Week 4 of the Stage 2 of the Inaugural Season of the Overwatch League brings multiple intriguing matchups – particularly around the middle of the pack.
Gladiators hope to build on Week 3
Los Angeles Gladiators will look to prove that their Week 3 success was no fluke with matches against the Houston Outlaws and Florida Mayhem.
The Gladiators looked dominant last week, beating two of the top four teams in the standings in London Spitfire and Los Angeles Valiant.
The addition of Fissure has continued to be a gleaming success for Gladiators, with the DPS trio of Surefour, Asher, and Hydration performing at an alarmingly high rate.
This is the week for Gladiators to show that they can sustain their good form, with Houston desperate for a win alongside Florida who just came off their best week yet.
Look for the likes of Houston to have a counter to Hydration’s Doomfist, with the key being whether or not Gladiators have the capability of adapting mid-game to find victory.
Fusion should not be challenged
One team that looks destined for a 2-0 week is Philadelphia Fusion.
Philadelphia come up against last place Shanghai Dragons and a free-falling Dallas Fuel. Fusion will look to have a bounce back week after losing to both New York Excelsior and Seoul Dynasty.
Philadelphia have been fairly consistent during Stage 2, with losses to every team above them and wins against every team currently below them in the standings.
One question for Fusion this coming week is the health of Boombox, who was unable to play in their match against Seoul this past week due to an illness. Otherwise Philadelphia have looked solid so far – but Dallas remain dangerous opponents given the wealth of talent on their roster despite their recent struggles.
Seoul must learn to dominate
The team with clearly the most difficult schedule this week are Dynasty, who face New York Excelsior and London Spitfire. Seoul are currently second in the overall standings, sandwiched between Excelsior in first and Spitfire in third.
Thus far in Stage 2, Dynasty have won all but a single series with a 3-1 score line, with their only clean 4-0 win coming in their very first game of the Stage against Los Angeles Valiant.
The concern for Seoul is their inability to close out weaker teams in a more dominant fashion, even losing a map to Shanghai. Dynasty have a chance to prove the naysayers wrong this week as they look to challenge the other top tier teams. Seoul appear to at least be the favourites against London, especially given Spitfire’s loss to Gladiators last week, with each series being an absolute must-watch.
Questions for Valiant
Previously one of the more consistent teams in the league, Los Angeles Valiant will look to return to form after a polarising Week 3.
A shutout loss to Los Angeles Gladiators was immediately followed by a 4-0 sweep of a top five team in Houston Outlaws. Those results leave many questioning just how good the Valiant are.
This week poses an interesting challenge for Valiant, with Florida and Boston on the slate. Boston Uprising are a consistent middle of the pack team similar to Philadelphia; crushing those below them while getting swept away by those above them.
Boston appear to be a perfect benchmark to judge if Valiant have dropped off at all, while a match against a Florida team fresh off their best week leaves a slightly higher chance of an upset than previously thought.
Valiant are still expected to complete a 2-0 week but this is a crucial period for them in terms of the overall standings as they look to break through into the top three.
