The Shanghai Dragons had an incredible season in the 2020 Overwatch League. Despite their shortcoming in the playoffs, every player on this team proved their worth throughout the year. Unfortunately, time passes on. While Shanghai still has a large part of their star roster under contract, some players are now officially free agents. One of these players, Minseong “Diem” Bae.
Diem, despite not being a regular starter on his roster, enjoys a high amount of fame. Due to his childhood friendship with Philadelphia´s franchise player Jaehyuk “Carpe” Lee and their matching gamer tags, he entered the league in 2019 with a storyline immediately attached to him. Now, Diem´s future is wide open.
Run it back with the Dragons
Even though Diem´s contract expired, it does not make it less likely that the Dragons will re-sign him. The team atmosphere in Shanghai was very good this year and Diem got a significant amount of playing time despite rarely being a starter. Even with League MVP Byungsun “Fleta” Kim on the roster, he was able to establish his position as a sniping specialist.
In this future for Diem, his life might remain mostly the same. He would have a positive work environment within a very strong team. He might not start a lot again next year, but if a sniper meta develops, he will be ready. This scenario is both a safe choice for Shanghai and Diem.
Howdy, Partner Diem
At first glance, it might appear to be a surprising choice. However, Diem as a starter on the Dallas Fuel in 2021 is more likely than it might seem. After another disappointing year for Dallas, the management decided to blow up the team and rebuild completely. Diem might fit nicely next to the newly announced prodigy Yeong-han “SP9RK1E” Kim who was traded from Paris. In the past, Dallas Fuel and Shanghai have demonstrated that they have a good trading relationship. Shanghai traded Youngjin “Gamsu” Noh to Dallas before the 2020 season. Dallas seeking a fresh start, potentially with a few experienced players, could be a path for Diem to a starting position.
In this scenario, Diem is likely to be a starter alongside Doha unless Dallas brings in extremely talented Contenders talent. There, he might establish himself as a consistent hitscan legend instead of the specialist he currently is. While it is not the most likely future for Diem, it could be the one with the highest amount of playing time for him.
Carpe Diem, United in the Future?
Shanghai unceremoniously destroyed the Philadelphia Fusion in the playoff semifinals. Philadelphia´s roster that was celebrated as a super team at the start of the season fell flat. Philadelphia might not make many changes in their roster for 2021, but they need to find the secret ingredient that will finally elevate them to the championship that has been in their reach for so long now. Reuniting the old childhood friends might be that secret. It would certainly create the biggest storyline around a DPS duo for the next year. While both Carpe and Diem are known for their hitscan, Carpe has shown his skill on a variety of characters as well.
Diem would have to fight hard to be a starter on Philadelphia, but with Carpe around his determination might shift into a new gear. The two could either push each other to new heights or crash and burn as a PR stunt. No matter which path Diem chooses, he certainly has the potential to make a big splash.
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