The Overwatch League is back during the week! In a time where more and more people are looking for things to do or watch, OWL is providing viewers opportunities to watch Thursday through Sunday, starting with the Reign and Justice facing off Thursday at 7 p.m. est. With nine matches on tap, and Reinhardt, McCree, Widowmaker, and Brigitte banned, this week is full of fun matches. Also, due to the games last week, teams are causing the power rankings to shift around. Most notably, Paris jumps up two spots after another map five showdown with the Fusion. Here’s how The Game Haus crew ranked the teams heading into Week 11.
(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. Philadelphia Fusion (High: 1 Low: 5 LW: 2nd)
The Fusion are a box of chocolates this year, fans never know which one they are going to get. This week Philly took Paris’ croissant right out from under them with a reverse sweep in their rematch. The victory over Atlanta also proved that the Fusion are Map 5 experts. Close games are common for the Fusion and fun to watch for non-fans. For those who are doomed to root for Philly, they require a brown paper bag with every game, but make no mistake, the Fusion are a team to beat this year.
- Jessica Scharnagle
2. Seoul Dynasty (High: 1 Low: 3 LW: 1st)
3. San Francisco Shock (High: 2 Low: 8 LW: 4th)
After some surprising loses the Shock came back with a vengeance and revealed why they brought on ANS. The 2019 OWL Champions will need to continue to reassert their dominance through their electric playstyle in order to try and get back the number one spot.
- Rob Hanes
4. Atlanta Reign (High: 3 Low: 12 LW: 6th)
The Reign were able to give Philly almost all they could handle taking the first place team to a game five. Atlanta showed that they are not a team to underestimate and some could argue that they deserve to be even higher in these rankings. Until they start to play more games this seems like a safe spot for them.
- Rob Hanes
5. New York Excelsior (High: 2 Low: 8 LW: 5th)
6. Shanghai Dragons (High: 4 Low: 9 LW: 7th)
The Chinese teams of the OWL have been going blow for blow against each other and Shanghai has thus far proven to be the best. Between their offseason additions and the extra time to come together, this looks like the most formidable Dragons’ roster yet.
- Rob Hanes
7. Paris Eternal (High: 5 Low: 13 LW: 9th)
The Eternal were able to replicate their first match against Philly in all but the outcome, as they couldn’t eke out a win on the fifth map. Slowly but surely, Paris continues to make noise and move up the power rankings, but the teams above them have earned that right. This week the Eternal should be able to clean up the Mayhem with ease.
- Dalton Jewell
8. Los Angeles Gladiators (High: 5 Low: 9 LW: 8th)
An 0-3 loss to the Shock was not terribly surprising, but there was hope that the team would fare better against the 2019 champs. This roster is still coming together in many ways and with time there is no doubt that they can ascend much higher than this
- Rob Hanes
9. Vancouver Titans (High: 1 Low: 9 LW: 3rd)
The Titans sure didn’t resemble their namesake as they collected a single map win on seven attempts. While nice to see Lee “Stitch” Chunghee, the absence of Kim “Haksal” Hyo-jong raised some eyebrows. The classic Vancouver method of just being the better team unit doesn’t seem to be clicking so far this season. There’s many possible reasons why that is, however, so the season isn’t done yet. Hopefully Vancouver regroups and refocuses for their next match, whenever that may be.
- Dalton Jewell
10. Hangzhou Spark (High: 9 Low: 11 LW: 10th)
After a decisive 3-0 victory over the Hunters, the Spark are par for the course towards being a top team in the league. A strong return from Kim “GodsB” Kyeong-bo led the Pink and Blue to a dominant performance and his play on McCree was steller to watch. With this win, the team has the momentum going into an important rematch against the Dragons this weekend after being swept by Shanghai in their last outing. If they can ride the wave and pull out the win, then this team may be a legit contender.
- Jordan Garcia
11. Guangzhou Charge (High: 8 Low: 13 LW: 11th)
The Charge once again ended this weekend 1-1, this time taking a 3-0 series and subsequently losing the next. The Charge have become a solid middle-of-the-pack team, and to continuously go 1-1 in such a hard division is no small feat. With upcoming matches against Chengdu and Hangzhou, both of whom they’ve beaten before, it could be their first chance to take a double victory this season.
- Ethan “Brunestor” Seftor
12. Los Angeles Valiant (High: 9 Low: 14 LW: 12th)
13. Chengdu Hunters (High: 11 Low: 17 LW: 13th)
Chengdu was able to split the week 1-1, losing to the Spark but taking down the Titans. This week they’ll face off against the Charge and Dragons, and it doesn’t look too good for the Hunters. With a combined 1-2 record against these two teams, the Hunters will need to rely on their zany compositions with the current round of hero pools if they want to take a match.
- Dalton Jewell
14. London Spitfire (High: 12 Low: 16 LW: 14th)
15. Dallas Fuel (High: 15 Low: 19 LW: 19th)
Make it two wins in a row for the Fuel as they start to heat up. Yes, they’ve won against weaker competition in the Valiant and Justice, but this team looks solid. No one is expecting this team to blow the doors of and start competing for the playoffs, but they should be able to hang around the mid-tier comfortably. We’ll get a good look at just how competitive this team can play in their only match this week, against the reigning champ SF Shock.
- Dalton Jewell
16. Houston Outlaws (High: 14 Low: 19 LW: 18th)
A 2-0 weekend against low-tier opponents may not be much to some OWL teams, but for the Outlaws, it’s cause for celebration. Saturday’s win against Boston was solid, and while the first two maps against Toronto got hairy, they finally, FINALLY managed to run one back. It was the team’s first Map 5 win since last season’s upset against the Shock, and only the second successful reverse sweep in franchise history (the first was in 2018 against Florida 1.0). It’s a burst of momentum Houston desperately needed. Ignoring the meta and putting your damage dealers on their comfort picks doesn’t seem like it can work forever — but it’s sure working for now.
- Jezi Scott
17. Florida Mayhem (High: 13 Low: 19 LW: 15th)
18. Toronto Defiant (High: 11 Low: 19 LW: 16th)
The Toronto Defiant suffered a tough loss over the weekend to the Houston Outlaws. A series that should have been theirs fell short when the Outlaws completed a reverse sweep. However, the scoreline does not indicate how close and tough the match truly was. The Defiant showed bright spots of light, specifically in the flex tank and flex support roles. This week, they have a chance for redemption with a rematch against the floundering Boston Uprising. The Defiant should be able to score a win here, and look forward to a better job next weekend.
- Mallory McMahon
19. Washington Justice (High: 13 Low: 19 LW: 17th)
Stocks in the Justice continue to fall at a rapid pace, as this roster continues to disappoint with the talent available. Unable to take a map off the Fuel, a team that by all means is low to mid-tier is heartbreaking for fans. A tough match lies against the Reign this week, and continued disappointment should be served.
- Dalton Jewell
20. Boston Uprising (High: 20 Low: 20 LW: 20th)
Things look quite rough for the Boston Uprising. Another tough loss against Houston has put Boston even further into last place. Tae-hee “Jerry” Min continues to be a bright spot on this team, and Thomas “brussen” Brussen is slowly catching up to the speed of OWL. The coaching staff looked to have a good read of the meta this time, but the team needs to perform better.
- Bryan “Brock” Rockwood
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Our voters for OWL Power Rankings: Brad Long, Kate Sheppard, Jezi Scott, Ethan Seftor, Mallory, Robert Hanes, Connor Knudsen, Dalton Jewell, Lotte, Sam O’Dwyer, Bryan Rockwood, Brad Killion, Seneca, Jess, Thoth, Gabby, Mandii, Rhiannon, Daebakowl, Matthew Kennedy, Christian Wisniewski, Jordan Garcia, Rocco Romeo, Tiffany Purcell, Joe Gvora, London Bishop, Sebastian Quintanilla, Ethan Butler