Week one of Overwatch League competition is in the books, and Overwatch fans were certainly in for a treat. The competition was exciting for the most part and victorious upset made for a proper kick off for the 2019 season.
Admittedly, a number of teams were rated a bit too highly in the preseason power rankings, and it was nice to be proven wrong by good results. While it does give more work to do, the outcome is worth my time.
The week one power rankings are based on how teams performed in their matches and how cohesive they looked in game. A lot of expansion teams have really shown up to give the mid-table teams from last season a serious gut check.
Here are Hudsen's power rankings for the first week of the 2019 season.
1. (-) New York Excelsior (2-0)
It's hard to pin down who's currently number one since not many top teams have played each other, but 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
still look solid despite the current meta not being very friendly towards them. However, if the Excelsior want to maintain their spot at the top of the rankings, they will need better showings against upcoming competition (mostly against the Valiant) in both their 3-3 and counter compositions to prove that they are the best team in the league.
2. (+3) 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
have looked stellar in their past week of matches.
Ria
's D.Va play has looked incredible and both
guxue
and
NoSmite
are very strong as well, despite guxue being one of two Chinese players in a mostly Korean roster. Their upcoming matches are against the Outlaws and Spitfire, who are ranked as non-top 10 teams. The Spark should be expected to continue their dominant streak this upcoming week, and if the Excelsior falter much or lose a series, there's a good chance they can sit at the top of next week's power rankings.
3. (+5) Philadelphia Fusion (2-0)
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
have come together and made some sparks fly.
SADO
's Reinhardt looks rock solid, and
Carpe
has shown incredible prowess on Zarya. Not seeing
fragi
initially was confusing, as he was marketed to
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
fans as their "Reinhardt specialist". But after their strong showings in week one, fragi making an appearance is unlikely unless SADO is simply unable to play for them. Their next week might look on paper like two easy matches, but they should not underestimate the Fuel. If the Fusion are on the ball in their next few matches, there's a chance they can snatch the top ranking from the Excelsior or the Spark if either one or both of them have a lackluster performance this upcoming week.
4. (-) Vancouver Titans (1-0)
A 4-0 win over a Shanghai Dragons roster that didn't even feature their recently acquired main tank is the reason why 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
weren't rank higher in this week's power rankings. However, impressive performances over the Charge and Shock this upcoming week can easily get them into the top three rankings next week.
5. (-2) San Francisco Shock (1-1)
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
have only one match this week against the Titans, and that match alone can determine how the rest of the season will go for the Shock. Hopefully their loss against the Gladiators last week will not be an indication of where the Shock's final destination in the standings, especially considering how highly they were ranked in the preseason. A win against the Titans keeps them in the top 5, but a loss can have them on the bubble of the top half of the rankings.
6. (-) Los Angeles Gladiators (1-1)
A loss against the Dynasty and a win against the Shock makes it confusing to tell what is going on with 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
.
rOar
looked good, but not outstanding in their week 1 matches, and needs to take over the game more to give the Gladiators a formidable shot against a ferocious looking Eternal roster this upcoming week.
7. (+4) Paris Eternal (1-0)
With a dominant showing against the Spitfire to begin their season, 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
are really showcasing what elite European talent is capable of doing in the current meta. Their only match this week is against the Gladiators, whom are both hungry for a win. If the Eternal succeed, we might see them as high as top five in the league in next week's power rankings.
8. (-1) Los Angeles Valiant (0-1)
Izayaki
has really stepped up to fill
KariV
's role at flex support, but 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
's inability to find a win over the Spark doesn't make it feel guilty to knock the Valiant down a spot in the rankings. However, it's quote curious on what is going on with their main support; is
Custa
going to be benched for
KuKi
? Why was he playing against the Spark over Custa? Will he be their main support in the Valiant's matches against the Excelsior and Defiant this week? It's concerning that there's questions being asked for a team so high in the rankings.
9. (+3) Atlanta Reign (1-1)
A 4-0 victory over the Mayhem and a close 3-2 loss against the Fusion is saddening but hopeful for 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
.
Dafran
has been nothing short of incredibly entertaining to watch, and it'll be expected for him to put on another show against the Defiant this upcoming week. Will we see more Torbjörn from Dafran? Only time will tell. Nonetheless, another 4-0 against the Defiant can have the Reign on the bubble of top 5 in next week's rankings.
10. (-1) Dallas Fuel (1-1)
Starting off the season getting 4-0'd by the Shock was certainly rough for 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
, but getting a 3-1 win over the Dynasty was key for the Fuel to regain their footing after their first match of the season. Wins over the Charge and Fusion respectively are key for to justify keeping the Fuel above the Dynasty, who are currently below them in the rankings.
11. (-1) Seoul Dynasty (1-1)
Fissure
has shown a lot of promise for 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
, and it showed in their win against the Gladiators on opening day. However, losing 3-1 to the Fuel stings for Dynasty fans and their top 10 ranking status. A good showing from the Dynasty against the Hunters this week could put them back in the top 10.
12. (-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
have definitely encountered some turbulence and lost a lot of altitude from week 1. Their defeats against the Eternal and Fusion looked rooted in their inability to properly square up against other 3-3 teams.
Gesture
just doesn't look 100 percent comfortable playing Reinhardt against other good 3-3 teams, and it's shown in their results. A lot of this rides on him to put the Spitfire back in the top 10 of the league, and there's hope that see steps it up this week in their matches against the Justice and Spark this week.
13. (+4) Boston Uprising (1-1)
Again, the world doubted the prowess of 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
going into the new season. Furthermore, the return of
Colourhex
from suspension will give the Uprising another good boost in overall power.
Axxiom
was not a bad Zarya by any means, but Colourhex and his flexibility are going to be a welcome addition to an Uprising roster that has essentially been one-dimensional for an entire week of league play.
14. (-1) Shanghai Dragons (0-2)
0 and 42. It's rather saddening to see a team with so much potential be matched up against two top five teams in their first week of league play. Maybe the Dragons have a chance to beat the Uprising with Gamsu slightly more acquainted with the team, but it'd be wise not to hold one's breath since they have Colourhex returning from suspension and have more team composition options at their fingertips.
15. (+4) Chengdu Hunters (1-0)
A win over the Charge was a great way for 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
to start their season, but their next match against the Dynasty will really determine if the Hunters can really keep pace and break away from the bottom tier of teams.
16. (-) 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
's reverse sweep in their opening match is nice to look at on paper, but doesn't look great with the realization that the Outlaws blew their 2-0 lead and are against the Reign and Valiant this upcoming week. To makes matters worse,
Neko
will not be back until next week. Good performances against their upcoming competition are imperative for the Defiant to escape the bottom five.
17 (-3) Guangzhou Charge (0-1)
Losses against the Hunters and Eternal don't put 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
off on the right foot, even more so that both of them were in the bottom half of the preseason power rankings. Impressive showings against the Fuel and Titans are nothing short of required to consider ranking the Charge outside of the bottom five.
18 (-2) Houston Outlaws (0-2)
It's painful to see the Outlaws lose last week against two teams without notable players in their lineups. It's also concerning that there are issues that 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
management will try to deny is an issue for them until their season isn't redeemable. Last season, it was their lack of a reliable tracer player, and this season their problem areas are in their off-tank role and flex support role.
Rawkus
wasn't impressive last season, and so far it's shaping up to be more of the same. Maybe they can experiment with inserting
Bani
into his position, as he did play the role when the Outlaws core was known as
FNRGFE
FNRGFE
Inactive
buds
Casey McIlwaine
dps
clockwork
Matt Dias
dps
Boink
Daniel Pence
support
Bani
Chris Benell
support
.
19 (-1) Florida Mayhem (0-1)
An 0-4 loss to the Reign didn't really get the new and mostly Korean
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
off on the right foot, and it's concerning that their upcoming matches against tough opponents will not end well for them. The Mayhem will continue to be in a rough patch in the coming week against the Fusion and Hunters respectively.
20 (-) Washington Justice (0-1)
The only match 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
played this past week was against the Excelsior, and outside of their map win on Horizon Lunar Colony, the Justice didn't look impressive at all. They face off against the Spitfire next, but there's little hope for an upset despite London looking much weaker in this meta. However, taking maps off of these top teams can allow the Justice to rise up in next week's power rankings.
Weekly Wrap-up
With all the excitement of week 1 behind us, expect there to be less drastic moves from teams in next week's power rankings. This upcoming week of matches looks to be a test to see whether teams truly belong where they have been ranked. Arguably the marquee matchup of the week looks to be between the New York Excelsior vs Los Angeles Valiant on Friday. Regardless, every team (regardless of win-loss record) can benefit from a win or upset over their opponents this week.
Week 2 competition begins with the Washington Justice facing off against the London Spitfire.