The Captain Of Hope

To say Park "Saebyeolbe" Jong-ryeol is familiar with success is an understatement. In a litany of ways, he is the last of a dying breed, someone whose career sits flush with the seams of Overwatch’s competitive quilt. After rising like a storm alongside LuxuryWatch Blue during OGN’s Overwatch APEX, after becoming the de facto leader for the New York Excelsior through their Overwatch League splendour, Saebyeolbe has returned home to Seoul, South Korea to join the ranks of the Seoul Dynasty for the 2021 Overwatch League season.

This month marks four years since he and LuxuryWatch Red hoisted the IEM Gyeonggi trophy over legendary South Korean team Lunatic-Hai. In 2018, he and the New York Excelsior ruled over the league with an iron fist, advancing to every single stage final and capturing two for their own coffers.

To call Saebyeolbe a legend accurately touches on his stellar career and skill, but it lacks everything he has done for the game and, more importantly, his remarkable leadership. This sentiment was echoed by Park "changgoon" Chang-geun, head coach for the Seoul Dynasty. No stranger to success as well, changgoon helped to lead the 2018 London Spitfire to their inaugural season victory.

Hopeful for the future and candid in his response, he gave a thorough insight into the thought process of bringing Saebyeolbe to the Dynasty. 

“There are thee main reasons for signing [Saebyeolbe].

“First off, one of our weaknesses in the 2020 Season was that we lacked flexibility in the DPS position,” he explained. “Teams knew these limits, so we became easier for teams to plan against, especially in a longer series. With [Saebyeolbe], we are expecting to expand our diversity of DPS compositions and bring tactical flexibility to the DPS lineup.

“Second, we valued [Saebyeolbe]’s professionalism very highly. After talking to the player for a long time, we were persuaded that he had a great attitude with a clear personal goal for himself to win. As a player, his attitude toward the Overwatch League, Seoul Dynasty, and [the] fans is at an incredibly high, professional level. Not only will he add diversity to our team’s strategy, we anticipate that he will also bring positive changes to the team’s culture and mindset.

“Finally, we looked at his passion and desire. We know there’s a lot of detractors that say that his prime has passed, with little room for improvement. Our players and our staff do not believe this, and he has already begun practising to prove his value, his desire to win, and to lead the team to the top.”

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Glaring is the Overwatch League trophy hoisted up-over the heads of names and faces we’re all painfully familiar with. Saebyeolbe was once one of those faces. His stare is placed on the reflection in that title. Naysayers have written him off, as changgoon has said, but Saebyeolbe knows better than anyone in the world. He has walked the gilded path before; he has been the one to rush the stage and taste the relief of victory. Saebyeolbe has been a champion and carries within himself championship qualities. Faulting him for his exhaustive experience is woefully shortsighted, and changgoon is ready to put those arguments, in general, to rest.

This narrative that older players cannot improve is simply untrue.

“It is true that older players have to focus more on taking care of their physical [health] better, and we make sure that all our players have access to superior diet choices and personal trainers to get in better shape. More importantly, it’s about having the passion to bring to the team to want to improve, and that is the biggest reason for signing him.”

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Reflecting on the Seoul Dynasty’s 2020 season read as painful for changgoon. Surviving through a tumultuous season of ups and downs alike, we often remember the Seoul Dynasty that narrowly dodged both the May Melee title and becoming Overwatch League champions. A team that ferocious clawed at the top of the mountain, but found no footholds. 

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However, the wider picture looked bleaker than the rose-tinted memories plagued by recency. The Dynasty ended their 2020 regular season 11th in the league with a record that put them above the Atlanta Reign, but below the Hangzhou Spark. Coach changgoon wasn’t comfortable calling their efforts ones of success. Nonetheless, his tone changed once Saebyeolbe entered the discussion. 

“We showed a lot of weakness during the regular season, and one of the weaknesses was lack of DPS depth and inconsistency in that position, with many ups and downs,” he said. “Through [Saebyeolbe]’s signing, we are expecting to have flexibility in hitscan and sub-DPS, and with two of the best Tracer players in the league, fans can expect diverse, versatile DPS picks in the 2021 season and into the future.”

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When asked specifically about Saebyeolbe’s leadership and the impact that had on the Seoul Dynasty, changgoon prefaced that he and the team were quickly adapting to the changing landscape. However, it was paramount that the Seoul Dynasty had someone that could step in as a captain, a leadership figure for the team. Understanding the changing landscape and the chaos stretching from this year to the next, the Seoul Dynasty wanted to get an early start integrating the team with their new direction and preparing for the upcoming season.

“During and outside of practice, we needed a player and a leader who could help the teammates’ mentality and motivate the team,” he explained. “[Saebyeolbe] and [Jung "Anamo" Taesung] has been the captain and a sub-captain at [the New York Excelsior] for the past three years. We heard great things about them from league officials and other players. The biggest reason that led to the signing was that they not only filled a critical need on our team from a skills perspective, but we were also inspired by [Saebyeolbe] and Anamo’s consistent leadership when we talked to them.”

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Napoleon Bonaparte once said that “a leader is a dealer in hope” and that could not be more true about Saebyeolbe in his entirety. He is the voice of reason that cuts through the cheers and jeers of the crowd. He is the general that no matter the odds can find his way to the stage. He is the paragon of hope, not just for the married and the mature, but for the titleless tigers. 

The Overwatch world holds their collective breath both for the 2021 season and to see Seoul’s captain make his debut in white and gold. An era may have ended when New York parted ways with Saebyeolbe, but he very well could be forging a new, brighter future alongside the Seoul Dynasty. 

If leaders can erect homes with success in variety, then Saebyeolbe is the missing flux to forge Seoul into a dynasty.

 

Images via Blizzard Entertainment | ESL