Everything’s coming up Pacific in this week’s Overwatch League games. For the first time, three games in the Pacific East division will be broadcast each day of the weekend. Since these teams are all based in China or South Korea, North American viewers will have to work out a different sleep schedule to catch all the action live.
There’s a good reason for this focus, however. Two teams formerly based in North America, the New York Excelsior and Seoul Dynasty, will be making their debut in the region this weekend. They join the Vancouver Titans and London Spitfire, who have relocated to South Korea for the safety of their team. All of these constantly-changing team additions will add a level of mystery to the division that guarantees interesting matchups.
Overwatch’s newest hero, Echo, was also set to make her debut in the league this week, but an unfortunate Hero Pools draw put an end to that. She’s disabled for the week along with Tracer, tank hero Orisa, and support hero Moira.
We’ve highlighted several matches that are worth staying up for, so set those alarms now.
New York Excelsior vs. Chengdu Hunters
After a long hiatus due to relocation amid the coronavirus crisis, the New York Excelsior is returning to the fray as a part of the Pacific East division. This match, at 7am CT on April 25, will be the first competition the NYXL has seen since early March. While the team has been incredibly competitive in the Atlantic North division, falling only to the Philadelphia Fusion this year, the Pacific East division may give them more of a challenge.
The Chengdu Hunters have been running amok in the division. Despite a good portion of losses, the team has always run inventive compositions and off-meta hero picks that throw their opponents off guard. For methodical New York, Chengdu could pose a serious problem, especially this week when team captain Park “Saebyeolbe” Jong Ryeol can’t bring out his signature Tracer.
Atlanta Reign vs. Philadelphia Fusion
The Overwatch League has a lot of built-in rivalries based on geographic location or fan allegiance, but this one may be the most competitive of them all. A few weeks ago, Atlanta and Philadelphia faced off in a match that went the distance with wild compositions and flashy plays. Philly took the win with a 3-2 score, but Atlanta nearly managed a reverse sweep after being down two maps at the half.
This rematch on April 25 at 3pm CT will likely be a better exhibition of both team’s strengths and adaptations. Without Tracer, Fusion DPS Lee “Carpe” Jae-hyeok and Atlanta’s Kim “Edison” Tae-hoon will be forced to flex onto any of their numerous carry heroes. Fusion’s support line has also been outperforming Atlanta’s, but if the Reign squad has learned anything from the last battle, they’ll step up their game.
Shanghai Dragons vs. Seoul Dynasty
For several weeks, the Pacific East division has been existing peacefully, each of the China-based Overwatch League teams taking wins off one another or falling to the Shanghai Dragons. This week, the stacked Seoul Dynasty roster comes to kick the door down at 5am CT on April 26. For Shanghai, this could be the first real challenge for a team rocking a 6-1 season record.
Beyond the absolute guarantee of quick-paced DPS battles and main tank mind games, pride is also on the line. Shanghai Dragons star DPS Kim “Fleta” Byung-sun used to be the central point of the Seoul Dynasty roster; now he has to face his former team in battle. Though Seoul swept through both Los Angeles teams when they were located in North America, this new division should be the team’s first real test.
Houston Outlaws vs. Dallas Fuel
Get those cowboy hats out, folks. For the entire run of the Overwatch League, the “Battle for Texas” has been an entertaining, often scrappy set of matches between the league’s two Lone Star teams. They often aren’t the most competitive showdowns, but each team’s die-hard fans seem to perk up when the opportunity to prove Texas supremacy comes around. Each Battle for Texas is normally enhanced by fan attendance, but this round, the teams will have to motivate themselves.
Both Texas teams have been struggling but have raked in impressive plays from their carry DPS over the past few weeks. Dallas’ Jang “Decay” Gui-un has been allowed to run wild, demolishing the Washington Justice and helping his team bring the San Francisco Shock to a map five situation last week. Similarly, Dante “Danteh” Cruz has been destroying backlines and bringing life to a lackluster Outlaws squad. It’s a tragedy that we won’t get to see a Tracer showdown between the two this week, but keep an eye on both of them to see who wins the unofficial “biggest Texas carry” award.
This week’s Overwatch League matches begin on April 25 at 3am CT as the Seoul Dynasty takes on the Hangzhou Spark. North American games begin at 3pm CT with the Atlanta Reign facing the Philadelphia Fusion.
