Three Players Looking To Make A Statement In The OWL Playoffs
It's the best time of year for fans all across the world - the Overwatch League playoffs. While fans look forward to the matchups for the high-stakes nature of the playoffs, players will have more than prize money on the line. With this season's playoff structure allowing every team a spot in the playoffs, many players will have one final chance to prove themselves to their teams and others around the league as franchises will be looking to make changes in the offseason to improve their chances next year. These three players all could benefit greatly from a strong postseason performance, proving to everyone they can compete at the highest level.
Stitch
Chunghee "Stitch" Lee was one of the key players in the Vancouver Titan's dominant season last year, and expectations were high for him once he joined the Washington Justice. HyunWoo "Jjanu" Choi was another marquee signing for the team, yet they failed to make much of an impact throughout the year. The franchise struggled to a 4-17 record, and a 19th place finish in the league, but the playoffs offer the team a chance at redemption. The Justice made another massive signing with Gui-woon "Decay" Jang coming in. Decay is one of the most dominant players in the league, and as shown in their 3-0 win over the Vancouver Titans in the first round of the playoffs, this roster has potential. The addition of Decay likely won't make this a championship team heading into next season, but one keystone is already there.
This postseason is the chance for Stitch to establish himself as another crucial piece alongside Decay after Stitch's regular season performance wasn't spectacular. Although the Titans aren't the toughest matchup, the Dallas Fuel provides another winnable matchup for the Justice. Stitch's impact in the series against Fuel could create some waves for how good he can be when there are some other good players around him like when he was on the dominant Season 2 Titans roster.
Note
It is well known that the Fuel have some of the highest expectations set by their fanbase, but the franchise has yet to deliver great results throughout the three seasons of Overwatch League. The Fuel finished below the midpoint of the league table at season's end, and with the loss of star player Decay, there has been speculation about a complete roster overhaul heading into next season. Lucas "Note" Meissner has been an impact player for the Fuel though, even if it hasn't been enough to carry the Fuel to a .500 winning percentage.
The Fuel aren't far away from competing for a spot in the top half of the league as they finished the season with a -7 map differential. Note's performance in the playoffs could add a difficult dimension to the Fuel's rebuild as they decide to keep a few pieces from this roster that led the franchise to it's best season yet or entirely restructure. Even if Note ends up leaving the Fuel, his postseason performance could be an opportunity to prove to the rest of the league he is still a top off-tank.
Click to enlargeFusions
The Uprising were the ridicule of the league for much of the season, but after a 3-1 win over the Houston Outlaws in the first round of the playoffs, there are many questions around this roster. Although the Uprising have found a few solid players in Sang-min "Myunbong" Seo and TaeHee "Jerry" Min, a 2-19 record isn't acceptable. If the franchise wants to turn around their fortunes, there are going to be some big changes this offseason. Cameron "Fusions" Bosworth has been a popular figure since his entrance to the league and quality main tanks are hard to find these days.
One victory over the Outlaws isn't enough to justify the Uprising sticking with this same roster next year. Still, they will have to make some tough decisions, especially involving Fusions' leadership qualities over his level of play. In the victory over Houston, Fusions played on Roadhog, and might establish himself as more versatile than previously thought. The Atlanta Reign will prove to be a tough contest for Boston, but Fusions has a chance to prove his value to Boston's rebuild beyond his already well-known leadership.
Images via Overwatch League
