The Potential Two-Timers
In 2020, the overall level of competition in the Overwatch League was elevated to the next level. Insanely talented prodigies from Contenders were now old enough to be signed onto teams, organisations hired coaches and staffs that had clear visions and goals to shape their rosters with, and the fluctuation and uncertainty of hero pools made it so that every team had the potential to compete with a playstyle they were comfortable with.
This season was the closest the competition had ever gotten, and those who were once surefire standing toppers in the previous years were relegated to the midtable or bottom of the league. The power was flipped into the hands of teams starved for success and recognition, the one’s who were always acknowledged of having the talent to stand above the rest, but who never found the keys to unlock that potential.
This year’s Grand Finals weekend will play host to four teams, three of which who, in 2019, didn’t place above 8th in the regular season, and two who didn’t even get the chance to even play in the playoffs. For three of the four teams present, it’s been a massive turn around in their prospects, a reward for their dedication to making the right changes to their rosters before the season started.
But of course, for one of those teams, it feels like they were guaranteed to be in the final weekend, even before the season started. For the San Francisco Shock, they have remained as dominant as ever, even in a year where it had seemed the competition had caught up. Time and time again, they have proven that they’re more than capable of being the best team in the world, and coming into the Grand Finals weekend, it looks to be no different. They have a few admittedly tough challengers coming for the throne, but there are reasons why the Shock continue to be the favourites for many in the fight to keep hold of their championship title.
FIREPOWER THROUGH THE ROOF
A team worthy of getting to the grand finals needs some of the best players in the league to get there. The Shock hold five Role Stars from 2019 and 2020, not including being the former home of 2019 MVP and Role Star Jay "sinatraa" Won. In fact, if nothing else proves San Francisco’s confidence in their talent, when Sinatraa, one of the most popular and gifted players in entire esport, starting losing interested and passion for the game the Shock had no qualms with letting one of their best players retire. In an interview Duncan “Thorin” Shields, Shock owner Andy Miller even shares that head coach Dae-hee "Crusty" Park, assured him they didn’t need Sinatraa at all in the long run.
Moreover, on top of the champions already working towards a second title, San Francisco’s introduction of only two players, have given them a seemingly automatic overnight once they were brought on. Rookie Seonchang "ANS" Lee and former rival Joo-seok "Twilight" Lee of the Vancouver Titans, have given the Shock the ability to completely cover any perceivable form of playstyle and identity in Overwatch at the moment. Their roster is perhaps the most flexible in the league, and on top of the strong and dedicated coaching, make them deadly in any meta.
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Their damage lineup consists of some of the best in the world on multiple heroes. ANS’s absolute oppression on hitscan allowed the Shock to not only field him in most situations requiring any hitscan hero, but it also allowed Nam-joo "Striker" Kwon, to focus on the heroes he plays best, becoming even better at them than he was before. Paired alongside with Dong-jun "Rascal" Kim whenever a non-hitscan hero is required, and the Shock’s DPS line remains almost unbeatable in most cases. Their most recent addition, Sean Taiyo "ta1yo" Henderson still remains primarily unproven, but giving Crusty’s track record of churning out superstars, ta1yo could seriously be a threat in the upcoming matches.
Twilight’s addition is a similar case to ANS. The Shock essentially has the two best flex supports in the world sitting on rotation, ready to fight a moment’s notice. It allows Grant "moth" Espe and Minki "Viol2t" Park to focus on their best heroes and still gives the team the ability to run a double flex support backline that plays at the highest level. Long are the days of subbing in Minho "Architect" Park to play Ana because Viol2t’s isn’t up to snuff, the Shock can run any support duo they need with Twilight on the roster.
All of this is already on top of the monstrous talent on the tank line, who seemingly can cover any frontline their team requires. Matthew "super" DeLisi’s main job is maintaining the best Reinhardt play in the league. At the same time, his partner Myeong-hwan "smurf" Yoo, can cover the team’s necessities on Winston and Orisa, all while still being arguably the best player on those heroes. Of course, 2019 Grand Finals MVP Hyo-bin "ChoiHyoBin" Choi is still in his top form on any of the off-tank heroes that happen to dominate the meta.
Shock’s roster and bench is grossly overpopulated with some of the best players in the world. Of course, the reality is that this talent is unproven against what APAC’s best has to offer, but it’d be safe to bet that the Shock will be more than okay in the head to head matchup.
IT STARTS WITH THE CULTURE
A small peek into the Shock’s inner workings, but a peek, nonetheless. What keeps the Shock on top of the rest of the Overwatch League? It’s the team culture. The Shock signed prominent EU Contenders and former Atlanta Reign coach Cas "Casores" van Andel only less than a month ago, and while he hasn’t spent too much time with the team as opposed to the rest of the staff, but he shared with GGRecon his perspective on the uniqueness of the team’s inner workings.
"I'd say the Shock has a very initiative centred system. There are day to day tasks for each of the staff, and then every staff member brings in their own value and gives feedback on where they think the team can improve.”
Casores paints the Shock as a team full of nothing but high achievers and go-getters. It starts with the culture, and it starts with the attitude of all the players and coaches. They’re dedicated to winning and are doing so in a way that makes everyone work not only for themselves but for each other.
I think what sets the Shock apart from other teams is their atmosphere. In a lot of teams, people just practice and then after practice they're done, and they go home. But I feel the atmosphere on the Shock has every player striving to be better for their teammates.
“The thing that's stood out for me the most has been how everyone is always trying very hard against every team. even if we're winning every map the scrim is still treating with respect and the whole team is talking strategy."
The Shock are the defending champions for a reason, and unlike the London Spitfire in 2019, actually have the opportunity and mentality to become the first repeat champions of the Overwatch League. It almost felt like a certainty that they would be in the finals as the best team from North America, and they still hold that immense capability for their dream to become a reality.
Images via Blizzard Entertainment
