Overwatch League 2019: Best matches to watch Week One

The Overwatch League is officially underway as 20 teams from across the world compete for competitive supremacy. As Season Two finally started this Thursday, the action will continue throughout the weekend with every team getting their first taste of stage time. This week we breakdown the ‘must watch’ games that will surely be contentious from start to finish.

Overwatch action is back and better than ever. First generation teams defend their fort against the new breed of OWL teams, and the storylines will surely continue to get juicier with every week that passes.

London Spitfire vs. Paris Eternal – Saturday

Saturday’s first game of the evening will feature two European cities duking it out for the first time on the OWL stage. London Spitfire looked shaky during their season opener against Philadelphia Fusion. While Paris Eternal aren’t necessarily on the same level, many coaches and players mentioned Paris’ proficiency on the GOATS meta as a key factor to their success if they make a good run this Stage.

London showed their weaknesses in how to properly deal with the GOATS playstile and its repercussions. Although Joon-yeong “Profit” Park established himself as a fearsome Brigitte last year, the nerfs to the hero have affected how potent the Spitfire have been overall. While it’s hard to bet against the reigning champions, there’s no doubt Paris have a blueprint for victory.

Los Angeles Valiant vs. Hangzhou Spark – Saturday

Hangzhou Spark came out swinging against their Chinese competition, and this match-up will be another test of will for their highly favoured roster. LA Valiant are no strangers to consistency and their early game form will be crucial for them to get off to a better positioning later in the season.

LA Valiant look to continue right where they left off in Season One. After a promising campaign, Custa mentioned that this team is firing on all cylinders and their handle on the meta has improved exponentially since practice began. Now, the stage is set for them to continue this growth against one of the hottest commodities in the league, Hangzhou Spark.

Vancouver Titans vs. Shanghai Dragons – Saturday

Many insiders of the Overwatch League believe Vancouver Titans are doomed to have a terrible Stage One. Between arriving late to the U.S., and not having adequate practice against teams in the league, there are viable question marks to be asked of this team.

Luckily, Shanghai Dragons also have those same problems given the newness of their roster. This matchup is a revisit of Team Kongdoo and RunAway. If all history tends to repeat itself, Vancouver should start their OWL campaign with a triumphant win.

San Francisco Shock vs. LA Gladiators – Sunday

San Francisco Shock were thought to be one of the weaker teams heading into the league, but some coaches that have scrimmed against SF Shock believe otherwise. The DPS potential on this team is on par with any elite team. Their proficiency on GOATS hasn’t been shown yet, but they have the latent mechanical ability to make it work.

Los Angeles Gladiators had a promising start to the 2019 season, but miscommunication in crunch time cost them some valuable maps. Even still, rOar was implemented nicely into LAG’s system and the potential for this player is sky high considering his team’s ceiling last year. This matchup should be another tantalizing test, and a wonderful match to round out a return weekend of Overwatch League action.