#1 Xu “guxue” Qiulin: Main Tank from China
A short 22 days ago, perhaps the hottest OWL prospect in the entire world turned 18. However, to what should be considered tragic to many, he is not yet signed to an OWL team. The Chinese main tank put on an absolute spectacle throughout the entirety of the World Cup. He especially showed up in China’s first two matches against Finland and Canada, helping lead the Chinese to a perfect 6-0 map record before the finals.
Odds are that a Chinese club will claim the services of Guxue for next season and they will, without a doubt, be better for it. Guxue has helped get Chinese Overwatch the respect it deserves, helping to erase our 0-40 associations with the country’s Overwatch performance. In the hand’s of Guxue and the rest of China’s young roster, the future looks very, very bright.
#2 Michael “MikeyA” Adams: DPS/Flex from UK
MikeyA was someone that was immediately introduced to us all at BlizzCon, just not for reasons I think he would have liked. Early on in the first map of the series against the US, Jay “sinatraa” Won did a bit of “tactical crouching on MikeyA’s corpse after the US wiped Team UK. It would seem, however, that MikeyA would get the last laugh. He went on to lead the team to an impressive full hold on King’s Row with a couple of clutch plays on Zarya and helped the UK to secure the 3-1 victory over the US.
MikeyA isn’t particularly new to esports, however. He was a top-tier TF2 player before switching scenes, as many players did, in 2016. This gives him the same background in strategy and game sense that we accredit to players like Muma and Seagull.
I’m not under contract anymore and looking for a new team for the next EU/NA contenders season/OWL 😄 good luck to the new Hurricane roster, shame our time together was short and didn’t end how we wanted but I’m sure they’ll do great! https://t.co/veNyQySWC5
— Michael Adams (@MikeyA) November 6, 2018
While he played Zarya primarily in the World Cup, MikeyA is a DPS player first with an ever-expanding hero pool. With his skills adapting to the UK’s elite GOAT’s comp and playing DPS for more traditional comps, MikeyA would be a great addition to any OWL/Contenders team.
#3 & 4 Cai “Krystal” Shilong & Huang “leave” Xin: DPS Duo from China
Krystal and Leave were as dynamic of a DPS duo as there was in the entire World Cup. Their skill comes in large part to an absolutely insane amount of flex. This flexibility makes these two extremely valuable assets in the current meta, which often demands a quick switch to Brigitte, Sombra, Pharah, or a number of different tanks.
While Leave is yet to be eligible for OWL play due to his age, he could still be signed for a team similarly to how the SF Shock acquired their young roster. Krystal, on the other hand, just turned 18 this past August, which makes him a prime candidate to be signed to a long-term contract with an OWL. With their synergy and young ages, these two would be an excellent investment for any franchise in need of a solid DPS core.
#5 Finley “Kyb” Adisi: DPS from UK
The British 20-year-old made quite a splash as Blizzcon on the DPS role. Kyb was forced to take on the likes of Carpe on Widowmaker and managed to hold his own. With this level of play, mixed with an ability to flex to a very impressive Roadhog, Kyb would be extremely valuable for an OWL team.
Looking forward to playing with @Jofi_ow and @numlocked big gamers https://t.co/BtSZDmbHyI
— Kyb (@KYB) November 6, 2018
While Kyb is signed with the British Hurricane currently, he should be eligible for a buyout, or a potential upgrade to a 2-way player deal with the London Spitfire. Whatever the case may be, this is a top level player that has proven himself on one of the biggest stages, against top-tier OWL talent. Other OWL teams need to take notice of players like Kyb.
Honorable Mentions
From Team Canada: Liam “Mangachu” Campbell, William “Crimzo” Hernandez, and Félix “xQc” Lengyel
From Team Australia: Ashley “Trill” Powell
From Team USA: Caleb “McGravy” McGarvey and Zachary “ZachaREEE” Lombardo
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