Week 4 of the final stage of the opening season of Overwatch League is a make-or-break moment for most teams as both the overall league and stage standings are beginning to take shape.
With just two weeks remaining in the regular season there are still eight teams fighting for six places in the Championship Playoffs in July. Currently on the outside looking in, the Philadelphia Fusion and Houston Outlaws know there is little margin for error while the overall sixth-placed Los Angeles Gladiators are the side most under threat.
Fuel peaking at the right time
Despite all of this, one of the biggest surprises thus far in Stage 4 has been the rapid ascension of the Dallas Fuel after initial concerns that they could be one of the worst teams in the League.
Dallas appeared completely dysfunctional after Stage 3, with star player EFFECT taking a break from the team for an unspecified period of time. However, Dallas have flourished with their reduced roster size, maintaining a consistent line-up and yielding an incredible 4-2 record thus far.
Multiple players have outperformed their previous showings, with Mickie in particular standing out. With his incredible play on Brigitte, complimented by the flexibility of teammate Seagull, Mickie has emerged as one of the breakout players of Stage 4.
Dallas’ schedule for Week 4 contains the Houston Outlaws and Florida Mayhem, with the Fuel looking to break into a Stage 4 playoff spot. As a result, the Outlaws may not get the win they desperately need to move closer to the Championship Playoffs.
Gladiators have questions to answer
Meanwhile, the faltering Los Angeles Gladiators are looking to re-establish themselves after a mediocre Week 3. The Gladiators were flying high, appearing to be one of the top two teams in the stage alongside the New York Excelsior, but the Los Angeles Valiant asserted themselves at the top with victories over both the Gladiators and Excelsior. The Gladiators then limped to victory over the Philadelphia Fusion, who were without Eqo, to salvage a 1-1 week.
The Gladiators are in an odd position as they do look incredibly dominant at times, but with the continued advancement in play from the likes of San Francisco and Dallas, all of a sudden their Stage 4 playoff spot appears less secure. This is a difficult week for the Gladiators too, with both the New York Excelsior and the London Spitfire on the slate, with each looking to rebound after disappointing ends to their Week 3. This means there is a chance the Outlaws and Fusion could sneak past them in the overall race for the playoffs.
Dragons still looking for victory
The Shanghai Dragons have their best opportunity yet to claim their first ever victory, with the Florida Mayhem and the Boston Uprising due up.
Florida and Boston are the two other teams yet to achieve a victory this stage, giving Shanghai hope that their improved play can finally yield a win. In particular, Shanghai looked significantly better against the Houston Outlaws in Week 3, with Diya by most accounts being the best player on either team throughout the series.
Boston appear to be at their weakest point ever, alongside a continually bottom tier Florida, with Shanghai going all in this week to finally break through.
Shock have tough eek
San Francisco Shock are looking to maintain their place in the Stage 4 playoffs with matches against the Philadelphia Fusion and New York Excelsior.
Shock have continued to impress during this stage, primarily based off their young core that has continued improving with each week. A surprising addition to the fray has been babybay, who has brought out his patented aggressive play style to decent success.
The only issue with San Francisco has been their tendency to get caught out of position at times, especially coming from their Support. However, they continue to pile up the victories, with a 2-0 success last week that saw them 3-1 both the ever-improving Dallas Fuel and the desperate-for-a-win Boston Uprising. The latter was also a rivalry match for the Shock’s coaching staff, with Crusty squaring off against his former team for the first time since his exit at the conclusion of Stage 3.
Given New York faltering at the hands of Valiant, San Francisco’s match-up with the Excelsior is a chance for them to pull into a tie with the New Yorkers in terms of Win/Loss and strengthen their Stage 4 playoff hold. Meanwhile, the Fusion need the win for their Championship Playoff hopes and there’s no guarantee they’ll get it.
Conclusion
The Los Angeles Gladiators will be the ones to watch this week as they currently hold the final overall playoff place ahead of the Philadelphia Fusion and the Houston Outlaws. With Week 5 match-ups against Shanghai and Seoul there is some margin for error but wins over either New York or London would settle some nerves.
