The 2019 season of the Overwatch League is finally underway and the opening week of action has concluded.
The opening week was not short on excitement. There were six matches that went to map five, including three matches on the weekend's final day.
The new expansion franchises had strong debuts. In total, expansion teams were 7-3 in the opening week. One team, the Hangzhou Spark finished 2-0 and four other expansion teams started 1-0.
After a lot of VOD-watching to make up for a weekend of work and missed games, the rankings are ready. Without further ado, here are the updated Scrub's Power Rankings following the Overwatch League's first week of action.
Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment
1. (+2) Philadelphia Fusion (2-0)
I'm not entirely sold on any one team for the top spot, but I think the
Philadelphia Fusion
Philadelphia Fusion
OWL
Rank #11
AimGod
Min-seok Kwon
flex support
MN3
Yoon Jae-hee
dps
ZEST
Kim Hyun-woo (김현우)
dps
Belosrea
tank
FiXa
Kwon Young Hoon (권영훈)
support
's performance in the opening week was better than the Excelsior's. A 3-1 victory over the reigning champions and a hard earned 3-2 victory over the Reign currently place the Fusion on top of the standings (in a tie with the Spark). They play the Mayhem and the Fuel next week. Barring any upsets, they should start the season 4-0 and retain that top spot.
2. (-) New York Excelsior (2-0)
The
New York Excelsior
New York Excelsior
OWL
Rank #18
Gangnamjin
Gang Nam-jin (강남진)
flex support
Myunb0ng
Seo Sang-min (서상민)
flex support
Flora
Lim Young-woo (임영우)
dps
Yaki
Kim Jun-gi (김준기)
dps
Kellan
Kim Min-jae
tank
did not have a particularly tough opening week schedule and should have the best map record in the league right now. Instead, they beat an Uprising team with a main tank player on Zarya in a 2-1 match and beat the Justice 3-1. The Excelsior play the Valiant and Outlaws in Week 2. The Valiant should serve as a better barometer for how the Excelsior look in the season's opening stage.
3. (+2) Vancouver Titans (1-0)
The
Vancouver Titans
Vancouver Titans
OWL
Rank #19
Aspire
Luka Rolovic
dps
MirroR
Chris Trịnh
dps
False
Nick Wiseman
tank
Masaa
Petja Kantanen
support
Aztac
Park Jeong-soo (박정수)
support
4-0'd a Shanghai Dragons team still getting their new main tank player accustomed to the team. While the matchup wasn't particularly hard, the Titans still deserve credit for solid execution. They should start 2-0 after playing the Guangzhou Charge. Their first real test is later next week when they play the San Francisco Shock in what could be the match of the week.
4. (-) San Francisco Shock (1-1)
After a 4-0 victory over the Dallas Fuel, the
San Francisco Shock
San Francisco Shock
OWL
Rank #2
Viol2t
Park Min-ki
flex support
Finn
Oh Se-jin (오세진)
flex support
Proper
Kim Dong-hyeon (김동현)
dps
s9mm
Samuel Santos
dps
Coluge
Colin Arai
tank
stumbled in a 3-2 defeat to the Los Angeles Gladiators. The Shock still looked good on the week overall and the loss was to a good Gladiators team. However, their only match next week is against the Vancouver Titans. There's a chance this team could start the season with a losing record.
5. (+4) Hangzhou Spark (2-0)
The
Hangzhou Spark
Hangzhou Spark
OWL
Rank #6
BERNAR
Shin Se-won (신세원)
off tank
irony
Kim Hyeong-woo (김형우)
flex support
Shy
Zheng Yangjie (郑杨杰)
dps
AlphaYi
Kim Joon (김준)
dps
guxue
Xu Qiulin (徐秋林)
tank
superich
Wu Gengtuo (吴梗拓)
support
looked extremely good in their opening week. IDK is already making an argument for the best Lúcio in the league as he played a big part in setting up Ria's big Self-Destruct kills all weekend. However, the rest of the team deserves credit for working to set him up, as well. His Self-Destructs were almost always preceded by Graviton Surges and often assisted by Reinhardt Charges or Earthshatters when IDK couldn't offer a boop. The Spark have shown an impressive level of teamwork for an expansion team to open their debut season with explosive plays. They will be dangerous in Stage 1 if they can keep it up.
6. (-) Los Angeles Gladiators (1-1)
While the
Los Angeles Gladiators
Los Angeles Gladiators
OWL
Rank #4
Shu
Kim Jin-seo
flex support
kevster
Kevin Persson
dps
Patiphan
Patiphan Chaiwong
dps
Reiner
Corey Scoda
tank
FunnyAstro
Daniel Hathaway
support
began the week with a 3-1 defeat to the Seoul Dynasty, they bounced back with a victory over a superior San Francisco Shock squad. Their tough schedule doesn't get any easier in Week 2. They play a Paris Eternal team that looked strong in Week 1.
7. (+6) Paris Eternal (1-0)
Speaking of the
Paris Eternal
Paris Eternal
OWL
Rank #20
Kaan
Emir Kaan Okumus
flex support
Glister
Lim Gil-seong (임길성)
dps
Wub
Cameron Johnson
dps
Dove
Jesse Palomo
dps
Malthel
Josh Gonzales
dps
Daan
Daniël Vincentius Paulus Scheltema
tank
Krawi
tank
dridro
Arthur Szanto
support
Lukemino
Luke Fish
support
Rakattack
Kyle Rakauskas
support
, they rolled over the championship Spitfire squad in a 3-1 match. When the Spitfire thought they developed a counter to the Eternal's GOATs, the Eternal adapted and shut it down the next time they saw it. The Eternal may be one of the best, if not the best, teams in this meta, however they will need to continue to take wins off of top teams to prove it. They can start with a match against the Gladiators this week.
8. (-1) Los Angeles Valiant (0-1)
It took five maps for the Spark to finish off the
Los Angeles Valiant
Los Angeles Valiant
OWL
Rank #15
Molly
He Chengzhi (何诚智)
flex support
Diya
Lu Weida (陆炜达)
dps
innovation
Oh Seok-hyun (오석현)
dps
Becky
Il-ha Kim (김일하)
dps
Ezhan
dps
Marve1
Hwang Min-seo (황민서)
tank
Lengsa
Chen Jingyi (陈婧逸)
support
. The Valiant looked strong even in defeat and proved not to be pushovers as they pushed the Spark to match point on the fourth map. Main tank Kuki looked surprisingly good on Lúcio and Izayaki took over what was Kariv's flex support role with ease. The Valiant have to play the Excelsior in their first match of Week 2 but will get a needed break from playing against juggernauts with a match against the Defiant later in the week.
9. (+2) Atlanta Reign (1-1)
The
Atlanta Reign
Atlanta Reign
OWL
Rank #10
Kai
Kai Collins
dps
nero
Charlie Zwarg
dps
Hawk
Xander Domecq
tank
UltraViolet
Benjamin David
support
Ojee
Christian Han
support
swept the Florida Mayhem before losing a tight 3-2 match to the Philadelphia Fusion. If there's such a thing as quality losses, that match was one. The Reign pushed the Fusion to the brink and nearly came away with the victory themselves. If that match was any indication, the Reign could be a threat to the league's top teams all season long.
10. (-2) Seoul Dynasty (1-1)
While the
Seoul Dynasty
Seoul Dynasty
OWL
Rank #3
Ir1s
Kim Seung-Hyun (김승현)
FITS
Kim Dong-eon (김동언)
dps
Profit
Park Joon-yeong (박준영)
dps
smurf
Yoo Myeong-Hwan
tank
Vindaim
Junwoo Park
support
started the week with an impressive win over the Los Angeles Gladiators, they looked far less impressive against the Fuel. The Dynasty still show promise, but their loss is still cause enough for concern.
11. (-10) London Spitfire (0-2)
The
London Spitfire
London Spitfire
OWL
Rank #12
Landon
flex support
SparkR
William Andersson
dps
Backbone
Jamie O'Neill
dps
Hadi
Daniel Bleinagel
tank
Admiral
Oliver Vahar
support
's drop of 10 spots will likely be the largest single week swing in rankings this whole season. The issue wasn't so much that the Spitfire lost twice, but instead the issue was the Spitfire lost twice without forcing a map five in either match. They should be able to bounce back with a match against the Washington Justice. They also have a less forgiving match on their schedule next week: one against the Hangzhou Spark.
12. (-2) Dallas Fuel (1-1)
The
Dallas Fuel
Dallas Fuel
OWL
Rank #1
Fielder
Kwon Joon (권준)
flex support
Doha
Kim Dong-Ha (김동하)
dps
SP9RK1E
Kim Young-han (김영한)
dps
FEARLESS
Lee Eui-seok (이의석)
tank
ChiYo
Han Hyeon-syuk (한현석)
support
's opened their season with a match that was far from inspiring and ended up swept by the San Francisco Shock. They bounced back against the Dynasty, however, showing the team may have more fight than they did last season. Will the Fuel look more like they did in their first match or the second match for the remainder of the stage?
13. (+4) Boston Uprising (1-1)
While their performance alone surpassed expectations for the
Boston Uprising
Boston Uprising
OWL
Rank #16
Valentine
Kim Byoungju
dps
punk
Leyton Gilchrist
tank
Faith
Hong Gyu Kim
support
Crimzo
William Hernandez
support
, their opening week was made even more impressive considering Axxiom said he only had a day to practice Zarya before going on stage. The Uprising should be even better with Colourhex back in the lineup. It will be interesting to see how far Fusions can carry the team in the GOATs meta.
14. (-) Shanghai Dragons (0-2)
The
Shanghai Dragons
Shanghai Dragons
OWL
Rank #5
Izayaki
Kim Min-chul (김민철)
flex support
Void
Kang Jun-woo (강준우)
off tank
Fleta
Kim Byung-sun (김병선)
dps
LIP
Lee Jae-won (이재원)
dps
Fate
Koo Pan-seung (구판승)
tank
LeeJaeGon
Lee Jae-gon (이재곤)
support
are now 0-42 all-time in regular season matches. However, they continue to hold their spot in the rankings. Partially because no one behind the Dragons did well enough to make it worthwhile to move them upward in the rankings and partially because I expect the Dragons to only get better the more time Gamsu has with the team.
15. (+1) Toronto Defiant (1-0)
The
Toronto Defiant
Toronto Defiant
OWL
Rank #14
Twilight
Lee Joo-seok (이주석)
flex support
Heesu
Jeong Hee-su (정희수)
dps
Finale
dps
MuZe
Kim Young-hun (김영훈)
tank
Ch0r0ng
support
are undefeated at this point in the season, but they are undefeated because the Houston Outlaws choked away a 2-0 map lead. Despite their victory, it's tough to have confidence in the Defiant without Neko for one more week.
16. (+2) Chengdu Hunters (1-0)
The
Chengdu Hunters
Chengdu Hunters
OWL
Rank #13
Mmonk
Zhou Xiang (周翔)
flex support
Daizi
Ni Yuandong (倪远东)
off tank
Jinmu
Yi Hu (易虎)
dps
Leave
Huang Xin (黄馨)
dps
GA9A
Qiu Jiaxin (仇佳鑫)
tank
Nisha
Tan Li (谭力)
support
are the first team with a majority-Chinese roster to win a match in the Overwatch League regular season. The Hunters have a more fearsome opponent next week in the Seoul Dynasty that may serve as a better test of the roster's strength.
17. (-5) Guangzhou Charge (0-1)
Their opening match was not a good start for the
Guangzhou Charge
Guangzhou Charge
OWL
Rank #9
Cr0ng
Nam Ki-cheol (남기철)
off tank
Farway1987
Cao Jiale (曹家乐)
flex support
choisehwan
Choi Se-Hwan (최세환)
dps
Develop
Chae Rak-hoon (채락훈)
dps
Rio
Oh Seung-pyo (오승표)
tank
Unique
Yoo Dong-hyun
support
as they lost to one of three teams regularly placed at the bottom of the league during the preseason. They will need to improve and play much better if they want to avoid falling even further down the league's rankings.
18. (-3) Houston Outlaws (0-2)
The two losses the
Houston Outlaws
Houston Outlaws
OWL
Rank #7
Lastro
Moon Jung-won (문정원)
flex support
creative
Kim Young-wan (김영완)
flex support
Danteh
Dante Cruz
dps
Pelican
Oh Se-hyun (오세현)
dps
Mer1t
Choi Tae-min
dps
Piggy
Shin Min-jun
tank
suffered in the opening week of matches couldn't be worse. Not only did they lose in two 3-2s, one of which was a reverse sweep, but they also lost to two teams not at their full strength. The Defiant played without a dedicated flex support and the Uprising played without one of their DPS players. How can the Outlaws expect to beat teams with their full starting six available if they can't beat teams with a player off his normal role?
19. (-) Florida Mayhem (0-1)
The
Florida Mayhem
Florida Mayhem
OWL
Rank #8
SirMajed
Majed Alrashied
flex support
Checkmate
Baek Seung-hun
dps
Hydron
Isaiah Rodriguez
dps
someone
tank
ANAMO
Jeong Tae-seong (정태성)
support
were rolled by the Reign in their opening week match. Fortunately for the Mayhem, the Reign looked really good against the Fusion, too. Maybe they can take solace in the fact that they were at least swept by a quality team?
20. (-) Washington Justice (0-1)
The
Washington Justice
Washington Justice
OWL
Rank #17
Decay
Jang Gui-un (장귀운)
dps
Happy
Lee Jung-woo (이정우)
dps
Mag
Kim Tae-sung (김태성)
tank
Krillin
Jeong Young-hoon
support
Opener
An Gi-beom
support
were beat by the New York Excelsior 3-1. Taking even one map off of the Excelsior exceeded expectations. If they can continue to take maps off top teams then they will be able to move past the Mayhem in the rankings.
Weekly Wrap-up
This week's rankings moved wildly as a result of it being the first real showcase of each team's talent. With each passing week, the rankings should stabilize so there are less teams moving four, five or even 10 spots in one week and more teams moving just one or two spots each week.
Week 2 should be just as exciting as Week 1. In fact, the Titans and Shock matchup may be one of the most exciting single matches of the entire stage. That match, as well as other less high-profile matches, should leave an impact on next week's Scrub's Power Rankings.