With players both old and new arriving in Krefeld, Germany, this weekend for the first-ever Atlantic Showdown, there are a few players everyone should be keeping an eye on. These players don't just have skill in spades, but they also have interesting storylines attached to them, which could come to a rousing conclusion this weekend.
Here are five players to watch at the Atlantic Showdown:
Ji-won 'Stand1' Seo
(Photo credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
Before Ashley "Trill" Powell's signing to the main Dallas Fuel roster, Team Envy would have been favorites to become champions of the first-ever Atlantic Showdown. However, losing the main tank with whom the rest of the team has been playing with for two seasons of Contenders and completed an entire season undefeated with is surely a big blow.
Major question marks remain over whether the team has adequately integrated Stand1 into the team, especially as this marks the first time Team Envy are playing with a Korean in its roster since Hyeon "EFFECT" Hwang was part of the team back in 2017. Then again, swapping out players just before a competition begins has never stopped Envy. Just look at how Elliot "Ellivote" Vaneryd was signed from Angry Titans just before Contenders 2019 Season 1 after previous off-tank Caleb "McGravy" McGarvey was signed by the Florida Mayhem. Ellivote went on to become a crucial figure in the Envy lineup, and was one of the main driving factors behind Envy's success in 2019. All eyes will be on Stand1 as he attempts to replicate Ellivote's success.
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At the same time, it's also an extremely important tournament for Stand1. With his previous team NRG Esports, the San Francisco Shock's academy team, having disbanded, this could be Stand1's ticket back into Contenders and back onto an academy team. Expectations will be high, but none perhaps as high as his own.
Seb 'Numlocked' Barton
(Photo credit: Robert Paul)
Here's another main tank with a redemption story. Numlocked was one of the unfortunate victims of the realization among OWL teams that they did not actually need a large 12-man roster and that a core 6 was actually enough for most circumstances.
The Brit spent much of 2018 on the Los Angeles Valiant's bench, receiving such limited playtime and experience that he is most known for being part of the "B" team that the Valiant sent out after having already wrapped up the series against the Shanghai Dragons 3-0, and then losing the final map to the winless Dragons.
Moving to the London Spitfire's academy team British Hurricane, however, has done wonders for his career, as he has consistently looked like one of the best main tanks in Europe. With significant LAN experience under his belt, it will be up to Numlocked to guide his team through the tournament and put his own name back on the map.
Kyung-bo 'Alarm' Kim
(Photo credit: Fusion University)
Possibly the hottest Overwatch League Flex Support prospect right now, Alarm is possibly the player with the least to prove at this tournament. At 15, the Korean was already competing in the largest Overwatch tournament at the time, OGN APEX, playing with Overwatch luminaries such as Jae-hyeok "Carpe" Lee. Having lost just a single map in four seasons of North American Contenders while also winning all four titles on offer in that period, it should come as no surprise that Alarm is the Flex Support everyone is watching out for, because he has that uncanny ability to single-handedly destroy an entire team.
While it may take a few years for him to come of age to play in the Overwatch League, the Philadelphia Fusion have already found themselves a promising future candidate who is already capable at competing at an OWL level and have begun grooming him to shine when it comes time for him to take to the Stage.
Facing international competition for the first time since APEX, it is time for Alarm to show some young upstarts what being OWL level truly means.
Stefan 'Spectr9l' Fiskerstrand
(Photo credit: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment)
Another veteran of the game, Spectr9l (previously known as Onigod) is widely viewed as one of, if not the best Western hitscan players not in OWL. With experience going all the way back to APEX Season 1 where he competed alongside current Paris Eternal support Harrison "Kruise" Pond, Spectr9l has been part of Angry Titans' three previous agonizing second-place finishes. With the team having something to prove at this tournament to show that it is a force to be reckoned with not just domestically but also internationally, Spectr9l will need to be at the top of his game. If he does well enough, perhaps a certain European OWL team struggling to settle on a Zarya player would be inclined to take him on.
Xander 'Hawk' Domecq
Hawk is a relative newcomer to the game compared to some of those at this tournament, having only burst onto the scene at the BEAT Invitational Season 5 with Last Night's Leftovers. However, the American immediately impressed in Contenders 2018 Season 3 when he was picked up together with the rest of his team to form Atlanta Academy as they finished second overall. Hawk has become known for his great D.Va bombs, and it will be interesting to see how the relatively new generation of players stack up against some of the old-guard at the Atlantic Showdown.