Will The Dragons Claim Their Rightful Throne?
After months of watching teams develop their playstyles, adapt to various metas, and fine-tune their roster, the Overwatch League is only a few series away from crowning the Season 3 Grand Champions. An argument could be made for any one of the four finalists to take it all, but for the Shanghai Dragons, it is their trophy to lose. It has been a spectacular run for the Dragons with only two regular-season losses, and two midseason tournament wins. They have put together an exceptional roster, Role-stars in every role, and this championship would be the ultimate culmination of the work they've put in.
Homefield Advantage
In a competition where the smallest advantage will be taken, the Dragons don't have to worry about any of the travel issues that came up with this year's finals. They've been able to use the extra time to practice and have been able to do it all from where they've been training for months. While the San Francisco Shock and Philadelphia Fusion shouldn't be discounted simply for having to travel, it provides an edge in matches that look too close to call on paper. With the star-studded rosters that opponents boast, the extra time to practice could help the Dragons establish their playstyle and hone in on any meta variance that could see them struggle to make a Grand Finals run.
Every aspect of this favours the Dragons over the two other favourites for the tournament in the San Francisco Shock and Philadelphia Fusion. Extra practice time, sleep schedules, and being comfortable in their practice environment all tilt towards Shanghai.
Experience
The Dragons have no shortage of experience in intense matches this year as they made it to all three of the midseason tournaments. The Shock and Fusion made deep runs as well, but neither made it to all three. The Shock, of course, have experience dating back to last season as well, but the fact that this Dragons roster has been competing in high leverage situations shouldn't be overlooked. When $1.5 million is on the line for the winner, it is going to be crucial for players to keep their cool, not panic, and execute the same way they have all season long.
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If selection to the Role Stars or being selected as MVP is a good way to judge players, the Dragons should come in and easily take the trophy. They had five players selected to Role Stars while featuring players in all three roles, and ByungSun "Fleta" Kim was named the Overwatch League MVP. It would be hard to take the Dragons in any given role and compare them to an opponent and argue that the Dragons were clearly worse at that position group. They showed they were a well-rounded team as they were able to perform so well throughout the season through both different hero pools and new metas.
This meta immunity is going to be a massive factor heading into the Grand Finals. If you have a Role Star on a hero, but only on that one hero, it won't be a great benefit if the meta simply suits the other team in a way that renders the hero useless. But for the Shanghai Dragons, they look suited for any form of meta that is established in this bracket. Along with that, no matter the meta, if the Dragons are outclassing their opponents in the meta and their opponent tries to counter pick them, the Dragons are suited to do the same.
Their versatility without needing substitutes provides for in-match adaptation that other teams don't have the luxury of. For example, the San Francisco Shock are inarguably a great team with lots of depth on the bench. But when Matthew "Super" DeLisi comes in for Myeong-Hwan "smurf" Yoo, it is typically a sign that the Shock are going to run Reinhardt over Winston. The Dragons capability to put together such a vast array of compositions without needing to make substitutions should serve them well if they need to flip a switch in the middle of a map.
Everything is lining up for the Dragons to complete one of the greatest redemption arcs in the history of esports. They have the talent, they have the time to master a new meta, and they certainly have the fan support. It is going to be a wild weekend, but the Dragons have an excellent chance at claiming the trophy and beginning a legacy of champions. They came so close to a perfect season, and their record is a perfect representation of the work that this franchise has put in. The entirety of the league was excited to see the Dragons upset the Shock in the Stage 3 Finals last season, but it only began there. They knew they needed more and went and acquired top talent like Fleta. From the front office, to executing in two midseason tournaments, this Dragons team controls their own destiny.
It is their final to win. It is also their final to lose.
Images via OWL