Sick branding. I'm happy for Bischu; he's got an insane work ethic.

I'm assuming the lines below the "Shock" are representing the readings from a seismic monitor? It's kind of hard to see to be honest, they may want to change the color of it. #BoomShaqALaka

ESPN's Jacob Wolf just posted an informative article about EnVyUs and Austin-Dallas joining the Overwatch League. I think this is great, but in the grand scheme of things (as a player) it only removes six competitors from the talent pool.

I'm suspecting Rogue will announce their partnership with another organization as well, this will likely open up six more slots for existing players to tryout for. Overall, if both Rogue and EnVyUs join the League with partnered teams, then at the very least we'll see top level competition from the Overwatch League. If we see a few more organizations join the League before season 1 starts, and if the scene for tier 2 is further developed to give non-league players financial stability; then only thing that's left is for Overwatch is to find success during season 1.

Still, adding more teams to the Overwatch League doesn't explain their poor marketing strategies (anybody have the date for the player combine?) or lack of communication with the community.

So I wont lie, while I was writing this I did overlook contenders. All we know at the moment is that it's a tournament for the tier 2 scene which prizes out at $100,000. That's great - it's definitely a start.

Here are the problems though.

1. Are the players for contenders going to be playing full time without a salary?
2. How often is contenders going to happen?
3. Overwatch League teams are already trying out or have contacted the players they will eventually sign. Overwatch is very closed, so if there are replacements for positions, they already know who to contact.
4. Blizzard did a really good job of driving away traditional teams, it's going to be hard to bring them back to support the tier 2 scene.

These are just a few thoughts, obviously I want things to work out. Blizzard could already be working on some things to make it better, but this was written with the knowledge I had at the time of posting. I think a $100,000 tournament a few times a year is enough to keep tier 2 on life support, but I don't think it will thrive with the direction its headed.

Wanted to clarify one thing about NRG Esports. I think NRG would do best if they had an all American lineup. I'm guessing every other team will have different players from around the world, but NRG is a marketing focused brand and would benefit greatly if they could pick up an all American roster. For viewers coming into the scene without a favorite team, I can easily see NRG being the go to for NA viewers considering Shaq is essentially the face of this organization, and everybody knows Shaq. Plus NRG has an advantage over Boston and New York in that viewers from other eSports will immediately recognize the NRG brand.

I don't think any of C9's roster problems came down to mechanics. Lets be realistic here, every iteration they've had this year has had high expectations with little practice time. A case can be made for Immortals who recently became one of the best teams in North America with little practice, but this the exception, not the rule. I believe that C9's roster problems came down to different play styles mixing poorly, personality differences, and if I had to guess, certain players having more influence within the organization than others. But these opinions are from an outsiders perspective, I could be completely wrong.

I used to be an atheist, but now I believe in Onigod.

:') I have closure now

waiting for my meza candle :(

I love when people just write us off because we're the underdogs. It's weird to me that every "good" team we beat was either throwing or had a bad day. We defeated Team Liquid to qualify into group stages, and we'll beat them again.

[NA] Overlook is looking for 18+ (S1 80+) experienced players with flexible schedules to finish out our roster. We need an Offtank/Flex and support/Flex. We're looking for players that are able to take criticism constructively, can communicate, are immune to tilting, and can focus on getting better as a team. DM your scrim experience, tournament experience, past team experience, overall goals, your masteroverwatch, schedule, and any questions you have. Thanks.

Schedule is open 24/7
Comfortable with: Reinhardt/Winston/Zarya/Roadhog > D.va > Projectile/Hitscan
Finished 1st season at 75 - though I spent most of my time in custom games participating in scrims.
bnet @ kophee#11401
discord @ kophee#7098
I'm an experienced shotcaller, have a great attitude and will never rage during games. Have lots of experience in tournament settings and over 300 hours in scrims against top20 teams.

I'm looking for a team that has players who can communicate effectively, remain calm under stressful circumstances, and are willing to commit to improving rather than dwelling on mistakes.

Add me or post here with any questions.