Season 2 of the Overwatch League brings both old and fresh faces to the table. The 12 inaugural season teams will be returning to the Blizzard Arena with the addition of eight expansion teams from across the world. The 20 total teams will compete within either the Atlantic or Pacific division.
General placement in league
(Credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
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The Philadelphia Fusion are one of the original League teams and play in the Atlantic division, representing the city of Philadelphia. While the Fusion ping-ponged between third and eighth place last season, they are looking set to be a strong contender within the Atlantic division behind the London Spitfire and New York Excelsior. Across the country, the Fusion’s strongest competition is likely the Los Angeles Gladiators and the Los Angeles Valiant from the Pacific division.
Team strengths and weaknesses
The Fusion have made some changes to their player lineup, reducing the team size from 12 to 8, all of whom played in Season 1 with the addition of Elijah Hudson "Elk" Gallagher.
The smaller team size and veteran background of the players means the PHL Fusion can build on their synergy and team play without having to relay the foundations. This should help stabilize the team, which struggled from bouts of inconsistency throughout OWL Season 1. The added trust of having lived and played with one another for a year will also help combat the Fusion’s tendency to play emotionally and at times overconfidently.
Tank player Joona "Fragi" Laine celebrating. (Credit: Robert Paul/Blizzard Entertainment)
With teamwork and trust at the center of their focus, this fresh iteration of the PHL Fusion are ready to make the most of their monster lineup. They’ll need every tool at their disposal to face the fierce new competition coming their way.
Expansion matchups
In addition to the 12 original OWL teams, the Fusion will face the eight new expansion teams, listed below by increasing strength based on roster makeup, synergy potential and competitive player histories.
8th: Washington Justice
Credit: Washington Justice
Coming last are the Washington Justice. They have a mix of both OWL and Contenders players with experience such as Joon-hwa "Janus" Song (former NYXL), Gi-do "Gido" Mun (former Seoul Dynasty), Gi-hyeon "Ado" Chon (former Shanghai Dragons) and Riley "Fahzix" Taylor (former NRG). However, they each sit in the middle of the pack amongst their peers. For Justice to prevail, they’ll all need to level up. The team will also need to focus on building teamwork and trust with its mixed roster.
7th: Chengdu Hunters
Credit: Chengdu Hunters
Like their mascot the panda, the Hunters lack somewhat in firepower. Two of their DPS, Lo "Baconjack" Tzu-Heng and Zhang "YangXiaoLong" Zhihao, last played OW professionally in 2017 and it’s unknown what impact they’ll make. A bright spot for the team is Ma "LateYoung" Tianbin, along with a competent support line. With uncertain DPS, the Hunters will need to lean more on their Tanks and Supports until they get through the adjustment period.
6th: Guangzhou Charge
Credit: Guangzhou Charge
The Guangzhou Charge field a thoroughly mixed roster that includes talent like Hotba (former PHL Fusion), Finley "Kyb" Adisi (former Team UK), and Ou "Eileen" Yiliang (former LGD Gaming). While many questioned how well the Charge would play, they tied the Seoul Dynasty at 2-2 during the OW Pacific Challenge last December. While just a showmatch, it proved the Charge have the potential for greatness. As with any international roster, they need to focus on their communication and team play to get the most of their players.
5th: Paris Eternal
Credit: Paris Eternal
The Paris Eternal are a team of European OWL and Contenders players. Harrison "Kruise" Pond is a top shelf Lucio and Terence "SoOn" Tarlier is a frightening DPS. They, along with tank Benjamin “BenBest” Dieulafait, are a great core to build the team around. Though most of the players haven’t played together before, they’re familiar with each other through the EU OW scene. Paris will be relying on that familiarity to bring this team together.
4th: Atlanta Reign
Credit: Atlanta Reign
The Atlanta Reign are comprised of NA, EU, and KR Contenders players, including Blake "Gator" Scott, a two-way player with the ATL Academy. Fresh off a Contenders NA 2nd place finish, he has become a formidable tank player. A question mark for the team is Dafran, who will get his first chance on a contenders team since his hiatus from professional play in Contenders S0. Even with that uncertainty, the Reign have all the makings of a strong team.
3rd: Toronto Defiant
Credit: Toronto Defiant
The Toronto Defiant are a full KR roster, operated by the Splyce organization. Many names will be familiar to western fans, among them Season 1 OWL players Joon-seong "Asher" Choi, Kang-jae "envy" Lee, and Se-hyeon "Neko" Park along with Joo-seong “Roky” Park of X-6 Gaming. While the rest of the roster has had less consistent success, the Defiant have an advantage in not having to work through a language barrier. That, with their experienced coaching line, means their performance ceiling is high.
2nd: Hangzhou Spark
Credit: Hangzhou Spark
In Second, the Hangzhou Spark are a mixed Korean and Chinese roster, sporting some of the most formidable DPS in the Contenders scene. They also boast tank player Xu "guxue" Qiulin, who dazzled in the OWWC 2018. If the Spark can help Guxue from playing overconfidently, his aggressive playstyle, along with their killer DPS, could make the Spark a true force to be reckoned with.
1st: Vancouver Titans
Credit: Vancouver Titans
The Vancouver Titans are likely the strongest of the expansion teams. Operated by Luminosity, the Titans have the resources to support an already experienced roster. The Titans are made of the entire Runaway championship squad from Contenders KR S2 and the support player, Jung-geun “Rapel” Kim, from Element Mystic. The team won’t need to make many adjustments communication or style-wise to play at its maximum. A mechanically skilled, veteran squad, it is a strong challenger to any team in OWL.
The PHL Fusion will take the stage for game one of the OWL 2019 season on Feb. 14 at 4 p.m. PST. Watch it live at twitch.tv/playoverwatch!