Pacific Championship Season 1 champions Flash Wolves have announced the termination of their Overwatch division. The announcement follows the departure of Realment, S1nkler and Zonda last December, although at the time it appeared possible that the Wolves were preparing for a rebuild due to their acquisition of Nonezz.

Flash Wolves celebrating their OPC Season 1 title. Image credit: Blizzard eStadium

Undoubtedly Taiwan's best roster since their formation early last year, Flash Wolves were once considered a fringe top 10 team after claiming the $100,000~ USD first place prize in OPC Season 1. However, they went on to struggle against international competition, falling short of the World Cup 2017 playoffs as Team Taiwan, and failing to defend their title from Ardeont in the grand final of OPC Season 2. Following a 5th-8th placement in the APAC Premier 2017, Flash Wolves participated in the Heroes Rumble, which would turn out to be the last event they competed in as a team.

Despite being one of Taiwan's premier esports organisations, Flash Wolves, as well as other OPC teams, reportedly underwent serious hardships in 2017 due to the financial strain induced by backing a team in the lengthy LAN tournaments. The announcement of Contenders Pacific was the final nail in the coffin for many these Asia-Pacific organisations, largely due to the prize pool being almost half that of tournaments in the Pacific Championship series.

Flash Wolves are not the only organisation that has declined their invite to the upcoming Contenders Pacific tournament in March, with Ardeont, ahq e-Sports Club and another unnamed party already turning their nose at the event. It is currently unknown how these vacant spots will be distributed, with some organisations attempting to sell them to interested parties.

The status of the now former Wolves players is unknown, with some spotted recently competing in a PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds tournament. The loss of baconjack, Nonezz, KMoMo and Jongie would undeniably be a huge blow to Taiwan's competitive scene. If they choose to remain in Overwatch, it is a distinct possibility that they could be picked up by an Overwatch League Academy team. There is also the chance that the Shanghai Dragons could look to shore up their Overwatch League roster by picking up some of the ex-Wolves once the transfer window opens in February.

The Flash Wolves roster was: