Roots Of Overwatch: Viol2t's Chase For The Title

Our roots are what ground us. Our roots are our start and the road to our end. Ahead of the 2023 Overwatch League season, we're diving into the roots of Overwatch, examining some of its narratives, and how they're manifesting now. 

Being crowned as the "greatest of all time" is impossibly difficult. Knowing that no one before and very likely after you will accomplish what you've done is unfathomable. Yet, after being one map away from earning a third ring, Park "Viol2t" Min-ki's seat at that legendary table is absolute.

From rising as a promising rookie to four years of assisting in creating the Overwatch League's finest dynasty with the San Francisco Shock, now Viol2t aims to remove any doubt from his candidacy.

Can he bring the same results alongside the Houston Outlaws? Will his experience help net this flourishing franchise its first taste of glory? 

Does a third star beside his name place Viol2t as Overwatch's greatest of all time?

Through the debates of eras and the natural evolution of any given sport, there are those that persist. Those whose histories transcend time and arcs. Those who sit at the heart of their given competitive field. 

And like an artery of success through the body that is Overwatch, Viol2t has put up a bulletproof case as to why that age-old question should be simple. 

"Greatness" is an attribute people can wield, but to channel it consistently is superhuman. 

And for upwards of seven years, Viol2t has put Marvel and D.C to task.

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Since his debut Viol2t has proven time and time again that his name should be remembered.

While the O2 Blast moniker now is synonymous with amateur accomplishment, that was not always the case. 

Originally they were a fledgling team looking for their berth into OGN's APEX tournament. It was only after a merger between O2 Blast and Ardeont that this Contenders dynasty took flight. 

Adopting the name O2 Ardeont, 2018 would not only mark the team's initial ascent but it would also green-light Viol2t's mainstage debut. 

However, there was one problem.

Overwatch Contenders Korea was supposed to be a foregone conclusion.

With icons of the game, Lunatic-Hai, leaving to join the Overwatch League, Element Mystic were supposed to fill that power vacuum. 

After narrowly making the playoffs, Viol2t would make his presence known. In a field full of fans cheering for his demise, O2 Ardeont shocked Element Mystic in a historic and memorable reverse sweep. 

Propelled with this tailwind, Viol2t quickly found himself enmeshed in his first of many grand finals. 

X6-Gaming would stand across from him and eventually they would stand tall, sweeping Viol2t and O2 Ardeont. However silver would not be a colour Viol2t would become accustomed to. 

After a disappointing finish in the following Contenders' season, Viol2t would receive his promotion to a certain Bay Area team longing for reinvention.

The Overwatch League's sophomore album is widely considered to house the best competition in modern Overwatch history. Two front-running teams duel across the year, a metagame nearly upheaved, and the formation of an era-defining team. 

2019 had it all.

Like an accidental architect, Viol2t was at the heart of it all.

It wouldn't take long for fans and experts alike to both agree that Viol2t's San Francisco Shock and the Vancouver Titans were destined for finals glory.

The subsequent stage finals for both teams only cemented that as fact. 

Yet, it would not be Viol2t who would earn first blood. 

With their smiles wiped from their faces, he and the San Francisco Shock slowly watched as their Stage 1 dream faded away.

That disappointment, however, would be short-lived as Viol2t and the Shock would etch themselves into the history books.

Colloquially referred to as "the golden stage", Viol2t and San Francisco would qualify for the Stage 2 playoffs undefeated, without dropping a map. There it only seemed right for the Shock to answer a title, with a title. 

The trilogy would have to wait for the season playoffs.

After being stunned by the Atlanta Reign, the Shock were spotless on their 2019 playoffs run. Viol2t and co. waltzed to the grand final to finish their fated finale against the Titans. 

Claiming the championship would be one thing, but to emphatically place their stamp on the season by sweeping their year-long rivals? 

That would legendary.

This championship fueled the next as the Shock defied the odds and marched into Overwatch League's third instalment prepared for defence. Facing the Seoul Dynasty in the finals, Viol2t embodied what it meant to be a bloodthirsty support.

Firmly in the driver's seat, Viol2t's aggression and playing-making prowess during the 2020 Overwatch League grand finals were on full display and helped to keep the championship in the Bay Area. 

Not only did this make Viol2t and the Shock the only two-time Overwatch League champions, but this marked only the second time one team had won repeat major titles. 

2021 would see Viol2t and the Shock lose steam. After a disappointing regular season, they managed to battle back to a fourth-place finish during the season playoffs. 

The year that followed saw the Shock receive a much-needed talent injection, but gold eluded them all year long.

And after countless stage titles, two championships, and a near miss at the 2022 Overwatch League grand finals, Viol2t has his eyes set for "greener" pastures.

Overwatch League commentator Mitch "Uber" Leslie has referred to Viol2t as "the daredevil" of the League. 

Now, what's more death-defying than launching yourself out of the most winningest franchise in Overwatch history to a team that has won a dry nothing at all.

The Houston Outlaws are one of the most popular franchises in the Overwatch League and their 2023 bid could easily be argued to be their strongest roster yet. And with Viol2t in their midst, championship glory could shift hands in the Lone Star State. 

They say Rome wasn't built in a day. 

Neither is a legendary resume. 

With the quiet determination and patience of a stone mason, Viol2t has been constructing a spiral staircase to the stars. 

Now it's time to sit among them.

Equipped with a track record of accepting challenges and leaving a checked list, it is now time for Viol2t to face his greatest task.

Can this year mark Viol2t's third and final? 

Would three championships make his case for being the greatest of all time inarguable?

And would that victory be even more sweet knowing he's done it away from the dynasty he helped craft?

Because it's not a world "title" that has eluded him.

It's the "title" of greatest to ever do it that Viol2t is chasing.