The Overwatch League 2020 season begins in just four days after a hectic off-season. Here are the top three matches to watch that could set an early tone for the season on opening weekend.
1. Toronto Defiant vs. Paris Eternal
The Toronto Defiant made some strong acquisitions this off-season, signing Lane “Surefour” Roberts and Brady “Agilities” Girardi among other big names. Paris, on the other hand, brought in five players from Contenders teams. Toronto might appear stronger at first glance, but it will be interesting to see if the Eternal’s new talent can step up in the Overwatch League.
Both teams have undergone huge overhauls, so this game will be a first look at how these new rosters might perform. The Defiant will look for their all-star veteran DPS players to carry the load, while the Eternal will hope their rookies can step up to the challenge.
2. Los Angeles Gladiators vs. Vancouver Titans
This matchup features two teams that made it to the Overwatch League playoffs in 2019 but had to make some changes in the offseason. Vancouver lost Sang-beom “Bumper” Park over the off-season and picked up Chan-hyung “Fissure” Baek on main tank. The Gladiators lost Surefour and João “Hydration” Pedro on DPS but picked up arguably two of the best tanks in the league in Min-seok “OGE” Son and Indy “SPACE” Halpern.
Both of these teams look to be competitive this year, so this will be a fun one to watch, especially for tank fans. The big question for the Titans is whether Fissure will be able to fill Bumper’s shoes as the main tank. If he can perform well, expect them to be a top team again in 2020. For the Gladiators, they need SPACE and OGE to live up to the hype.
3. Boston Uprising vs. New York Excelsior
The Boston Uprising is a completely different team this year, keeping only two of their previous players and overhauling their coaching staff. They have a few hot prospects, including Sang-min “Myunbong” Seo, a top Korean support prospect. Their new lineup consists of prospects from the Contenders scene, and they will have their first chance on the big stage against a largely similar New York team.
New York Excelsior lost their esteemed DPS player, Do-hyeon “Pine” Kim, but they picked up top DPS prospect Seung-jun “WhoRU” Lee. They also lost Tae-hong “MekO” Kim on tank. Aside from this, the team remains largely the same. They should be the clear favorites to win on Sunday, but if Boston steps up, it could spell some early problems for New York.
It should be an exciting opening weekend for Overwatch League fans. There are a lot of new rosters and players who will be looking to make their names early on in 2020. Be sure to stay tuned for more Overwatch League news and stories!
