The Overwatch League has it all: international talent, record-breaking overtimes, and most recently…cats. On the Sunday evening edition of Watchpoint, desk host Salome “Soe” Gschwind Penski had her cat “Nori” pick the hero bans for the upcoming week’s matches. Nori even got an assist from his sibling, “Miso” who plucked Wrecking Ball from the tank line. While it made for good entertainment it begged the question, could OWL use more cats?

With the success of smash Broadway musical turned movie “Cats” it seems like the appropriate time to take a look at what the cast would look like if it were made up of OWL players instead.

Bustopher Jones the Cat About Town: SP9RK1E

If two qualities could sum up Bustopher Jones it would be his love of food and how well respected he is by his peers. The same could easily be said about Kim “SP9RK1E” Yeong-Han. Although the 17-year-old DPS sensation won’t be able to play for the Paris Eternal until his May 31 birthday, he is already well known throughout the community.

I have a hobby! It is make food to our teammate pic.twitter.com/5CxeWLWgCV — SP9RK1E (@SP9RK1E_OW) February 14, 2020

While waiting on the bench for that day to come he has also begun to flourish as quite the chef. Often taking to social media to show off his latest dishes, it’s clear that he is skilled outside of the game as well. His teammates and coaches have also commented several times about what a fantastic cook he has become.

Understudy: Min “Jerry” Tae-Hee (Boston Uprising):

Easily one of the newest stars of OWL, Jerry has quickly captured the hearts of the fans and (most) analysts.

Grizabella the Glamour Cat: aKm

Once considered one of the most talented cats is poor, old Grizabella the Glamour Cat. Now fallen on hard times she hides in the shadows and reminisces about the days she was relevant. As a veteran who was once hailed as one of the best DPS players, there is no better fit for this role than Dallas Fuel’s Dylan “aKm” Bignet.

Despite still being an extraordinary Soldier:76 player, that hero has spent a majority of the past few seasons as an obsolete memory. Soldier made a small resurgence in week 5 due to the implementation of hero pools but was then immediately removed for the week 6 pool. aKm has not been shy about his impending retirement at the end of this season on his social media accounts and during his streams. Maybe before that day comes though he can “let the memory live again.”

Understudy: Kim “Geguri” Se-Yeon (Shanghai Dragons)

Once recognized as one of the league’s most promising players, Geguri has seen very little playtime over the past year. However, she will always remain a fan favorite.

Gus the Theatre Cat: ryujehong

As one of the more elderly cats, Gus has seen and done it all. He has aged gracefully and imparted what knowledge he could on the younger kittens. If asked, many Korean players would say that when they got their start there was one player they all wanted to be: Ryu “ryujehong” Je-Hong. Throughout his career, ryujehong has shown nothing but poise and professionalism coupled alongside some of the best Ana gameplay in Overwatch history.

He has been in the game long enough to now find himself as one of the oldest players in the league. Although he is oftentimes surpassed in stats by some of his younger disciples, such as New York Excelsior’s Bang “JJoNak” Sung-Hyeon, Ryujehong is still putting up a good fight with his new team, the Vancouver Titans.

Understudy: Terence “SoOn” Tarlier (Paris Eternal)

The word “veteran” could be synonymous with SoOn as his pro career spans over 10 years. Whether it’s in OWL or OWWC, players respect him and look to him for guidance.

Jennyanydots the Gumbie Cat: Bischu

At first glance, some would think Jennyanydots was a lazy cat who spends all of her time sleeping in the sun. However, it’s her work behind the scenes, keeping the mice and cockroaches in line, which truly makes her shine. She is every benched player that helped their team achieve greatness, regardless of whether or not they played on stage.

Though there have been several benched players accredited with the success of their team, one stands out among the rest: the Los Angeles Gladiators’ Aaron “Bischu” Kim. Bischu was a long time Gladiator before being briefly traded to the Guangzhou Charge last season. He was often commended for helping bridge the communication gap between the Korean and Western players on the Gladiators and perhaps that is the reason they scooped him back up this season.

Understudy: Andreas “Nevix” Karlsson (Toronto Defiant)

In his 2 seasons with the San Francisco Shock he only played on stage for a handful of maps. However, time and time again his teammates and coaching staff gave him major accolades for putting in the work behind the scenes. Nevix has found his way off the bench and is a starter for the Toronto Defiant this season.

Mr. Mistoffelees the Magic Cat: Profit

The nimble, quick, and magical Mr. Mistoffelees is the epitome of “now you see me, now you don’t”. Described as an illusionist that dazzles and enchants the others with his surreal tricks a few heroes come to mind. But such an energetic and deadly force could be none other than Seoul Dynasty’s Park “Profit” Joon-Yeong.

Quite possibly one of the best Tracers in the world, Profit is a master of blinking in, securing the kill, and blinking right out to safety. It was due in part to his inhuman skill on DPS that led the season 1 London Spitfire to their Grand Finals victory. It was a bit of a surprise to the community when he was picked up by the Dynasty for season 3 and some questioned how the new roster would perform. However, after a perfect 2-0 weekend, not dropping a single map, Profit proved that never was there ever a player so clever.

Understudy: Li “Yveltal” Xianyao (Chengdu Hunters)

Anyone who has witnessed this man on Mercy will say that he is quite simply magical. Somehow he manages to pull off rezzes from impossible spots and before the bodies even hit the ground.

Rum Tum Tugger the Curious Cat: Rawkus

When actors take on the role of Rum Tum Tugger they are told to play him as “preening, and independent”. The curious cat can never seem to make up his mind about what he wants and is just a bit too preoccupied with his own good looks. While the older crowd humors him, the younger crowd adores and worships him. Therefore, he can be none other than the Houston Outlaws’ very own Shane “Rawkus” Flaherty.

Rawkus is touted as one of the best looking players in the league and he knows it. Just like Rum Tum Tugger is frequently praised for his beautiful mane, Rawkus is often complimented on his hair. So far this season he has also been continuously subbing in and out with counterpart Kim “Rapel” Jung-Keun. This lends itself well to Rum Tum Tugger’s flip-floppy nature.

Understudy: Gael “Poko” Gouzerch (Philadelphia Fusion)

Known for his eccentric and cryptid behaviors, Poko is definitely one of the more entertaining personalities to watch. Paired with generic good looks the off tank player has found himself as the face of Fusion and is promoted as their most marketable player.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer the Mischief Cats: KariV & Agilities

This bonded pair of mischievous cats are never seen apart and wreak havoc wherever they go. Working completely in-sync almost as if they can communicate telepathically. Although the Overwatch League has had quite a few bonded pairs over the years, none seem to come close to the bromance of Park “KariV” Young-Seo and Brady “Agilities” Girardi.

Since their start on the LA Valiant in season 1, fans have watched the two blossom as a formidable duo. Regularly posting content in which they cook, and sometimes botch, gamer snacks, the pair have an unmatched presence. Reportedly during the offseason offers came pouring in for KariV but he didn’t want to be separated from Agilities. The two eventually found their new home with the Toronto Defiant and seem to be thriving alongside each other.

Understudies: Corey “Corey” Nigra & Ethan “Stratus” Yankel (Washington Justice)

Just like KariV and Agilities, the superstar duo of Corey and Stratus are rarely seen apart. While Corey usually takes a backseat to Stratus’s over-the-top antics the pair play extremely well off of each other.

Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat: Saebeyolbe

Another older, wiser cat that many of the younger ones look up to is Skimbleshanks. He is responsible for making sure the train runs smoothly and on time. Everything he does is with a charismatic smile and can-do attitude. New York Excelsior’s Park “Saebeyolbe” Jong-Ryeol matches this perfectly with perhaps the most infectious smile in the league.

Seen as the leader and usually the spokesman for NYXL, Saebeyolbe is an indispensable asset to the team. It is evident from his social media posts and interviews that he just loves his job. It says a lot about his character that he is a favorite of fans and peers alike.

Understudy: Lee “Jecse” Seung-Soo (Houston Outlaws)

Fans who attended the Outlaws’ Homestand at the end of February all agreed on one thing, Jecse is the best. His warm and outgoing personality make he easy to love and it’s clear that he is enjoying every aspect of his job.

Macavity the Mystery Cat: Fissure

Every story needs a villain. Macavity is the primary protagonist of “Cats” and seems to leave behind a wave of chaos wherever he goes. Although he is seen as the bad guy, he is also wholly polarizing as he is mesmerizing and cunning. The London Spitfire Los Angeles Gladiators Seoul Dynasty Vancouver Titan’s main tank Baek “Fissure” Chan-Hyung is quite simply the Macavity of OWL.

Love him or hate him, everybody knows his name. After a short retirement stint, Fissure returned to the league this season as the Titan’s only main tank. Though the Titans have only played 2 matches so far, Fissure’s larger than life personality is easily backed up by his incredible skill on shield heroes like Reinhardt. Whether or not he will be the jellicle choice this year remains to be seen.

Understudy: Dusttin “Dogman” Bowerman (Atlanta Reign)

A dog that is all talk and maybe also a little bite. From the moment he stepped on the scene Dogman made it known that he wasn’t afraid to open his mouth and speak his mind. While some fans appreciate his efforts to ramp up the spiciness in the league, others have felt that it’s been in poor taste.

Because Jellicles Can and Jellicles Do

The movie “Cats” released digitally earlier this month which makes it the purrfect choice for any quarantine movie binges. It may have only scored 20% on movie critique site, Rotten Tomato, but it is incredibly entertaining, albeit slightly jarring. So who OWL will be the jellicle choice to go to the heaviside layer, or in this case, Grand Finals?

The Overwatch League continues this weekend with 10 matches after announcing on Tuesday they would be moving the rest of the season to an online only format.

Graphics Courtesy of @djenneration via Twitter, unless otherwise stated.

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