On the final day of the Overwatch League’s 2023 season, two awards were given out for two different kinds of leaders in the league. One was for the best player across the season, and the other was for the player who brought the most positivity into the community. For the first time ever, someone won both in the same season. Not just any someone, the actual Someone.
Florida Mayhem tank player Ham “SOMEONE” Jeong-wan is the Overwatch League 2023 Most Valuable Player, as well as the OWL 2023 Dennis Hawelka Award winner. This marks the first time that a player has won both those awards, and it’s hard to argue with the energetic and entertaining player that Someone embodies.
Much like other esports and traditional sports, the MVP goes to the player who mattered most to their team’s success in the regular season. From helping his team win the Pro-Am to being crucial to all the team composition adaptations that led them to consistent success all season long, Someone was the best example of a tank who could play it all. He was an amazing Junker Queen, Reinhardt, Winston, and even Sigma, as we saw early on in the 2023 playoffs.
The term ‘hyperflex’ is very high praise, with one of the other best examples being a former season MVP, Huang “leave” Xin. However, with how crucial the tank role is in the 5v5 version of Overwatch, a true hyperflex can be the crux of a team’s strong performance, and Someone is such a player.
As for the Dennis Hawelka Award, Someone was immediately recognized for his comedic bent when he joined the Mayhem. His dances and energy after his team won were easily spotted on the cameras, with a tendency for happy outbursts and jokes in post-match interviews. Much like some of the previous Dennis Hawelka Award winners, Kim “Sp9rk1e” Yeong-han being a key example, their happiness radiates to their team, making them a fan favorite for years to come.
Now, all that’s left for Someone is to try and get two more trophies on his shelf. The Florida Mayhem are in the top four of the league playoffs, set to face the Boston Uprising in the semifinals on Oct. 1. Someone’s odds of picking up the league title and Grand Finals MVP are much higher than fans probably expected heading into the 2023 season.
