To celebrate the conclusion of an exciting 2019 OWL season and the nearing of the 2020 season, The Game Haus’s Overwatch team has come together to form their Top 50 OWL Players List. This is an aggregate list formed by averaging the rankings of 10+ TGH contributors, with the goal of forming the most objective list possible. Even so, there’s likely to be some spicy takes along the way.
This list includes players that have not yet played an OWL match but are currently signed to OWL rosters heading into the 2020 season. It is meant to be both a measure of the player’s abilities leading up until this point and also a projection of how strong they will be heading into the 2020 season. Votes were recorded on 11/30/2019.
Without any further ado, here are TGH’s top 50 OWL players. These are also being live-streamed at the time of publishing, so be sure to stop by the stream to see the breakdown of each player.
50: Young-jin “Gamsu” Noh – Dallas Fuel
Regardless of the team he resides on, Gamsu is without a doubt a force of nature. As the captain of the Boston Uprising, Gamsu helped that ragtag team achieve the first perfect stage. Last year, as the leader of the newly rejuvenated Shanghai Dragons, Gamsu provided them with a clear leader and a clear vision. He helped bring a Stage Championship to a previously winless team.
As a human, Gamsu values mental health above all else. With his own partner in crime, his dog Uni, Gamsu frequently exercises and experiences nature with his teammates and friends. – Mallory “macklemallory” McMahon
49: Jung-woo “Happy” Lee – Guangzhou Charge
Happy are not those who have to face Happy in a Widowmaker 1v1. In just one short year for Guangzhou, Happy has made himself known as a force to be reckoned with on hitscan DPS heroes like Widowmaker. With a year of on-stage experience under his belt, there’s no telling how high the ceiling is for Happy in 2020. – Connor “GoopyKnoopy” Knudsen
48: Scott “Custa” Kennedy – Los Angeles Valiant
Custa, the Overwatch League’s resident Aussie, is famous for being a positive force in the community, which alone makes him worthy of a spot on our top 50. On the stage, his support play isn’t as flashy as many of the players on this list, but as soon as he joined the Valiant in stage 3 of season 1, their record improved from 4-6 to 7-3. Then they struggled again when he was benched in 2019. Numbers don’t lie. – London “pHydron” Bishop
47: Hong-joon “HOTBA” Choi – New York Excelsior
HOTBA is, without a doubt, the most flexible player in the League. At this point in his career, it’s better to ask, “what hero can’t Hotba play?” rather than ask who his best hero is. HOTBA shined while playing for the Philadelphia Fusion and the Guangzhou Charge, and many expect him to thrive as he transitions to the NYXL next season. – Kate “Sybil” Shepard
46: Jehong “ryujehong” Ryu – Vancouver Titans
Ryujehong is one of the old guard of OWL players, famous for his insane aim on Ana and Zenyatta. Ryujehong earned a reputation on both the Korean World cup team and the Seoul Dynasty for his ability to make incredible plays as a support main. Freshly signed to the Vancouver Titans, he has not lost any of his ability to put out as much damage as he does healing, which we hope to see more of in season 3. – London “pHydron” Bishop
45: Petja “Masaa” Kantanen – Atlanta Reign
As one of the first players to truly master Baptiste, Masaa shouldn’t go unnoticed this season. His ability to effortlessly switch between support heroes makes him an integral part of the Atlanta Reign. He has often saved the day with a 3K boop, a well-timed immortality field, or by pulling out the Caduceus Blaster for his “special move”. If you want to learn a thing or two about holding down the backline, this is the guy to watch. – Mandii “Mand0lyn” Kennedy
44: Jung-woo “Sayaplayer” Ha – Florida Mayhem
Sayaplayer is someone that many may have forgotten about during the DPS drought that was the GOATS meta, but I have a feeling he won’t be out of our thoughts for too much longer. With a stronger Mayhem team in 2020, this may be Sayaplayer’s year to truly maximize his potential. – Connor “GoopyKnoopy” Knudsen
43: Chan-hyung “Fissure” Baek – Vancouver Titans
Don’t let a bold personality and a complicated past distract you from the fact that Fissure is one of the best main tanks to ever play the game. Proficiency on nearly every main tank makes his play a spectacle to behold. If he can gel with his new team, don’t be surprised to hear his name often. – Brad “BradRK” Killion
42: Hyeon-Woo “JJANU” Choi – Vancouver Titans
Despite the other big names on the off-tank role, it is no coincidence JJANU was the only one nominated for 2019 MVP. His D.va play throughout the 3-3 GOATS meta was impeccable en route to the Stage 1 title and top seed in the Pacific Division. If you need a player to eat a Graviton Surge and turn right around and get a multi-kill with a Self-Destruct, look no further than JJANU. – Matthew “Setanta” Kennedy
41: Benjamin “BigGoose” Isohanni – Los Angeles Gladiators
For the past two years, BigGoose has been a pillar of strength for the Los Angeles Gladiators. He’s a fantastic leader and his ability to stay calm during even the most chaotic of battles is unparalleled. Frankly, the Gladiators would be lost without BigGoose and this list would not be complete without him. – Kate “Sybil” Shepard
>>Click here for #40-#31 or here to skip to the top 10>>
Because this list was formed as an aggregate of a multitude of voters, there were several players who received votes that very nearly made it. The following players are therefore Honorable Mentions, having received at least three top 50 placement votes, but having an average overall rank that kept them out of the final list.
- TiZi
- OGE
- Yaki
- Stratus
- Ria
- LeeJaeGon
- Danteh
- Funnyastro
- NeptuNo
- Hanbin
- Leave
- Yveltal
- Striker
- Gangnamjin
- Gargoyle
- Ark
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