Three players who could change the Overwatch League playoffs
The Overwatch League playoffs are just around the corner, and every team has been given a chance to prove themselves in the postseason. Although every team will have the opportunity to make a deep run, there are a few key players who could be the decisive factors in their team's chances at a championship. The entire season has led to this point, and these players could provide some moments to remember in their hunt for postseason glory.
Carpe
The star DPS player for the Philadelphia Fusion, JaeHyeok "Carpe" Lee, has recently been a key talking point for fans of the league. There has been a lot of discussion about Carpe having a down season. Remember that he has still been nominated for being the MVP of the entire league despite not performing at his peak through the whole year. When he has his moments, it lights up the entire server. The Fusion have been experimenting with different roster looks lately, including their 2-4 loss to the San Francisco Shock in the Countdown Cup finals where Carpe didn't play a single map.
After another heartbreaking defeat in a deep tournament run, the Fusion put their star DPS back in for their next match against the Shock. It was only six days after their tournament defeat, but Carpe played two of the three maps in their sweep over San Francisco. It was through the framework of a new hero pool, but the result was impressive nonetheless. The Fusion could still use their roster flexibility as a tool in their playoff run, but Carpe is a decisive, influential player when playing on any bad day. He is a superstar when he is playing on a good day. If the Fusion wants to mix up their DPS line to take advantage of matchups, it could increase their chances of winning, but Carpe's impact on the maps he does play could be crucial for carrying the Fusion to their first major tournament win.
Fielder
The Paris Eternal support has won over the hearts of fans across the entire league with his superstar play throughout this season. Although many players had fantastic seasons, the main reason Kwon "Fielder" Jun has become so popular is that his fantastic season came about while playing on extremely high ping, and living in a quite inconvenient time zone difference. Although the Eternal have not been discussed as favourites for being Grand Finalists, few people doubt they have the potential. They have proven themselves through a semifinalist finish in the recent Countdown Cup, and being the victors of the Summer Showdown. If the Eternal can put a strong showing in the North America playoffs and secure their trip to Asia, the Grand Finals bracket could open up an entirely new conversation about the hype around Fielder.
Allowing an All-Star to finally play on low ping and on a normal time zone schedule, his exceptional play could take a step to the next level. The Grand Finals bracket is a double-elimination format this season, meaning Fielder would have even more matches to influence the game. Especially with the uncertainty surrounding the meta with the new balance patch coming through, the Eternal shouldn't be counted out as contending with the likes of the San Francisco Shock and Shanghai Dragons. The Eternal are loaded with All-Star level players this season, and Fielder's abilities could be enough to give them a shot at the Grand Finals.
Click to enlargeLibero
The New York Excelsior. Always so good, but never good enough. A seventh-place finish is nothing to scoff at, and neither is their 16-8 record. But it is the fact that the level of play has been inconsistent, and that the standard for this team is to be at the top of the league that has fans concerned. They have had impressive results, like a 3-2 victory in the Countdown Cup over the Guangzhou Charge, who many have tagged as favourites to compete for one of the top two spots in the Asia bracket only to be followed by losing the next week to the Seoul Dynasty in a 0-3 sweep.
The DPS line has been under the spotlight from fans as the reason for this inconsistency all season long. Haeseong "Libero" Kim has been the only DPS player to play the last six maps for the NYXL. Meanwhile, Hyojong "Haksal" Kim, Yeon-Gwan "Nenne" Jeong, and Jong-Ryeol "Sabyeolbe" Park have all split time next to him. Although there has been debate as to whether any of these players are All-Star level players, the fact is that to win a championship, the NYXL need some of them to step up.
If Libero is going to be the mainstay in the lineup with others flexing around him based on matchups, he will be the key to the NYXL meeting the expectations they have for themselves. If the DPS play is going to be the deciding factor in how the upcoming postseason plays out, Libero consistently playing at his ceiling will be necessary as they will have to play the likes of the Charge and the Dragons in the Asia bracket, while still worrying about the upset potential from teams like the Hunters and the Spark.
