The Toronto Defiant have extended American flex DPS Luka “Aspire” Rolovic for another month. This includes the entire Summer Showdown tournament but doesn’t include after as of yet. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak that impacted members of the Toronto Defiant, Aspire was signed. He started on the roster due to necessity but played well in his two appearances. Since the Defiant didn’t make the tournament for the June Joust, his contract was ending soon. Now, he has the chance to prove himself in the league for future matches.
We're excited to extend @Aspire_OW stay with Defiant for the month of the Summer Showdown! #RiseTogether #OWL2021 https://t.co/yRoZsZbM6Q
— Toronto Defiant (@TorontoDefiant) June 26, 2021
Aspire’s short history in the league
After joining the Defiant on relatively short notice, Aspire impressed quickly. In two matches that viewers knew Defiant were the underdog, Aspire helped steal two maps from contending teams. In particular, his Widowmaker plays on Junkertown against the San Francisco Shock showed his Overwatch League level talent. However, there is a limited sample size.
In a tough situation, the Defiant’s only way to make the June Joust knockouts was to win one of their two games. With an emergency substitution, the team performed better than expected but lost to more coordinated teams. But, Aspire’s high-level plays and map wins helped extend his Toronto Defiant career.
The Defiant’s unsure future
Aspire is a needed replacement after a COVID-19 outbreak in the Defiant camp. Both Jeong “Heesu” Hee-su and Andreas “Logix” Berghmans couldn’t play at the end of the June Joust. Now, with Aspire staying an extra month, there is a chance that he might be playing due to necessity again, but nothing has been confirmed from the Defiant.
Aspire might have played himself onto a roster for added depth, even if it was just an extension. He will have to continue his play and lead the Defiant into another good tournament if he aims to stay on the roster. There has been no word about a future extension for the player.
