Many Overwatch League fans thought all the Summer Showdown tournament upsets were done after yesterday’s knockout rounds, but the teams in today’s quarterfinal matches decided to continue the trend and throw a few more curveballs into everyone’s brackets. From a surprise Toronto Defiant victory to a much more predictable San Francisco Shock sweep, the July 4 matches set the stage for the July 5 semifinals and grand finals.
Asia Bracket
Unlike their North American counterparts, the teams in the Asia bracket know to “stick to the script” when it comes to anticipated victories. In the first match of the quarterfinals, the Guangzhou Charge crushed the Chengdu Hunters with a 3-0 score line that included a “deathless” run for the Charge on King’s Row. The Seoul Dynasty continued their upward swing with a 3-1 victory over the London Spitfire, partially on the back of former London DPS Park “Profit” Joon-yeong’s excellent Genji. Finally, the New York Excelsior took down the Hangzhou Spark in a 3-0 sweep, banking on the talent of new addition Kim “Haksal” Hyo-jong.
North America Bracket
Paris Eternal vs. Vancouver Titans (3-1)
Throughout the Summer Showdown, the newly rebuilt Vancouver Titans roster scored some important wins, climbing up from the bottom of the ladder to become the tournament’s fourth seed. That feat alone was evidence of improvement within the team, but the rookies were little match for a Paris Eternal roster out for blood.
Eternal DPS Kim “SP9RK1E” Young-han came back for a second day of destroying dreams with his Genji play. At nearly every turn, he was building up a Dragonblade and slicing through the entirety of the Titans roster. As if SP9RK1E wasn’t bad enough on his own, Paris hitscan Jung “Xzi” Ki-hyo brought out the Widowmaker for bonus destruction against Vancouver’s supports.
Toronto Defiant vs. Atlanta Reign (3-2)
Even if the Toronto Defiant don’t get farther than the Summer Showdown semifinals, they’ll be forever known as the “Bracket Breakers.” Due to their lackluster season thus far, the Defiant were the absolute underdog coming into this match against the stacked Atlanta Reign. The match was closer than Atlanta ever wanted and Toronto’s talent came out on top.
Brady “Agilities” Girardi, Toronto Defiant’s DPS, continued the trend of stunning Genji play alongside Andreas “Logix” Berghmans on his stellar hitscan heroes. In their match against the Los Angeles Valiant yesterday, the Toronto Defiant roster repeatedly capitalized on minor mistakes made by their opponents. Despite a shining performance by Reign DPS Kim “Edison” Tae-hoon, Atlanta fell to the renewed and revitalized Defiant.
San Francisco Shock vs. Washington Justice (3-0)
Not even a brush fire and a lengthy power outage could stop the San Francisco Shock. Though the Washington Justice were the underdogs coming into this match, their performance against the top-ranked team in North America is a testament to their enormous growth.
Many fans expected the kind of absolute destruction the Shock have shown the Paris Eternal and Philadelphia Fusion in recent weeks, but the Justice made the May Melee champions work for their win. Justice DPS Lee “TTuba” Ho-sung showed off his Genji expertise while Washington’s tank line fought off the Shock’s damage dealers. Second map King’s Row was nearly a win for the Justice after San Francisco got a bit too cocky on their defense. Unfortunately for Washington, nothing can really stop Shock’s DPS monsters, especially Kim “Rascal” Dong-jun on any hero he pleases.
Philadelphia Fusion vs. Houston Outlaws (3-0)
In a series where the score line doesn’t quite tell the whole story, the Philadelphia Fusion removed the Houston Outlaws from the Summer Showdown. Philadelphia suffered a massive blow by way of a clean sweep by the San Francisco Shock earlier in the tournament and the Outlaws knew to capitalize on similar mistakes. Unfortunately for the Lone Star boys, the Fusion’s talent was just too bright.
Philadelphia ran the first two maps, bringing in longtime damage dealer Josh “EQO” Corona on his signature Genji. Just when it looked like the Fusion had a ticket to the semifinals in the bag, the Outlaws took the team to a draw scenario on Volskaya Industries. Perpetual Houston DPS carry Dante “Danteh” Cruz ran circles around the top-rated team, especially on final map Junkertown, but was stopped in his tracks by Lee “Carpe” Jae-hyeok’s usual clutch plays.
Looking ahead
In the Asia bracket, the May Melee champions enter the ring during the semifinals as the Shanghai Dragons take on the Seoul Dynasty. These two teams faced off in a seven-map series during the May Melee, so this is the match to keep an eye on. Afterwards, the Guangzhou Charge and the New York Excelsior will face off for the second spot in the grand finals. The two winners will battle it out for the $50,000 prize after the semifinals are completed.
After mixed results during the start of the Summer Showdown, the Paris Eternal will test their mettle against first seed San Francisco Shock during the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, the Philadelphia Fusion will take on the Toronto Defiant. The grand finals will take place on July 5 after the semifinal matches are completed.
The Overwatch League Summer Showdown tournament continues in the Asia bracket as the Seoul Dynasty face the Shanghai Dragons at 3am CT on July 5. While a specific start time depends on match length, the grand finals for the Asia bracket should begin around 7am CT. North America’s semifinals begin at 2pm CT on July 5 when the Paris Eternal take on the San Francisco Shock.
