Adventure Is Out There

Nerd post about the Overwatch League:

Day 1 showed a lot for the first 3 matches.

A big takeaway from games 1 and 2 was that a 4-0 sweep can be a lot closer than the numbers suggest, while another 4-0 doesn’t properly display the level of dominance shown.

Valiant’s match showed them come out on top over San Francisco 4-0. However, games 1-3 in that set could’ve gone either way. Both of these teams will be ones to watch for improvement and growth.

Los Angeles’ win over Shanghai was an overwhelming victory. However. By the end of the series, there was obvious learning from the side of Shanghai and adjustments being attempted. I see this as a promising sign, and personally think that they may end up being the team with the most growth over the course of this season. I don’t see them winning playoffs. But I do see them winning some tough games this year. Keep an eye on them. Gladiators, they will always look for the breakneck pace matches with an “all or nothing” style. They’ll be a fun team to watch. Though, I’ll be curious to see how they play vs a team like Valiant or Seoul, with the mix of slow and steady and fast. As well as fast mid-game learning/adjustments.

The match of the day: Dallas vs Seoul.

Dallas showed a lot of potential and the ability to play several styles to match their diverse roster. While Seoul also showed versatility, but in an interesting fashion. They opted for no subs all match, and after losing round 1, adapted, and shifted picks/strategies accordingly. Dallas will be able to make drastic changes from game to game in a series with the ability to play several styles with their roster, this will throw off several teams and be the key to a lot of wins. While Seoul showed they can adapt to a team without making any substitutes all match.

Takeaway:

1. Watch for Shanghai to either grow in major ways or tank hard.

2. Despite being taken down 4-0, expect SanFran to take series off top rank teams and be a middle/top-middle ranked team this season.

3. Teams should be worried about Seoul opting to keep their remaining dps/flex players benched. Especially with Bunny’s great preseason play. If they managed such large adaptations without swapping anyone, against such a strong opponent, many teams will likely be hard pressed to take a series off of them.