their place. They took their first appearance to try out new support duo combinations, leaning into Renan “alemao” Moretto and Zion “Persia” Yang. Unfortunately, these late switches haven’t yet played into their favor. This second week gives Boston a chance to get back on their feet. Facing a struggling Houston Outlaws, and a Philadelphia Fusion that’s fallen into the same category as them, the Uprising need to show up to keep their heads above water.
– Mallory McMahon
16. Toronto Defiant – Record: 7-8 MPD: -4 (High: 12. Low: 19. LW: 15th)
Ever since Stage 1 Toronto has gone from looking like a top team to one just outside of the playoffs. Right now they will need to focus on getting their wins against the mid and lower tier teams. If they are unable to fix some communication errors then it could be another long Stage for Defiant fans.
– Robert Hanes
17. Chengdu Hunters – Record: 6-10 MPD: -13 (High: 14. Low: 18. LW: 11th)
The Hunters were supposed to come in and take two wins this week, and they failed on both. Week 1 was the easiest that the Hunters will have throughout Stage 3, and one of their greatest opportunities to get a win. They’ll now face the Fuel twice, the Dynasty and juggernauts in the Titans and Shock. Maybe the Hunters are able to snag a win from the Fuel with their zany play, but it doesn’t look good. The Hunters may be on the road to becoming the third team this season to go winless in a stage.
– Robert Hanes
18. Houston Outlaws – Record: 3-12 MPD: -24 (High: 13. Low: 19. LW: 19th)
Last week, there was little reason to have hope for the Outlaws for Week 1. After their showing against the NYXL, however, there is hope. The Outlaws looked like a much better team, shrugging off the winless stage they had just endured. While Week 2 doesn’t offer any lesser opponent for them, they can prove their performance against NYXL wasn’t one-off. Taking on the Shock and Uprising, there is a chance for the Outlaws to grab a win against a depleted looking Uprising team. This all depends on the Outlaws playing to their strengths, utilizing a more DPS centered composition and allowing their skilled players to carry.
– Dalton Jewell
19. Washington Justice – Record: 2-13 MPD: -27 (High: 16. Low: 19. LW: 18th)
The Justice failed to pick up a win in Week 1, and will face stiff challengers in Week 2. The good news is that the Justice are looking better, with Nikola “sleepy” Andrews looking better integrated with his team. With Corey “Corey” Nigra still fluctuating his Zarya performance, this team lives and dies by his play. If Corey can lock-down and be a more consistent Zarya player, the Justice can continue to improve their competitive ability.
– Dalton Jewell
20. Florida Mayhem – Record: 1-14 MPD: -31 (High: 19. Low: 20. LW: 20th)
The Florida Mayhem started Stage 3 with a loss against the Seoul Dynasty. There were a couple of close maps in this series against a team on the rise in Seoul, particularly Havana, which should have been won easily by the Mayhem. Considering they are still in the midst of settling in their new acquisitions and also bringing in further roster additions, the Mayhem weren’t as completely lost during this match as one may expect. Despite this however, the team that was the worst in both of the previous stages cannot be moved up the power rankings after a loss.
– Sam O’Dwyer
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Our voters for OWL Power Rankings- Bradley Long, Kate Shepard, Felipe Labarca, Darby Joyce, Robert Hanes, Katie Gripne, Ethan Cowan-Kazmi, Mallory McMahon, Dalton Jewell, Zach Stenzel, Garrett “Norcetto” Golden, Ethan Seftor, Miranda Rodriguez, Dave Grove, Sam Putney, Aaron Gerr, Sam O’Dwyer, Connor Knudsen, Jake Renie