New York Excelsior

From Busan to Brooklyn and beyond

The New York Excelsior have put the ‘NY state of mind’ to great use since the Overwatch League began. The former LW Blue and Red rosters formed together at the start of the league to continue their ascension as one of the most complete Overwatch rosters ever assembled. From SBB to JJoNak, NYXL have the highest tier of talent at each role, including the bench.

More than a team

NYXL’s presence in the Overwatch League has been a blessing for every other team. Their success as a collective unit sets the bar for where other teams need to be in order to compete. Their specialty players like SBB and JJoNak all have multiple ways to approach their heroes. Their most consistent players in Libero and Mano have the range and level of play to bring just about any hero to the forefront. NYXL doesn’t just win games, they win in style.

Stage One saw a plethora of high-tier play for a majority of the season as Pine, SBB and JJoNak showed out in their respective roles. Every week another dynamite highlight reel was being added to the collection as there was no shortage of brilliance for a roster too good to fail. Even with their show of dominance, it wasn’t enough to secure the first Stage as London Spitfire pulled a close series back in their favor with their clutch plays. Though the result was not desired, the stage had been set for another dominant outing for NYXL in Stage Two.

Top of the food chain

Stage Two was a breeze for the New York Excelsior as they cruised to a 9-1 record by the time playoffs rolled around. The question marks surrounding their dominance were answered as SBB captained their roster to another strong split without the help of Pine as he suffered some personal issues behind the curtain. Pine opened up about his issues as he suffered major anxiety attacks and confidence issues during practice so much that it hindered his ability to even step on stage during competition.

Even with the handicap of a Pine in distress, New York Excel charged forward and made their best moments count as they pushed past Philadelphia Fusion in another high-intensity five game series. New York Excel’s Head Coach WizardHyeong mentioned his surprise after the series on the OverSight podcast as he didn’t expect Philadelphia Fusion to compete so well after the game. Wizard did concede that a lack of prep had a lot to do with why NYXL took the losses they took, but there was no denying the progression of the Fusion at this point in the league.

The scariest part of the New York Excelsior is that they haven’t even reached their full potential yet. The addition of ANAMO is another factor that gives them flexibility in an already solid Support cast. NYXL’s best players are in their prime, looking like the best team in the Overwatch League and living up to the reputation. There seems to be no end in sight for a well coached, star studded super roster that has off days better than other squads best performances. The concrete jungle has been home to some of the best stories of prosperity and thriving within America. With this roster, New York Excel have all the tools to continue a legacy worth remembering as one of the strongest rosters in the league.