The second stage of the Overwatch League is finally here. After a week off, the players, spectators, casters, analysts, and staff are back to work.

The short period between stages saw several blockbuster deals as high-profile players switched teams or joined the League. With more deals yet to come and the new players arriving in Los Angeles at different times, the Overwatch League is getting more exciting by the day.

The new stage also brings a new meta and map pool. The Overwatch League has finally caught up to the Mercy nerfs, opening the door for Lucio and flex support players to be freed from their angelic prisons. The days of Junkertown and Horizon are over while King's Row and Hollywood return to tournament spotlight.

Owl's Eye logo

The first week of Stage 2 play will bring some high-profile matches right out of the gates. Early rivalries will be renewed and player debuts may be around the corner. Find out what to look out for in Stage 2 Week 1 with this iteration of the Owl's Eye.

Matches of the Week

Houston Outlaws @ London Spitfire

Bdosin Bdosin celebrates after beating Houston in the stage playoffs. Image Credit: Blizzard

The London Spitfire faces both of its Stage 1 playoff opponents in the opening week of Stage 2. London lost to both Houston and New York in the Stage 1 Week 5 regular season matches before picking off the two teams en route to the Stage 1 title.

The Spitfire enter the match minus Rascal and Fissure, neither of which played more than six maps in the last stage, while the Outlaws begin the stage with their new tank player FCTFCTN (assuming Blizzard has approved the deal already). Even if FCTFCTN has been approved to join the Houston roster, he is unlikely to get play time with such little time spent with his new team. The Spitfire's lost players, Rascal and Fissure, weren't playing much in the first place, so expect the two teams to look similar to the way they did the first two times they faced each other, and watch which team builds early momentum for Stage 2.

London Spitfire @ New York Excelsior

Spitfire players celebrating London Spitfire celebrate after being crowned Stage 1 champions. Image Credit: Blizzard

As mentioned before, the London Spitfire begin Stage 2 with rematches with their two opponents from Stage 1 Week 5 and the Stage 1 playoffs. By the end of this game, they'll have played six straight matches against the Houston Outlaws and New York Excelsior. If London can overcome Houston in their first match of the week, this game will determine the early favorites for Stage 2.

Each set between the Spitfire and Excelsior have gone to fifth maps, and this series will likely be no different. Expect another thriller between two insanely talented teams.

Dallas Fuel @ Los Angeles Gladiators

Dallas enter the arena Chipsajen valks into the arena. Image Credit: Blizzard

Based on record alone, this match shouldn't be all that exciting. Both the Dallas Fuel and Los Angeles Gladiators have started the season below .500, and Dallas won by a comfortable 3-1 margin against the Gladiators in Stage 1 Week 5, when the Fuel didn't have the services of EFFECT.

However, both teams are looking vastly different now. The Dallas Fuel have acquired DPS superstars aKm and Rascal, and it seems unlikely both will sit out in Stage 2 Week 1. Depending on how long the Gladiators have worked on integrating Fissure into the team, he may even be available at tank for the team in purple. This is a match between two teams that made major upgrades to their roster, and already have all of their additions in the Los Angeles ready to go.

Schedule

This full schedule for this week can be found below or at the Overwatch League event page:

Wednesday, February 21st

16:00 PST / 01:00 CET / 09:00 KST – Seoul Dynasty vs Los Angeles Valiant - Volskaya Industries, Nepal, King's Row, Route 66
18:00 PST / 03:00 CET / 11:00 KST – Dallas Fuel vs Shanghai Dragons - Volskaya Industries, Nepal, Hollywood, Route 66
20:00 PST / 05:00 CET / 13:00 KST – Los Angeles Gladiators vs San Francisco Shock - Hanamura, Nepal, King's Row, Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Thursday, February 22nd

16:00 PST / 01:00 CET / 09:00 KST – Houston Outlaws vs London Spitfire - Volskya Industries, Nepal, King's Row, Route 66
18:00 PST / 03:00 CET / 11:00 KST – New York Excelsior vs Florida Mayhem - Hanamura, Lijiang Tower, King's Row, Watchpoint: Gibraltar
20:00 PST / 05:00 CET / 13:00 KST – Boston Uprising vs Philadelphia Fusion - Hanamura, Lijiang Tower, Hollywood, Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Friday, February 23

16:00 PST / 01:00 CET / 09:00 KST – London Spitfire vs New York Excelsior - Volskya Industries, Lijiang Tower, King's Row, Watchpoint: Gibraltar
18:00 PST / 03:00 CET / 11:00 KST – Dallas Fuel vs Los Angeles Gladiators - Hanamura, Lijiang Tower, King's Row, Watchpoint: Gibraltar
20:00 PST / 05:00 CET / 13:00 KST – San Francisco Shock vs Seoul Dynasty - Hanamura, Lijiang Tower, Hollywood, Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Saturday, February 24

13:00 PST / 22:00 CET / 06:00 KST – Philadelphia Fusion vs Florida Mayhem - Hanamura, Nepal, Hollywood, Watchpoint: Gibraltar
15:00 PST / 24:00 CET / 08:00 KST – Boston Uprising vs Houston Outlaws - Hanamura, Lijiang Tower, King's Row, Watchpoint: Gibraltar
17:00 PST / 02:00 CET / 10:00 KST – Shanghai Dragons vs Los Angeles Vailant - Hanamura, Lijiang Tower, King's Row, Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Eligible Rosters

With multiple rosters containing underage or suspended players (or those who have not moved to North America yet), the eligible players for each team this week are listed below for your convenience: