The Overwatch League All-Star teams have been selected for both Atlantic and Pacific divisions. Apart from the starting line-up, 12 players from each division will be selected by players, coaches and casters and OWL staff to take part in a ‘skill games’ exhibition on August 25. The All-Star game will take place the following day on August 26.
The people have spoken
The Atlantic and Pacific divisions have been selected by a fan vote of over 55,000 as Overwatch League pros get ready to represent their team and region. The fan vote could be seen as more of a popularity contest rather than a MVP vote for the Pacific division given the amount of ‘name brand’ players in the starting line-up. For the Pacific side, the six starters named in the official Overwatch announcement were:
- Chan Hyung ‘Fissure’ Baek – Los Angeles Gladiators
- Scott ‘Custa’ Kennedy – Los Angeles Valiant
- Seyeon ‘Geguri’ Kim – Shanghai Dragons
- Byung Sun ‘Fleta’ Kim – Seoul Dynasty
- Je Hong ‘Ryujehong’ Ryu – Seoul Dynasty
- Brandon ‘Seagull’ Larned – Dallas Fuel
At first glance, the roster doesn’t seem too out of place on paper, but when you delve into the stats, the case for other legitimate starters on this line up seem much more plausible. The main critique for some players including, Ryujehong and Seagull is that they are being utilized in roles that aren’t what they traditionally play.
Seagull’s prowess on the off-tank role was the backbone of what made Dallas Fuel so potent in Stage Four. As a DPS main for this line-up, the issues in hero pool and overall synergy with the team will come into question, as other legitimate DPS mains like SureFour and Munchkin sit on the sidelines. While Geguri’s place in the team is an interesting storyline heading into All-Star weekend, the best off tanks in the Pacific could have been given a little more love given the vast amount of talent for that role.
Best Overwatch teams ever?
On the opposite side of the continent, the Atlantic division is looking like a legitimate Overwatch dream team with four players being selected from the New York Excelsior. From a talent perspective, no stone was left unturned for the Atlantic division as every player on the roster has legitimate claims to most valuable player for their specific role all season long. The Atlantic division starting lineup will be represented by the following players:
- Seong Hyun ‘Jjonak’ Bang – New York Excelsior
- Jong Ryeol ‘Saebyeolbe’ Park – New York Excelsior
- Do Hyeon ‘Pine’ Kim – New York Excelsior
- Yeon Jun ‘Ark’ Hong – New York Excelsior
- Jae Hyeok ‘Carpe’ Lee – Philadelphia Fusion
- Jae Hui ‘Gesture’ Hong – London Spitfire
On paper, it’s easy to see the inherent advantages the Atlantic roster has over their Pacific counterpart. Having four players from the same team will add much needed synergy from the get go, and having all six players from a Korean background will add layers of sophistication to their teamplay as they avoid the language barriers the Pacific division will have to endure.
The only possible downside for the Atlantic division is the sheer amount of DPS mains currently on the roster as Saebyeolbe, Pine, and Carpe will be jostling to play their most comfortable roles. While neither Pine nor Carpe are afraid of broadening their horizons in game, the transition from DPS ace to off tank utilitarian will be difficult for any player put in that role.
