Can sHockWave Sail Paper Boats?
A touching pastime to face the rain or the budding of an aspirational flower, sailing paper boats is childish fun. The process of sitting with a loved one, folding construction paper, racing outside to that one puddle that consistently persists there after a storm, placing it down and just waiting.
Watching, as you step away cautiously, as it sails its unknowable voyage. Niclas "sHockWave" Jensen finds himself in a similar situation. After a year reluctantly deferred, he now finds himself stepping away from his own paper boats as it sails into the unknown waters of Overwatch 2. What does his return mean for the Vancouver Titans? Can he survive his spectre? And what peace can we find in his story?
sHockWave was set to become a star
Nothing should change that projection.
The fact of the matter is, sHockWave had one of the best debuts in the Overwatch League when you look at the facts. After roster turmoil meant the Vancouver Titans were without their title-contending roster at the outset of 2020, forcing the team to make emergency acquisitions without much in the way of time. This ultimately led to the team finishing 17th overall with a 6-15 record. Just for context, this was the same organisation that was competing for and winning stage titles just one year prior. Not to mention the team that waltzed through the upper bracket of the playoffs only to lose to the eventual champions and rivals, the San Francisco Shock. This was set to be an incredible team. Now? They were effectively a bye-week and thus completely exempt from blame.
If anything, it was a valiant attempt all things considered. However, there was one positive that came out of it all.
Enter sHockWave
Out of the wreckage that was the 2020 Vancouver Titans, sHockWave was their saving grace. The community got behind him as an underdog threat in the west and someone that was destined for big things. And when you look at his statistics, with the grace of circumstance, you can’t say they were wrong. Take his Ashe for instance. Per the official Overwatch League Stats Lab, out of 24 ranked players, sHockWave ranked 15th in final blows per ten minutes, 10th in eliminations per ten minutes, 9th in hero damage done per ten minutes and was tied for 7th in solo kills per ten minutes. However, cutting through those unreal statistics, sHockWave also had the highest deaths per ten minutes.
While somewhat impressive, it was his Echo that electified. Per the official Overwatch League Stats Lab, out of 11 ranked players, sHockWave ranked 4th in final blows per ten minutes, 4th in eliminations per ten minutes, and led the league in hero damage done and solo kills. Let that sink in for a moment. A rookie, on a team that would go on to place 17th with a negative record, was leading the league in not one—but two impressive metrics. He also led the league with the most deaths on Echo per ten minutes. Again, that’s a symptom of the team's overall performance and has less to do with him than the circumstance overall.
This Simply Doesn’t Happen
These are the familiar ripples to someone like Kim "Fleta" Byung-sun or Lee "Fearless" Eui-Seok. Players locked behind underperforming teams waiting to spread their wings. Not for a freshman, straight out of the amateur division. With one impressive season in the books, sHockWave now has to push on from these performances.
Click to enlargeBeing in the league for two years with nearly nothing to show for it, one of which he rarely saw stage time, is not an easy voyage to trek. Not that any of that is his fault, but it is the reality of his situation. His entire career within the Overwatch League has been a macabre matter of circumstance. Finally get your call to the big leagues? It’s handicapped by internal struggles and is cobbled together hastily. Sophomore year can’t be so bad, look we are with the Philadelphia Fusion, right? Wrong, a lingering global pandemic sinks his hopes with logistical headwinds.
2022 is the year that sHockWave it put to the task; can he realise his potential? Can he recreate the magic we caught a mere glimpse of in 2020? This year is massive for sHockWave, and the pressure is on because behind him is a team in dire need of success.
What Does This Mean For The Vancouver Titans?
Since their attempt to regroup early in 2020, the Vancouver Titans have desperately needed a centrepiece for the organization. And after sHockWave’s impressive showcase under non-ideal circumstances, he seemed to be that player. Despite the hardships, he was the ray of light that broke through. Players don’t perform that well in Overwatch on a team that performing poorly, sHockWave did so on a team that was thrown together at the last minute. Having him back in the fold had to be a sign of strength, not just for the team but his stock as a star, something that perhaps we’re not even fully aware of yet.
In an interview with Titans head coach, Steven "Flubby" Coronel, that very fact was hinted at. When he was asked about sHockWave’s return, two things were apparent. First, his positive energy was something the staff was excited to have back. “[I’m] excited to see him. He was also so funny,” Flubby said. “I think I’ve said it before but he’s such a bright spot on a team and that is something that is a really redeeming quality in anyone and I’m excited to have that return. [...]” And second was on his improvements.
While sHockWave was effectively absent during the 2021 Overwatch League season, that didn’t mean he wasn’t honing his craft, continuing to grind, and setting himself up for success. Flubby made sure to point out that he thought sHockWave had seen some significant growth in his time away from the stage. Having that kind of rookie debut, something so promising, having to vault pandemic-shaped hurdles, and to return improved? If that isn’t special, we’re not sure what is.
And when you look at their roster overall, this isn’t just a team that is going to flounder. Names with experience, strong rookies, even those with similar stories stand next to him. Players Petja "Masaa" Kantanen, Maximilian "Seicoe" Otter, and Kantanen Luka "Aspire" Rolovic round out a fairly impressive rebuild for the 2022 Titans as they head into Overwatch 2. With a fairly wide roster, packed with redundancies, sHockWave is the focal point, the north star, that brings this merry crew together into a team that, on paper, can compete for an edge case playoff berth. That kind of a story, that defiance is not only inspiring in its own ways, but it is something everyone can relate to and find peace in.
His return in the face of the rain, his ability to push through something that could have easily ended his career, that only serves sHockWave’s growing narrative as a potential star for the western audience to latch onto. And with a new title coming in, this fresh spring air should be a welcomed sight.
In life, turbulent waters are inevitable, even the ones that threaten to capsize our own ships, but much like sHockWave’s return to the biggest stage in Overwatch, we continue moving. Sometimes forward or side-to-side, but we move regardless. Whether you’re running on passion, stubborn grit, or something more, sHockWave’s story shows us that stagnation can be avoided. And come May 5, the world will see his work laid bare as he and the Vancouver Titans set sail.
Because sHockWave is done with paper boats.
Paper boats like wishing he could set sail.
Paper boats like wondering if he’ll soak up and drown.
Paper boats like waiting to make waves.
Unleashed, sHockWave isn’t forced to sit at the dock, listless anymore. 2022 is the year he gets to prove to the world that he didn’t miss out last season.
They did.
Could sHockWave be the first big star of Overwatch 2? Could you? If you think so, it's probably worth getting involved in the Overwatch 2 beta.