In light of the recent release of Andre “iddqd” Dahlström, David “Nomy” Ramirez, and Daniel “dhaK” Martinez from the San Francisco Shock, the question now becomes, “Who’s next?” Plenty of Overwatch League teams are likely to make moves as they try to improve for Season 2, but which players will we see dropped? Here are the ten players we are most likely to see floating in the free agency pool on September 9th.
Free Agency Most Likely
- Lukas “Mendokusaii” Håkansson – DPS – Houston Outlaws
- Connor “Avast” Prince – Healer – Boston Uprising
- Finnbjorn “Finnisi” Jonasson – Flex – Los Angeles Valiant
- Minchul “Izayaki” Kim – Flex – Los Angeles Valiant
- Joseph “Joemeister” Gramano – Healer – Philadelphia Fusion
These players received zero minutes of playing time in Season 1. This means that these players were either underperforming in scrims or took on more of a coaching role for their teams. Whatever the case may be, these are the five players we can definitely expect to be available in free agency:
Because of their lack of play time, the rest of the league has little scouting on these players. This could make for some flashy introductions if they are picked up by another team, perhaps even an expansion team. Sadly, it is more likely the case that these players end up on Contenders teams. Hopefully, we will see these players seek to prove themselves wherever they end up and make their own mark on the league.
Free Agency Likely
- Wenhao “Roshan” Jing – Tank – Shanghai Dragons
- Junjie “Xushu” Liu – Tank – Shanghai Dragons
- Sebastion “numlocked” Barton – Tank – Los Angeles Valiant
These players either received very little playing time or are part of organizations that are looking at a large restructures. The Dragons are going to be releasing a lot of players in the coming weeks and it seems most likely that these two will be on that list. They have the pieces at DPS and off-tank, but they are in desperate need of a main tank. For the Valiant, they simply need more viable options off the bench. With lots of young talent rising out of Contenders and the OWWC, expect these three to get the boot.
Free Agency a Possibility
- Jae-Mo “XepheR” Koo – Flex – Seoul Dynasty
- Russell “FCTFCTN” Campbell – Tank – Houston Outlaws
These last two are, admittedly, more of a long shot. These two tank players are both undoubtedly talented, but they don’t seem to have a home on their current teams. With Fissure’s introduction to the Dynasty, that is one more tank that XepheR will have to compete with. With the Dynasty’s struggles this past season, they may look to other Korean Contenders teams to bolster their bench. If they do, expect to see a very valuable XepheR in free agency.
For Houston, FCTFCTN simply couldn’t edge out Muma at main tank. Muma has proven to be more proficient at nearly every character and one of the league’s top main tanks. FCTFCTN is certainly a great player, and may just be what the Gladiators need to fill the shoes that Fissure left. Whether he goes to the Glads or not, if FCTFCTN ends up in free agency, expect him to be picked up quickly
Circle your calendars for September 9th. It’s the last day teams will have to keep players on their current rosters before becoming free agents. Until then, I would love to hear what other players you expect to see on free agency and where they might end up! Feel free to tweet at me (@GoopyKnoopy) or @TGHEsports with your predictions!
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