Boston Uprising remains bullish on Overwatch esports, says General Manager
In a climate of uncertainty surrounding the Overwatch League's future, Boston Uprising has made a bullish move by extending the contracts of their star players Jang "Decay" Guiwoon and Yoo "smurf" Myeong-hwan.
The team announced that it had let go of five of its players, with Lee "LeeJaeGon" Jae-gon, Kim "IZaYaKI" Min-chul, Shin "Kalios" Wooyul, Kim "birdring" Ji-hyeok, and Lee "Twilight" Joo-seok all being shown the door. Head Coach Sim "Mobydik" Seung-bo will also remain on the team.
Assistant General Manager Han "Sup7eme" Seung-jun, Player Manager Haeni "Haeni" Kim, and Assistant Coach Park "KariV" Young-seo have also parted ways with the organisation.
In a statement to their fans, the Uprising left the door open for some of their prior members to return once more information about the future of Overwatch esports has been shared.
Sobering cuts are still a vote of confidence
"It's seen as a risk by some to keep players through the off-season, but for us it's a calculated one, and one we hope signals to fans how serious we are about remaining in competitive Overwatch,” said General Manager Aaron "PRE" Heckman in a statement to GGRecon.
The October 8 closure of the Overwatch League's options window set franchises into a decision-making whirlwind. Their choices on player retention for a potential new season were made without a clear roadmap, as the league's new operating agreement remains under wraps.
With the vote for the future of the Overwatch League still pending, teams like the Shanghai Dragons, Houston Outlaws, and Vegas Eternal had announced the departure of their entire player roster.
Tough choices
Click to enlargeThe Uprising had constructed a highly decorated roster for season 6, counting six Overwatch League champions amongst their ranks, ultimately finishing the season in fourth place, the highest finish in franchise history.
Therefore, the choice of which players and personnel to retain was challenging. "Smurf and Decay are irreplaceable talents that we are thrilled to have sticking with the Uprising heading into an optimistic, if uncertain future," Heckman commented.
"There is no world in which they will not be assets to the team, and with these players at our core we know we can build back stronger after the best Uprising season ever."
With October 15 marked as the end-of-season date, more official departures from other Overwatch League franchises may be expected.
