Flex DPS Na1st signs to the Toronto Defiant

This announcement was towards the end of the day, but the Overwatch League news out of it couldn’t be more interesting. The Toronto Defiant have signed Korean flex DPS player Ho-sung “Na1st” Lee, formerly of T1 and Fusion University. Fans of the Defiant were wondering about if the team would pick up a projectile DPS player for their roster. They’ve gotten what they were after with the signing of Na1st. We don’t know for sure if this is the last signing for the Defiant, but for now, the team looks well put together.

We're excited to welcome @na1st from @T1 to the Toronto Defiant family! 🙌 *Pending League Approval #RiseTogether pic.twitter.com/F0M9ktap2o

— Toronto Defiant 🖤 #RiseTogether (@TorontoDefiant) December 12, 2020

Na1st’s past

Before playing in the Philadelphia Fusion academy system, Na1st played for Korean contenders team Meta Bellum. At the time, he was hyped up as one of the most promising players in the league due to his age and skill. In his first two seasons with Meta Bellum, he helped lead the team to two semi-final finishes. However, in November of 2018, he got picked up by Fusion University and moved to North America. He was on the roster that dominated for the majority of 2019, including a Gauntlet win. It was all success until Fusion University moved to Korea.

After a mediocre season, the team rebranded to T1, but still remained the academy team for the Fusion. After a great start in 2020, winning week one, they finished low in their first two seasons. Na1st adapted to what the team needed, and shined. The Defiant must’ve saw that potential and decided to sign him afterwards.

Toronto coming together

With this signing, it looks like we know the core of the Toronto Defiant. After a recent video from the Defiant about their roster so far, it was clear new head coach Dong-gun “KDG” Kim got what he wanted. With the bigger signings they’ve made, he was questioning whether he should go for rookies or for proven free agents. This rookie is a risk, especially with players like Hae-seong “Libero” Kim and Dong-jun “Rascal” Kim on the market.

With Na1st signing, the Toronto Defiant have two hitscan players and one flex projectile player, covering all bases. With their Korean core, this signing makes sense. Plus, he has established connections with a lot of this Defiant team. He’s played against most of them, but specifically played with Adam “Beast” Denton on Fusion University. He knows their strengths and weaknesses, so they can all work together to try to help Toronto succeed.