Esports News: The Atlantic Division of the first-ever season of the official Overwatch League has a clear divide, comprising three top teams and three teams with questionable abilities.
Korean teams form the London Spitfire
The London Spitfire are arguably the favourites to win it all, given their incredible wealth of talent, depth, and team cohesion. The London Spitfire are essentially comprised of two former APEX (the primary Korean Overwatch League) rosters, with Kongdoo Panthera and GC Busan joining together under the London banner. This leads to an innate advantage over other teams early in the year: most franchises have players from a range of previous teams, while the London Spitfire have basic synergies that have been built up over the past year. While every role is stacked with talent, the DPS, in particular, stand out as all-world players. birdring, Rascal, Profit and Hooreg are some of the top players in Overwatch, and all have the ability to play multiple heroes at an absurdly high level – with consistency to boot. The only real concern for the London Spitfire is if tensions rise within the team due to the lack of playing time for some squad players who would otherwise be assured of a starting place.
New York also loaded
The other full Korean roster are the New York Excelsior, who were mostly players on LW Blue as part of APEX. Two of the more recognisable players for New York are Saebyeolbe and Mano, who both played for South Korea during the Overwatch World Cup 2017. Saebyeolbe is the primary Tracer player on this franchise, continually disrupting the backline and creating space for his teammates, while Mano is known as the primary tank for the team. One key note for New York is that Fl0w3r, arguably the best player in Overwatch, is unavailable to play during the inaugural season due to his age (17). Even without one of the best players in the league, New York are still expected to be a top-four team.
Outlaws should be third
The other favourites are the Houston Outlaws; who, while not considered a top-four team, are considered a favourite to reach the playoffs as part of the top six sides. Houston are another incredibly deep team, with four quality DPS players, three solid supports, and a tanking core of coolmat, considered the best D.Va in the west, and Muma, one of the most consistent Winston players. Houston’s wide array of DPS players gives them an incredible flexibility to base their play around, although it is expected that LiNkzr and JAKE will see the most play even if Clockwork’s main of Tracer is currently a must-pick. Houston may be one of the most consistent teams in the league, yet they appear to lack the overall high ceilings needed to win it all. Houston will look to challenge for a fifth or sixth-place finish in the first season.
Other teams have challenges
The final three sides all have their flaws compared to most other Overwatch League teams. The Philadelphia Fusion have a 12-man roster of multiple nationalities and languages, leaving synergy as a major concern. While expected to struggle mightily, one possible upside for Philadelphia is the presence of ShaDowBurn on the roster, considered one of the best Genjis in the world. If Genji continues to rise in popularity, ShaDowBurn could lead Philadelphia to some upset victories.
The Florida Mayhem appear to have the opposite problem, fielding the minimum acceptable six players on the roster. While lacking in diversity, Florida Mayhem do have star player TviQ along with quality synergy amongst the players, as they previously played under the Misfits banner. Florida are a team to watch out for during the trading window, as they have the open space on their roster to acquire a talented up-and-comer.
The final team in the Atlantic division are the Boston Uprising, who are also a mishmash of players from different teams. The rock for Boston is tank player Gamsu, who comes from a background of professional League of Legends, playing for multiple LCS teams. That leadership will be key for a fairly young roster, as they look to build on any early momentum. Overall, a lack of talent appears to hurt Boston, yet they also have the flexibility to add quality pieces during the trading window.
The London Spitfire and the New York Excelsior will garner all the attention, and rightly so, but an inaugural season will certainly throw up some surprises. Expect the unexpected may be something of a cliché, but in the Atlantic Division, that seems to be also an accurate assessment.
