God the cringe hosting...
"The fun is over, now we have Contenders finals, and who better than me..."

And yes map 5 hype!

GG Brazil!

Damn finally a close match, great plays, hoping we get a full series of 5, let's go Brazil comeback give us map 5!

He'll surely need it, he's being playing on stage for the past what? 6 hours?

Welll all leaks and suggestions were right, but is good to have it official. :)

As for the rest 13 NA team (11 USA and 2 CA), 4 Chinese, 2 EU and 1 Korean, not really an international league, more an NA one with couple of exceptions.

How will this work out when they'll start to actually play in their own hometowns? Is this still planned to happen? As with a team distribution like this it's going to be a nightmare for the teams.

He's not playing bad at all, but vs a good Sombra, it's a pain to play main tank.

Ehi not true, they got one yesterday!
Was pretty lit too, damn funny matches to watch and crazy casters (Brazilian casters are always the most hype).

But yes the SA scene needs WAY more visibility....

Let's win this Brazil I trust in you!! :)

Absolutely agree with you, and this (in my own little experience) is also the best way to handle ANY kind of team, not just esports ones or classical sports, but also other working teams.

If the team you are responsible for underperforms on a large scale, often the reason is not (only) the team, it's you as a manager, you failed them and you failed your customers.

This is what really pissed me off in this move from Florida, I've been a manager of a team of about 30-40 persons for some years now, when my department goes really bad, the first in line in front of the CEO, directors, etc... it's me, as it's supposed to be.

That doens't mean lazy/sloppy workers (players in this case), should get out scot-free, but if in MONTHS of working together you as a manager couldn't find a solution, it's also your fault.

Sorry I'll stop here I swear but these things really get me damn mad..

Drafting was something they looked at but it's not a mechanic that replicates being relegated. That would be the role of Contenders acting like a "minor league" for OWL.

Drafting doesn't directly replace relegations, I agree, but with neither, a league is just a small pond in which to throw money with no real consequence for the teams (specifically the owners), but only for the players.

The problem is that, relegation is not something the US guys who imagined OWL want, and drafting, requires resources (both money AND time) on the side of the league and all the teams involved.

And again is not "these types of leagues" it's just OWL, traditional sport ones usually have one of the 2 systems in place (NBA, NFL, NHL, Premiership, Liga, Serie A, etc...)

Also:
https://twitter.com/benspoont/status/1037436133888671745

But:
https://twitter.com/zappisOW/status/1037608712859541504

Drama asides, why don't the OWL players have an union? They are CLEARLY the weakest link in the whole league, and it shouldn't be like this.

Doomfist, Mei and Hammond on King's Row defense. <3
Also sick Ana plays from Th1ago (UP Gaming)

Objective facts:
-No team/franchise in any professional sport drops its full roster (or 95% of it) after one single failed season, and it usually are coaches to pay the blunt before or together with the players.

-Most leagues in traditional sports do have promotions and relegations, the ones that don't (main examples are NA sports), have a draft system in place, which is missing in the OWL, and all also have players' unions.

Personal (very personal) opinion:
Teams are usually picked by fans for various reasons, being their town/state's team, for the players that play in it or other random reasons (colors/jerseys, style of promotion/communication) in this order.
If you remove the hometown factor, and they get rid of all the players everytime a season goes bad, what's left is what I consider fluff, nothing wrong in liking a team for those other reasons, they are just not for me.

That said this is my last on this topic, as I feel like I'm speaking with Nanzer trying to explain him how to organize his league, and have to do that stuff (not with Nanzer lol) on a daily basis.

BR casters POGGERS

Yes my bad guess they are late, and still brodcasting Mario. :D

Damn, but no stream? :(

Hopefully next year will be better, for the players I mean as I enjoyed what litle I could watch.

Even if just 'cause OWL is going to run out of players to pick soon if every year the 2 bottom teams release their full rosters.

That is why a league with no relegation and promotion isn't something I like (personal opinion of course).

But back to the topic, Shangai released basically the whole coaching staff, not "just" the players, Florida ONLY released the players, implying the staff had no fault in it:

-The org only picked up 6 players, only team in the league.
-Check their vlogs, they didn't have a place to practice (except for the Blizzard arena) and their house was the furthest away of all the teams.
-Only 1 coach for basically the whole season except for 1-2 weeks.
-Their better performing dps player is starting to have insecurity issues, so they bench him instead of benching the underperforming one.
-The first coach took a leave for stage 4, he was stressed.
-The new main coach decided that wasn't worth training the players so basically gave up (according to Logix, so it might very well not be true, but nobody denied it officially)

Are we sure it was JUST the players' fault? I mean they literally kept everyone in the staff, while keeping only TviQ, as he's the easiest to "sell" for fans.

EDIT: just cause in hindsight, I could have expected it, from the team that decided to drop their main tank to replace him with a Genji main, but that's ancient history.

Sad for the players, but damn CamRa can't not upfrag this. :)

Entire roster swaps on a yearly base is what the league wants to achieve?

That's what I'm not into, and so far this has been the most "severe" case, even the Dragons kept more players and dropped instead part of the staff.

The container is not the contents, but again that was a personal point of view, should have probably made myself more clear, I was sure the "why should I care" was enough, apparently it wasn't.

Oh and yes, since I'm not from Florida, or any other of the locations of OWL franchises, being London the closest one to me (localization wise), I pick a team to cheer for based not on their hometown, that frankly to me means nothing.

That's a very likely outcome, and I'm honestly sad that such a great team could be picked up by this franchise.
I know I sound pissed, and I am, I would love to see Runaway in OWL (they are amazing), but they are the exact opposite of what the Mayhem just did.

Yes I don't think it's Blizzard actively not wanting new EU franchises, it's just that EU investors don't want to pay the entry fee.

Don't blame them tbh, there's no real reason to invest in OWL as an EU business, the scene in EU is in its worst place ever, no data at all to back this up, but I'd say viewership in NA has increased over the years while decreasing in EU, games are only brodcasted during the night, etc...

Last but not least, NA is a country, China is a country, Korea is a country, EU isn't.

Nota a fan of this move, at all.

For sure the team underperformed, a lot, changes were expected, but this shows how's "just" the players who pay the blunt.

This slot/staff picked up one of the most succesfull teams in pre-OWL era and didn't have the ability to keep it at least competitive in the first season, so what they do now? They drop basically all players to buy some wins.

Is this where OWL is going (and no I'm not speaking of the all Korean stuff)? How in the heck should people get attached to a franchise? For its colors? For its name?

Maybe for you guys in US is different, if you are from Florida that's enough, but why should I care about the Mayhem? 'cause they might win more matches? They are not the Florida Mayhem anymore.

It's good to see orgs picking up rosters!
GL guys!

There used to be an EU scene... :(

🕯️

OWL team - Fusion (but SDB was one of the main reasons, together with Carpe and Fragi)
Current non-OWL team(s) - Samsung Morning Stars Blue
Pre-OWL team(s) - Rogue (the only ones winning by playing divve during the 3 tank meta)
Player (only one allowed) - Shadowburn
Other players - Fragi, Carpe, unKoe and Asking
Streamer(s) - Harbleu, his laugh just kills me everytime
Caster combo - ZP + Hex
Analyst duo - Sideshow + Bren
Main desk presenter - Goldenboy
Match - EnvyUs - Rogue Atlantic Showdown
Tournament - To many to pick one
In-game moment - Everytime Carpe pops off
Clutch moment - SDB vs Shangai
OWL entrance - Snillo as Rocky

About your personal Overwatch career:
SR now - 2-2100 SR (last season)
SR peak - 2700ish (on my old account)
SR goal for this season - None, not much into comp anymore
Main class - Flex (Supp/Tank)
Main hero - Zen
Other heroes you regularly play - Rei, Ana, Zarya, Winston, Moira, Lucio, Dva and Tracer
Favourite hero - Zarya (and Tracer for the lulz)
Hero you hate - Symm
Favourite map - Nepal
Map you hate - Lunar Colony
Favourite game mode - KOTH
Least favourite game mode - 2CP
Best play -5k on McCree (lucky headshot > High Noon > the cleanup)
Best achievement - lvl 5 Endorsement (trying so hard not to tilt)
Reason why you play Overwatch - It can be tons of fun and stress relief
What got you into Overwatch in the first place - People leaving DirtyBomb to join OW

About other video games:
Games you are playing at the moment - Divinity Original Sin 2 (2nd playthrough), Phantom Doctrine and like my 3rd run on Battletech
Other esports you watch - Used to watch Dota 2, not anymmore
First game you ever played - Don't remember the name, was a text adventure on C64
Favourite game as a kid - M.U.L.E.
Favourite game of all time - Baldur's Gate (1 and 2)
Biggest achievement in a video game - Winning a mouse pad and like 50 dollars for an Age of Empires 1 Tornament (duo) AND being part of the fleet that popped the first Titan in EVE online.

About you personally:
Age - 41
Location - Italy
Describe yourself in 3 words - Tired, gamer, trying to improve my shitty character
Favourite music artist - Motorpsycho
Favourite music genre - A lot of genres
Sports you play - Nothing, used to play basket in my teens and twenties
Sports you watch - Basket and some calcio (but not much)
Hobbies - Gaming, Photograpy
Weird fact about you - Used to be married (in my twenties), but I'm gay.
Shameless social media plugs - Not much into social media

After losing Internethulk Envy was never the same again, it took them 1 OWL season to do it, but now the EnvyUS chapter is completely over.

Never was a fan of theirs to be honest, I was on the side of Misfits and Rogue (being me EU), but no one can deny how dominant for months and months EnvyUS was in the pre-OWL league.

RIP EnvyUS, and GL Dallas Fuel!

See that's how you create fanbase for a new franchise, pick some famous player with a lot of fans, then if you are lucky your real choice for the role proves to be at the level (if not better), now release/sell the expensive name and keep playing with the young promise.

I'm presonally sad, it was expected, but still... one my fav players leaving my fav OWL team.

For SDB surely is better this way, he might have the chance to be again a starter, which he deserves.

https://twitter.com/LAGladiators/status/1035648971362816000

Dropping iRemix, Silkthread and Asher

Eh nope not case of forgetting (at least for me), I struggle to follow the Oceanic scene as much as I'd like. :(

🐨🐨🐨

To be honest I'd see Mistakes very well at Huston, his Tracer is nuts (it was very recently during the world cup) and now can flex to some other "roles" at leats a decent OWL level.
Huston already has a Genji/Widow monster paired up with a Tracer (that they really missed) that can also play Sombra, Junkrat and Hanzo...

That's true, but he was precisely the "new ingredient" in the mix.

Well that would be dope, as he's literally what they need to complement Striker (sorry Mistakes I like you but it's the truth), but I dont' think Boston is gonna pick some "old star" is not the way they go about OWL.

In the end I think sombody had "to pay" for the failure of the last part of the OWL season at NYXL, and better one of the coaches than the players?

His over the top self confidence, displayed in various interviews/videos might have played a role in this imo, Koreans are cocky (who thinks they aren't... well is blind), but they tend to back up their cockynes with results, if you are cocky but choke...

T1w were amazing during the last Contenders season, the only ones really making LFZ sweat.
Might be close, but I see them winning this.

B...but my poor drop bears. 🐨
Jokes asides great news for the guy, really deserved.

And here we are our poi sharing information about the T3 scene.
Yes there might be spelling mistakes, and some inaccuracies, but damn man you always deliver, continua così bello!

Really sorry you disbanded guys, after our Italian bois (We Have Orgs included) you were my fav EU team.
Best of luck to you and all the players you really are good!

To be honest I've rarely frequented such a competent portal for esports.

Some might be more flashy, or more popular (not for OW), but the amount of content you create, its quality and the environment you managed to create (together with the community) is simply amazing.

Some months ago I would have asked for more coverage on Tier 3 scenes (there was always poi and others but still..), but recently that increased already, so yeh no idea of what could be improved.

Or better, everything can always be improved, but you are doing an amzing job already as it is.

True, but it's still months before the new season starts, who can guess what the meta will be by then?
I bet on some combo of mercy, tracer, widow, but eh

The issues with IDDQs were mutiple I guess, but not even letting him scrim for something like 5 months, that's horrible player management on the old coach, as simple as that.

Does that means IDDQ was better than who they were playing? Probably not, but they should have left him scrim and maybe getting some playtime, when they "could", and they were loosing like crazy, which means before the coming of age of Sinatra and the acquistion of Architect.

What about him now? I doubt any team will make big offers he's very likely in a worse form than prior to season 1, having played 1 comp match in 8 months.

Little different for Dhak and Nomy, for sure not top tier players (again for OWL standards), but they do have a better market, at least as actual players.

What should the 3 of them do?
Honestly no idea, for IDDQD I agree with you, I'd say probably give up his comp career and dedicate himself to his stream (I know hard to do IF you still have the urge to compete), for Nomy and Dhak, either hope in a good pick from one of the new teams, or a nice strong contender one where they could get the playtime everyone needs to improve.

All in all, GL to all of them in their future experiences!

Eh no idea not a big fan of this one, there's something missing imo, and also no idea why but she doesn't seem the same DVA we have in-game (attitude mostly).
Still great animation, but you can't expect otherwise froom Blizzard, always top-notch.

I should have probably put a Kappa next to my first sentence. :)

Totally didn't see it coming.
Great for Seoul and for the player, but imo really low blow from Fissure at the end of last season.

:(
It's always sad when someone dies, even more so if young, R.I.P mate.

Let's go Japan!

I agree the strong department of team USA is for sure the tanks, and tbh I don't think Korean's ones are the best duo in this World Cup, Fragi + Zappis handled them quite nicely, probably not used to play together and with different styles (they even admitted that Hammond was sort of a forced choice to integrate Fate in the team).

What won the 2 matches thou (KR vs FI and FI vs RU) were the DPS, Carpe amazing as usual, Mistakes underperforming on everything but Tracer and Linkzr popping off when it mattered (last map and a half).

I honestly believe USA this year is a little below all these other teams, mainly looking at their dps players and what they are good at, comparing to Russia (as comparing vs Korea is pointless :D ).

Who's their top Widow? Zacharee? He's good, but imo not at the level of what we are seeing from these teams.
Hanzo? Zacharee/Hydration? Honestly have no idea.
Phara? Is Hydration better than let's say SDB? He's very good but not that good.

Sinatraa is an amazing Tracer, and an amazing Zarya, but what other meta hero can he play at that level?

Meanwhile Canada has all these heroes covered better, Surefour, Agilities and hell even Mangachu was popping off during Contender on his Phara.

But then again playing "at home" (which helps), vs weaker opponents (excluding Canada), and most of all, USA guys are a bit like us Italians, just more consistently, when there's the flag to "Protect" they always over-perform.

There could have been a slightly better chance if let's say Korea had demolished Finnland, I still get the feeling that these Korean players (with the exception of the "alien" Carpe) tend to get into a complacent state pretty easily (just an impression of mine).

But the match vs Finnland (if you haven't watched it, you HAVE to, crazy match) surely was a wake-up call, I don't see them losing maps from here to the final, unfortunately for everyone else.