Teams to Look Out For in the Overwatch League Playoffs

Since Stage 4 of the Overwatch League ended, everyone is now looking towards the Postseason. Six teams have made it, and although everyone wants their favorite team to win only a few teams have a realistic chance to take home the title. Any past problems that teams struggled to deal with no longer matter. At this point, all teams only need to focus on winning their respective matches against their opponents.

With the stage set for an explosive Postseason, the only question that is on everyone’s mind is who has the best chance to win the Overwatch League?

Overwatch League Playoff Bracket

New York Excelsior

Stage 2 Champions – New York Excelsior

It’s very hard to argue against the New York Excelsior’s case for winning the Finals. Yes, you can say that they played poorly at the end of Stage 4 and lost against the Los Angeles Valiant in the Stage 4 Finals, but you must remember that this is the NYXL. They’ve made it to all the stage Finals – winning two of them – in addition to finishing half a stage ahead of everyone else in the overall standings.

The NYXL have been the most dominating Overwatch team thus far in the league. It would be very unlikely to see them losing before the Finals, especially since they only need to win one game to reach the Finals. But before New York can make it to the Finals, they must wait for the winner of the previous match – the London Spitfire or the LA Gladiators.

Los Angeles Valiant

Stage 4 Champions – Los Angeles Valiant

Another hot contender that came off a big win at the end of Stage 4 is the Los Angeles Valiant. The Los Angeles Valiant not only beat a LA Gladiators team who had a tremendous Stage 4, but also the giant that is the New York Excelsior. The Valiant have always been a good team throughout the Overwatch League, but until the latter parts of Stages 3 and 4, they could never get all the pieces right.

Now that the Valiant have found a recipe for success, they have transformed into a great team. Their superb communication, adaptation, chemistry, and talent have helped them win the Stage 4 title. With a solid end to Stage 4 and great seeding heading into the Postseason Playoffs, the Valiant have solid odds to make it to the Finals.

London Spitfire

Stage 1 Champions – London Spitfire

Lastly, a team that has shown promise in the earlier parts of the season and have a high capacity for talent is the London Spitfire. While they haven’t looked spectacular in Stage 3 or Stage 4, they are a fierce contender when they have time to prepare against other teams. The Spitfire, alongside the New York Excelsior, dominated the rest of the league in Stage 1, which they eventually ended up winning. The London Spitfire are not a team to be taken lightly when it comes to crunch time situations. But before we get hopes up for the London Spitfire fans, they first must beat the LA Gladiators and then the New York Excelsior to reach the Finals.

Final Thoughts

Although there are six contenders in the Postseason Playoffs, only a few of them realistically have a chance to make it to the Finals. In the postseason, only wins matter. Just looking at the bracket, New York Excelsior and the Los Angeles Valiant have the best chances at making it to the Finals, due to their first-round bye.

Nevertheless, four other teams must play for a chance to play against these two dominating teams. Will the London Spitfire be in playoff form like Overwatch fans know they can be, or will the Gladiators reign victorious? Similarly, the Boston Uprising or Philadelphia Fusion – the teams that qualified for the Finals in Stage 2 and 3, respectively – how will they fare in the Playoffs?

To find out which two teams make it to the Grand Finals and who gets crowned as the Overwatch League Inaugural Season Champion, stay tuned to the Overwatch League.

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Featured Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment/Overwatch