Once more into the fire. In Week 21 of the Overwatch League, the Vancouver Titans will face two challenges. Going up against the upstart lads from the Boston Uprising and the eternal chads on the Atlanta Reign. Coming in hot and motivated following their first win in week twenty, the Titans look to ride this momentum onto two more victories prior to the start of the Summer Showdown. These teams will not go down easy. The Reign are also coming in off a recent sweeping victory, and the Uprising just got swept. Both will want to end the qualifying rounds on the right note. Can the Titans rise to the occasion?
Courtesy of the Boston Uprising
The Uprising enters into this weekend seen by many as a team that is better than their record. The past several weeks have seen the Uprising on the rise. Beating the Los Angeles Gladiators and taking the Paris Eternal to five maps twice, even after their young star Kim “Sp9k1e” Yeong-Han came of age. The addition of off-tank Leyton “Punk” Gilchrist breathed new life into this battle-weary roster. His stellar play has seemingly been contagious, as the rest of the team leveled up, showing the potential their fans knew was there. Previous weak links such as Kobe “Halo” Hammond began to deliver standout performances. Cameron “Fusions” Bosworth started to look the way he did when he first entered the league, showcasing his impressive skills once again.
The Titans will also face a threatening DPS line, and a star flex support. Kelsey “Colourhex” Birse, Taehee “Jerry” Min and Sangmin “Myungbong” Seo have been outstanding for the Uprising as of late. This trio will surely be looking to show they are deserving of the praise their fans routinely give them. The meta without hero pools, in theory, works well for them. Echo has been one of Colourhex’s best heroes this season, should she be played the Uprising will be stronger than ever.
The Fuel game truly showed however how powerful the DPS line of the Titans is. Dalton “Dalton” Bennyhoff and Niclas “Shockwave” Jensen have been a force of nature. Even in losses routinely winning the DPS battle against their opponents. The Uprising should rightfully fear them. They could turn the tide of the game in the Titans favor very fast is they are not kept in check. Which is something that has proven to be a difficult task. In addition, the rest of the Titans line up continues to look improved. Their tanks and supports have been putting up very respectable numbers and contributing to big plays. The DPS duel is one to keep an eye on, but should that prove even, the more flashy flex support and off-tank play may give the Uprising the edge.
Courtesy of the Atlanta Reign.
The Reign has been a puzzle all season long. Coming into the season their roster was hyped up beyond measure. Many saw them being a top three, even top two team. Yet as it stands they sit at a 6-6 record. Not terrible, but considering the hype for them in the preseason it is hard not to see this as a disappointment. They come into this game having delivered a 3-0 beatdown on the Toronto Defiant. Giving them immense confidence coming into their game against the Titans. A confident Reign team is a scary one. They thrive in this mindset. Players like Andrej “BabyBay” Francisty and Dusttin “Dogman” Bowerman are those who believe they can take down any team. Having them in a winning mindset should give their play a major boost.
They are at their best when they are able to play Orisa/Sigma double shield comps. Blake “Gator” Scott is one of the top Orisa’s in the league, regularly using her halt ability to perfection. No matter the off-tank he is paired with on this hero he seems to be able to find success. Their DPS are all explosive, with BabyBay often paired with rookie sensation Kim “Edison” Tae-Hoon for a devastating Tracer/Ashe combo that has been the bane of many a team.
The Titans have been improving at a steady pace, and their DPS have looked outstanding as of late but it may not be enough to beat a Reign team fresh off a clean sweep. An Echo favored meta may give the Titans the edge, and the possibility of an upset. It is hard to not picture them as the underdogs in this fight though. Dalton and Shockwave could very well get the better of their counterparts, but the rest of the team will have to step up in a major way to overcome the depth of roster the Reign possesses.
The backline on the Reign has been at times inconsistent, but more often shows to be a reliable part of the team. With their Tanks also having many standout showings in the past twenty weeks. Again an upset is very much in the cards, and the game may be very close. Yet odds more favor the Reign to come out on top. Their longstanding synergy may be the key to giving them the edge as the series progresses.
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