Overwatch pros love to slam this OWL team
Sometimes, some teams deserve a verbal telling-off - whether for playing up to the heel role or overstepping some line of sportsmanship. Other times, and for inexplicable reasons, an organisation gets it seemingly for no other reasons than the grave offence of existing.
One of the latter cases recently happened in the Overwatch League, with its professional players having taken a particular liking to beat on the Los Angeles Gladiators. It's a team that's doing reasonably well with a second-place finish at Pro-Am and a 5-3 season score, but what gives?
A respectable season start
The Los Angeles Gladiators are one of the founding franchises of the Overwatch League, which especially in recent years, has become one of the strongest competitors. The Gladiator have won two stage titles, including the global trophy at the Midseason Madness 2022.
During season 6 of the Overwatch League, the team has enjoyed moderate success and beaten the odd top team in 2023 - including the Florida Mayhem, who they currently have a score of 2-2 against, and the Houston Outlaws who they won against in the Pro-Am but lost to during the regular season.
Bad beats other than against the Washington Justice at the end of the qualifying stage have largely been avoided as all three of their losses came against respectable opponents, namely the Boston Uprising, Atlanta Reign, and Houston Outlaws.
Everyone sh*ttalks the Gladiators
It's even more confusing and hilarious that both players from the Florida Mayhem and the Houston Outlaws have thrown some shade the Gladiator's way.
The first who wanted to get one in was Park "Viol2t" Min-ki, who during an interview with GGRecon stated, "I'm sad we lost to the Gladiators." When asked for clarification if it was because his team was so better, the South Korean flex support started laughing without even waiting for the translation, answering "Yeah, yeah, yeah."
It bears pointing out that the score between the Gladiators and the Outlaws in 2023 sits at an even 1-1 score. In a similar vein, during an interview with GGRecon Florida Mayhem's tank Ham "SOMEONE" Jeong-wan stated confidently: "I don't think Gladiators are a difficult opponent for us."
Once again, the score between those teams in this calendar year is sitting at an even 2-2. Given the repeated jabs thrown the Gladiators' way, it looks like they've been designated to be the gatekeepers of what a good team is in the Overwatch League, as determined by its pro players.
The Gladiators have narrowly missed qualification for the Midseason Madness in a last-chance nailbiter against the Florida Mayhem, which came down to the wire. The next appearance for the team will be at an undisclosed date during the second half of the Overwatch League regular season.
The Los Angeles Gladiators are an Overwatch League franchise of the parent organisation The Guard, which is owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), which had undergone significant layoffs across the company. Its Overwatch League team had been one of the remaining three teams, among the Call of Duty and VALORANT rosters.