This has been a tumultuous week for the Overwatch League and the esport as a whole. Between the Titans’ release of the entire roster and signing a new team days before their match, there have also been a handful of player retirements. The Shock know the feeling of losing a player all too well, as Jay “Sinatraa” Won announced his retirement last week and will not be returning to the team. The team was able to overcome the loss though, with a dominant 3-0 victory over the Houston Outlaws last weekend.
The hero pools for the week exclude Reinhardt, Ashe, Reaper, and Brigitte. This will be a defining factor for the meta, as well as roster selection.
Shock (6-2) vs Toronto Defiant (4-6)
Sunday May 10 at 5pm EST/2pm PST
The Toronto Defiant have had a lackluster season thus far. After some massive changes and big-name signings in the offseason, things have not clicked as well as they hoped. There is constantly a question of which DPS duo to play, with Lane “Surefour” Roberts, Andreas “Logix” Berghmans, and Brady “Agilities” Girardi all vying for the starting role. Surefour provides a bit more versatility than Logix, but Logix has a bit of a mechanical edge on his select heroes. They are coming off a 1-3 defeat against the Gladiators and are looking to prove their worth against another strong California team.
On the other side, the Shock have continued their hot streak. They have won five straight, with wins against both other California teams and the two Texas teams. Coach Dae-hee “Crusty” Park’s roster versatility has kept the team surging despite vastly different metas and hero pools. Even after Sinatraa’s retirement, all of the positions are still adequately covered and their deep bench can provide key specialists in certain scenarios.
This match against the Shock marks an uptick in the strength of Toronto’s schedule. For the past few weeks, they have faced lower opponents like the Boston Uprising and Houston Outlaws. But in the month of May they face off against all the California teams. While the odds are stacked against them, never underestimate the skill of the Defiant’s roster.
Prediction: Shock win 3-0
Player to Watch: Choihyobin
Finals MVP Hyo-bin “Choihyobin” Choi has without a doubt made a name for himself as one of the top off-tanks in the league. He has found a way to play all of them at a champion-caliber level, doing much of the behind-the-scenes work to will the Shock to victory. This week’s composition should be a toss-up. Some teams have been running a Winston-D.Va dive comp since Reinhardt is banned. But others have opted for the double-shield of Orisa-Sigma. Choi is guaranteed to play no matter what, but his adaptation to playing with Matthew “Super” DeLisi or Hwan-yoo “Smurf” Myeong. But whether he plays D.Va or Sigma, expect him to eat plenty of damage and ultimates.
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