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The Overwatch League 2022 Playoffs Preview

  Published Date: October 26, 2022

With the Countdown Cup Play-ins closing, this is every part you will get enthusiastic about within the upcoming Playoffs.

The discharge of the highly-anticipated sequel has revitalized Overwatch’s esports match. Because the post-season video games got here in full swing, the skilled league occasion obtained a breath of recent air with new maps, two new heroes, and a brand new sport mode, Push. Set to achieve its peak on October 30, the Grand Finals will happen in sunny Anaheim, California, the place the $2.55 million prize pool awaits the most effective of the most effective. Eight from the west and the 4 from the east will conflict in opposition to one another within the greatest post-season Overwatch occasion — and the followers cannot wait.

The Lead-up

Countdown Cup Play-ins, With the ultimate twelve groups hitting the bottom working for Anaheim’s OWL stage, victory has by no means been nearer. This is a fast recap of what went down for many who have not been following the Countdown Cup.

Day 1

Chengdu Hunters went up in opposition to Guangzhou Cost in a good match-up that noticed quite a lot of nail-biting moments. One of the best-of-3-maps bout noticed epic highlights from Depart’s Sojourn gameplay as each groups closely contested payload targets. Guangzhou fought again with coordinated performs and refused to get swept earlier than the fourth map, however Mmonk’s spectacular sleep darts halted any momentum the enemy might’ve used for a staff kill. A strong however shut match highlighted the enhancements the Hunters wanted to adapt to attain such a lead in opposition to such a higher-ranked staff.

The second spherical of East winners had Chengdu Hunters struggle Hangzhou Spark. Pineapple and Bernar clutched out the very first spherical regardless of Jinmu’s Sombra being a serious nuisance. Ga9a had absolute management over the second map as his staff received 3 Paraiso factors with a minute to spare. The Spark was in a position to reply again with Shy’s large Sojourn performs, nonetheless, and fast wins in El Dorado secured their ascent, and saved their season alive.

Day 2

Florida Mayhem scored a straight 3-0 rating in opposition to Boston Rebellion on the second day of Play-ins. Numerous rookie expertise on either side gave approach to extraordinarily tense fights. Each groups sported the identical composition, which made the second Eichenwalde map a really shut match. All of the whereas, the Zarya meta choose flexed its energy for the second day in a row. However attempt as they may have, the ultimate Circuit Royale map could not be taken away from Mayhem.

The western area continued its infighting as Washington Justice confronted off in opposition to Toronto Defiant. Finale’s sturdy begin as Genji gave the Toronto staff sufficient of a push to take full management. Washington Justice wasn’t in a position to regain their composure for an organized response after their blunder of a primary sport as cracks fashioned on their armor. Regardless of their Offense heroes specializing in the enemy’s Baptiste to earn any late-game benefit, the #9 seed could not discover any worthwhile counter in opposition to Heesu and Chorong’s staff performs as they gave up extra maps and suffered the second clear sweep of the day.

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Credit score: Tempus Rob for Activision Blizzard

Day 3

Yesterday’s winners duked it out on the third and final day of Countdown Cup Play-ins. Using standard teamfight comps proved that Florida wasn’t one to waste any time. After their first map win, Defiant’s Heesu was an absolute asset when it got here to the Colosseo Push protection. That being mentioned, he inevitably could not do a lot alone in opposition to their opponent’s positioning and higher AOE heroes. By means of constant playmaking and sheer grit, Mayhem secured their spot within the Playoffs amongst the most effective within the west.

The loser’s bracket began off with Boston vs Washington, with the previous seemingly holding their very own within the first jiffy of the match-up. The sport would finally flip in opposition to their favor as outnumbered makes an attempt typically noticed Justice lose in opposition to the tenth seed. Murderer appropriately gauged the enemy’s capabilities within the second map and made himself a high-priority goal, however an absence of general sport cohesion misplaced them the match level.

Boston Rebellion went ahead to struggle Toronto Defiant and misplaced within the final play-in match for OWL’s Countdown Cup. Selecting extra to peel for his or her helps and keep turtled up on goal factors inspired the Defiant to go for aggressive performs, and Finale answered the decision. The Dragonblade + Graviton Surge combo stays supreme. This skill to mannequin your playstyle as a staff in a situational capability is an enormous perk that has seen greater groups advance to finals. Toronto Defiant reaped the rewards.

What’s to Come

Higher Bracket Spherical

The primary day of the OWL’s Playoffs will see 4 main league groups duke it out within the Higher Bracket Spherical.

London Spitfire’s file of by no means struggling a 0-3 loss in opposition to something however the high-ranking OWL groups is testomony to their sturdy willpower, however solely time will inform if they will be capable of beat a staff that was in a position to take down 3 jap groups of their final 5 matches. Both means, each groups have exhibited crisp type in late-game teamfights, however solely Fusion was in a position to defeat the Shanghai Dragons just lately. William “SparkR” Andersson going up in opposition to Fusion’s ZEST is certain to be an unbelievable firefight followers will not wish to miss.

The second sport will probably be a rematch between the Shanghai Dragons and the venerable Spark, who made the gods in Seoul Dynasty bleed once they bagged an in depth win early in October. In the event that they emerge victorious on this precarious match-up, it’s going to formally make Hangzhou the darkish horse of this 12 months’s OWL. In the event you can beat 2 of the three prime groups within the Grand Finals, you may beat anybody. The strain will attain all-time highs, particularly for the Spark’s DPS star participant “Shy” who might want to outperform “Fleta” and his fast (and virtually supernatural) headshots.

Florida Mayhem has seen a powerful successful streak of their earlier matches. Slashing their means by way of the competitors, they’ve saved their season alive and nicely with clever positioning that gave the US staff among the quickest wins in Overwatch League historical past. “Hydron” has at all times picked up the slack for his staff throughout unsure moments. However with that mentioned, we have seen a number of minor slip-ups value groups big-time in previous sequence. Nonetheless, Florida Mayhem’s “energy in numbers” mentality has carried them this far, so it’s going to be a coinflip if we’ll see a future upset of their rematch in opposition to the Atlanta Reign underdogs.

The Toronto Defiant stayed true to their title as they clawed their means out of the loser’s bracket to triumphantly get into the Playoffs. However they might discover themselves in dire straits of their match-up with the Houston Outlaws. We have watched “Mer1t” and his indomitable Sojourn completely shred Dallas Gasoline’s backline and win a sport in opposition to the large in Week 23. Any staff can be cautious of Houston at this level within the sport, so Defiant might want to summon each ounce of struggle in them to compete nicely.

Higher Bracket Quarterfinals

4 of the strongest seeds in current Overwatch League historical past await the groups that can make it out of the higher bracket alive. By historic precedent, the Seoul Dynasty powerhouse has solely suffered constant losses in opposition to two of the strongest Chinese language groups. With the Dragons and the Spark nonetheless on the board, they nonetheless have an opportunity to lose their footing if they are not ready.

The Dallas Gasoline celebrated an enormous winstreak that began means again in Week 15 solely to get damaged after their struggle with the Houston Outlaws. However their supremacy has solely been questioned, not misplaced. Legendary performs have been witnessed from this hard-hitting OWL group. Kim “SP9RK1E” Younger-han’s mastery over everybody’s favourite robotic ninja has made each insta-locking Genji foremost bow their head in reverence, and a skillful match-up in opposition to somebody like “Finale” has the potential to make any Overwatch crowd roar.

Semifinals, Quarterfinals, and Grand Ultimate

It is powerful to say who will go up in opposition to who at this level, however future match-ups will certainly seed out the most effective of the most effective. The entire competing groups taking the Grand Stage reside at Anaheim— the house of Blizzcon — for the primary time in 3 years have all indicators pointing to a rejuvenated OWL Grand Ultimate. Overwatch 2’s reputation continues to be at its zenith, and with the Overwatch League’s YouTube channel just lately gaining a million subscribers, saying {that a} international comeback is on its means for not solely OWL, however the title as an entire is not that a lot of a stretch.

Overwatch League Playoffs Schedule

Higher Bracket Spherical 1, October 30

  • October 30, 5:30 PM CST (12:30 AM CET)
  • October 30, 7 PM CST (2:00 AM CET)
  • October 30, 8:30 PM CST (3:30 AM CET)
  • October 30, 10:00 PM CST (5:00 AM CET)

Higher Bracket Quarterfinals, October 31

  • October 30, 5:30 PM CST (12:30 AM CET)
  • October 30, 7 PM CST (2:00 AM CET)
  • October 30, 8:30 PM CST (3:30 AM CET)
  • October 30, 10:00 PM CST (5:00 AM CET)

Author: Ronnie Neal