What We Learned: Week 3 OWL

Implications of the most entertaining week of OWL yet

Week 3 of the Overwatch League may be viewed in posterity as a turning point as the league showed itself capable of delivering on its promises of entertainment while also continuing to pick up big non-endemic sponsors like Toyota and Sour Patch Kids. Week 3 was a week in which all three of the Korean powerhouse teams not only bled, but were bested on the battlefield, half of the matches had to determined by a tie-breaking fifth map, and Owen Wilson found himself in the Blizzard Arena to view the most hyped match of the season thus far in the flesh. The strides that some teams have made in the three short weeks of OWL so far is remarkable and is a testament to how much of an effect a solid structure and support group can have on a team. It is a long season as we aren’t even a quarter of the way through it yet, but if OWL continues to deliver on the levels it has been things should get very exciting for the future of the league.

With six games for each team in the bank we can start to see who are really the standout players at each hero of note and who may be flying under the radar a little bit. One of the easiest heroes to measure success on is Zenyatta, and I think it’s safe to say that there are three Zenyatta’s currently who are a cut above the rest. Jjonak, Bdosin, and Ryujehong are all performing exceptionally well so far on the crucial hero by putting up an impressive combination of damage and healing. It is no coincidence that the three best Zenyatta players happen to be on arguably the three best teams. Zenyatta is a crucial pick in this meta and having a top tier player allows your team to almost have a third DPS player damage wise as well as secondary healer. It’ll be interesting to see if this trend continues and we see the top performing teams also have players that are able to make Zenyatta have the most impact.

The DPS field is starting to get a little crowded at the top. While Profit and Birdring are still likely the best DPS duo in the league the gap between them and their emerging challengers is closing. Carpe and Shadowburn have consistently put the team on their back and look incredible at times, but tend to go as the team goes. DreamKazper and Striker are also really staring to make a name for themselves as they outperformed the Spitfire DPS crew this week. DreamKazper plays an impressive amount of heroes and is able to flex on them at will and Striker’s Tracer is top-tier. The DPS duo from the Houston Outlaws and the trio from the Valiant are also making it more difficult to refer to the Spitfire squad as the crème de la crème. I think we will continue to see this emergence of DPS squads coming into their own and put the worship of the Spitfire squad, and Fleta to rest.

Power Rankings

I will once again explain my methodology and criteria for the following rankings. I am only taking into account performance within OWL and am placing no weight on the cores of teams or their prior performance. I am valuing strength of schedule/quality wins and maps pretty heavily. It begins to get a bit murky the lower one goes down the list and more difficult to stick hard and fast to this criteria but it remains a guide and an explanation for the rankings that follow.

Numbers following the team names in brackets will display their rating in last weeks power rankings. Numbers following the teams in parenthesis will display the teams current record heading into Week 4.

Image via New York Excelsior

New York Excelsior [1] (5–1) — The New York force remain in the top spot. They were tested in two best of five matches this week and had impressive showings in each. Earning their first loss against the Philadelphia Fusion on Thursday in a thrilling back and forth series, the Excelsior began their week with one match-up in particular on their mind and it showed. New York came in a bit unprepared and made some questionable decisions and ultimately lost the series 2–3. But the team brought it all back together in the match against Seoul Dynasty. Another thriller that was arguably the best series we’ve seen in OWL featuring top talent performing up to the game. Saebyeolbe had his most impressive performance yet playing a Tracer that neither Munchkin or Bunny could keep up with. The support duo of Ark and Jjonak as well as the tank force of Mano and Meko appeared to have an edge on the Dynasty team. They are the only team thus far to have an answer for Fleta, as they consistently put pressure on the tanks to not allow them to be able to create the space that Fleta capitalizes on so immensely. They never subbed in the marquee match up, not even using their “final boss” in Pine. All in all, NYXL showed themselves to be a very versatile roster capable of following through on a core strategy as well as being able to perform when all eyes are on them. Week 4 will be a welcome step down from the last week of grueling competition as they take on the Shanghai Dragons and the Dallas Fuel. While both teams are showing improvement and promise, expect the Excelsior to push them down just as they are almost able to stand up. Seoul Dynasty [2] (5–1) — The Dynasty had an interesting week starting off by playing their “b” squad against the emerging Shanghai Dragons. Keeping the core of Ryujehong, Tobi, and Miro, the Dynasty cycled players through the line up constantly giving the Dragons, and more importantly the Dynasty staff, different looks. The Dragons managed to steal Dorado and be competitive elsewhere, but ultimately the Dynasty in waiting was too much by taking the series 3–1. Seoul then was featured in the marquee matchup of OWL so far against the top tanked New York Excelsior. Fleta was exposed a bit against NYXL but it is telling that a team must have an entire strategy to quell him and execute it very well for a comparable team to come out on top in a five game series. Seoul still have the best map record heading into Week 4 at 19–5–1 and that shouldn’t be taken lightly though their schedule hasn’t been the hardest. It will be interesting to see if they are able to overcome their loss and patch up the holes in their game. Week 4 will be the most challenging week for the Dynasty yet and we should get to see the starting line up in both games and see if they are deserving of the second spot. They go head-to-head against the London Spitfire in an explosive match that is certain to have Phase 1 play off implications and then against the surging Houston Outlaws. Both matches are important to watch as the korean trinity is a bit shaken up and their positioning among each other a bit unclear and Houston is a top western team that is playing extremely well at the moment. London Spitfire [3] (5–1) — London were the first Korean team to ground themselves this season as they fell to the Boston Uprising and their weakness of being inflexible and having trouble on Control were brought to light. Other than that the Spitfire had a normal week besting the Shock 3–1 in a match where Birdring showed that there is a difference between DPS like him and the likes of Babybay, picking him off six times to on Horizon and consistently outperforming. Something that may be concerning is that the dominant DPS duo of Birdring and Profit, while still impressive, looked much less so against other top duos. Considering this is what really separates the Spitfire from the pack, basically having a top-tier DPS trio with the likes of Bdosin, the Spitfire’s dominant grip may be loosening. Week 4, as previously mentioned, brings them against the Seoul Dynasty in a match up that could end up knocking the loser out of the Phase one play off bracket, which includes the top three teams with the first place team getting a bye. The Spitfire luckily have target practice later in the week against the Dragons who should serve as a good measuring stick for Undead and Diya as they face off against the DPS squad of London. Will they be target practice like the tiers below them or will they continue to bring the duo out of the sky back to the ground. Los Angeles Valiant [4] (4–2) — The Valiant had a great week, being the only team thus far in the rankings to come out of it with two wins. Wednesday saw them fight in the Battle for LA, which was just as great of a match as NYXL vs Seoul. The Valiant reverse swept the Gladiators an came out on top 3–2 and then rolled that momentum into a 3–1 win against the Florida Mayhem. The Valiant continued to show that they might have the most heart and poise in the league, taking each map as it comes and finding a way to battle back in the Battle for LA. Agilities silenced doubters by playing a clutch Genji and annoying Junkrat, Envy and Fate displayed their abilities and should be considered for best tank duo. Kariv is just a hair below the top three Zenyatta’s in the league but he is not far off and could find himself in that tier soon enough. The Valiant look impressive and are the best western team until proven otherwise. Luckily for the viewer, the Valiant go toe-to-toe vs two of the three challengers for the title of best western team in Week 4 which should really bring to light the possible separation between these teams. The Valiant jumpstart the week against the Philadelphia Fusion and close out the week against the Boston Uprising. Both of their opponents are coming off weeks where they bested a Korean team and showed themselves fully capable of dealing with pressure. Both matches have major implications as the top 4 western teams try to find a way into the Phase 1 playoffs if a Korean team slips out. Houston Outlaws [5] (4–2) — The Outlaws are the hottest team in the OWL at the moment. Stringing together four straight sweeps and as a result 16 straight maps, the Outlaws have never had an easier time evading the law. They felled both the Gladiators and Mayhem in week 3 and looked untouchable, having the same schedule as the Valiant and looking more impressive in both match-ups. However, I still feel as though we need to see a legitimate challenge to the Outlaws to be able for them to jump the Valiant. Houston has an exceptional core, featuring a very productive and consistent support core in Boink, Bani, and Rawkus, a underrated DPS duo in Linkzr and Jake, and a main tank in Muma who has consistently been a great Winston. On top of all that the Outlaws number one criminal might be Coolmatt’s D.va who holds the position of best performing D.va in the league so far. You always hear about Envy, Fury, and of coure the Poko bombs, but Coolmatt is undoubtedly the strongest D.va in the league so far. The Outlaws must withstand the Shock to head into the most difficult match up for them so far in the Dynasty. If the Outlaws evade the Dynasty then they will have put together a resume that would make them the best Western team and may very well propel them into the Phase 1 playoffs. Philadelphia Fusion [6] (4–2) — The Fusion have had the most maps on the season at 28 as they find themselves in best of five’s more than any other team and this week was no different. The Fusion came out on top in the tie breaker against both the top ranked Excelsior and the Shanghai Dragons. Yes, after besting the best team in the league, the Fusion almost handed the Dragons their first win. What is important to note however is that even in the Dragons match, the Fusion outmatched the Dragons on an individual basis and it was instead the much improved and impressive team play of the Dragons that made it difficult. The win against New York should not be viewed much differently, but it was obvious that the Excelsior overlooked Philly looking ahead to their match-up against Seoul. In my opinion, the Fusion have the strongest DPS duo in the league in Shadowburn and Carpe but they do have a small problem of popping off when their team is in full control but find themselves coming up a bit short when their backs are against a wall. The Fusion could find themselves in at least another best of five in week 4 as the face off against the Valiant and the Fuel. The Fuel match is an interesting one as we get to see the least dive oriented team (the Fuel) against the most aggressive forward dive centered team and if the Fusion can get past Seagull’s Junkrat they should be able to take the match easily. Boston Uprising [9] (3–3) — In any other week the Uprising would have been the story of the week. Boston became the first team to upset a Korean team by taking down the London Spitfire and would have shot up the rankings if it weren’t for a stellar performance from every other mid-table team as well. What we now know is that this Boston team is gelling at an alarming rate and is going to be an absolute force to be reckoned with and that DreamKazper might have been the best pickup possible for this squad. Boston were yet another team that found themselves in two best of five’s this week taking down both the Spitire and Dallas Fuel 3–2. The Uprising field a lot of underrated players including Note on D.va, who never really seems to falter and shows up in key moments. Boston will attempt to seize power in LA this week as they face off against both the Valiant and the Gladiators. Similarly to the Fusion, I would not be surprised if the Uprising find themselves in another 5 map battle this week as both teams are quality match-ups. Los Angeles Gladiators [7] (2–4) — The Gladiators had a tough week, giving up ground in the battle of LA 2–3 and then getting swept away by the Houston Outlaws 0–4, they have something to prove coming into the week and hope to bounce back. The Gladiators are making the mistake of not keeping Surefour in the line up and switching off between Hydration and Asher. Surefour offers to many champions and too consistent of play with the ability to pop off to be on the bench. iRemiix is continuing to have trouble as he went -40 on the week and found himself overextended and cut off from his team several teams, whether it’s a matter of communication or misplaying it needs to be rectified in order for the Gladiators to be anything but a mid-table team on the outside looking in on a play off spot. The rest of the pieces are there. Luckily, the Gladiators get to find some ground on their descent when they face off against the Florida Mayhem who should be no trouble for them match-up wise. However, they then must face the Boston Uprising on Friday night and it would not be surprising if they get worked much in the same way the Outlaws swept them as DreamKazper and co will be able to effectively capitalize on the mistakes the Gladiators are prone to making. Dallas Fuel [10] (1–5) — The Fuel finally got their first win of the season against the Shock in a 3–0 match and then had to face off against the Uprising in the first match of the following day. A rough schedule to be sure but the Uprising bested them 3–2 fair and square. Dallas looks much improved with their new line up that fields Custa and Seagull while Tiamou sits. Mickie had his most impressive week yet bringing out a impactful Roadhog which could give the Fuel the bump they need as his D.va play hasn’t been all that impressive. Harryhook was sick and wasn’t able to play so being able to field him will only help the Fuel’s flexibility and increases the chance for them to steal a win in week 4. Unfortunately, the trend of them having a difficult schedule continues heading into the week as they pull the Fusion and Excelsior. As previously mentioned, the Philadelphia matchup will be particularly difficult for the Fuel as the Fusion play some of the best dive compositions in the league and the Fuel have not been able to deal with that so far. Though Seagull’s Junkrat and Mickie’s newfound Roadhog may throw a wrinkle in there, the Fuel could very easily come out of this week with two losses and be unable to find their footing. Shanghai Dragons [12] (0–6) — The Dragons looked like a team worthy of the OWL for the first time this week as they took a map off the Dynasty in a series they went on to lose 1–3 and brought the Fusion to a tie breaker but ultimately lost 2–3. Despite continuing their losing streak, the Dragons look leagues better than they did last week. They are playing very well as a team and the hyped DPS duo of UnDead and Diya are starting to come into their own. It should be noted that the map they took off the Dynasty was the final map against their “b” team but Seoul’s B team is still a playoff team and the match against Fusion had no such caveat. The Dragons have only just begun to find their footing and must face off against two of the top teams heading into week 4. While they will likely lose both matches, it does give them a chance to further hone their skills and team play and possibly set themselves on a win streak once their schedule softens up but as it stands, the Dragons just cannot catch a break but show steady improvement. San Francisco Shock [8] (2–4) — The Shock came out of week three taking only one map and losing both the Spitfire 1–3 and the Fuel 0–3. The Shock don’t seem too capable of improvement at this point still relying almost entirely on Babybay. Danteh shows up occasionally and Sleepy is decent enough, but the rest of the squad is not performing up to par. This isn’t entirely their fault as the tank line often doesn’t do a good enough job of peeling for Dhak and the meta continues to work against them. The only thing that might be able to save this team is if the meta shifts away from Mercy as Dhak has shown himself to be very impressive on Lucio. The Shock find themselves in the path of the Outlaws to open the week and I think it would be a good result for the Shock if they can manage to break the Outlaws map streak. However the Shock find themselves in a position to pad their record when they face off against the Mayhem in the opening match Friday. However, these early easy games are going to stop appearing and the Shock could find themselves in a long losing streak when their schedule becomes more difficult in the near future. Florida Mayhem [11] (1–5) — The Mayhem find themselves in the bottom spot this week as they fail to have an identity and notable performance. The bright spot continues to be flourishes of great play by the DPS duo of Tviq and Logix, but it rarely results in anything besides a won fight. The Mayhem have the easiest week of their schedule so far coming up and if they can’t manage to even leave and impression I’m not sure what can be done to help this team. They have a difficult match against the middling Gladiators and then face off against the Shock.

This weeks power rankings didn’t see much movement and that is not exactly a fault of the teams or their performances. It is instead the fact that this week almost had too much movement and each teams jump was matched by another so on and so forth. For instance, if the Uprising were the only team to topple a Korean team than they would have moved up much more, but that feat was matched by the Fusion and none of the Korean teams made it out of the week undefeated. Strangely enough Week 4 should do more to demonstrate some space and differences between the teams since an extremely unlikely result table as week 3 is impossible. Bring on Week four!