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The Overwatch League is just a few days away and all 12 teams finally have their official rosters locked for opening day.
While each team’s roster has been carefully selected to give them the best chance of winning the league, it’s clear that the philosophies of teams differed wildly from one to the next. Some rosters have been together for almost a year by the time they play their first Overwatch League match, while others will be playing for the first time together on-stage in week one.
Whether an organization was built around proven winners or took gambles on unproven rookies, each of these Overwatch League rosters is packed with talent and fully capable of succeeding in the inaugural season.
To help you get to know each of the teams competing in the Overwatch League, we have an introduction to each of the 12 teams in the league.
Atlantic League
Boston Uprising
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The Boston Uprising are owned by traditional sports titans The Kraft Group, and brought StarCraft 2 veteran Chris “HuK” Loranger aboard to help manage the esports side of their team. The Uprising was chosen to be in line with their other team names: the Patriots and Revolution. Despite their background, the Uprising know they’re entering the Overwatch League as underdogs... and they thrive under the pressure. HuK has built a team based on synergy and willingness to grow over individual star power.
As the first group to buy into the Overwatch League, they clearly have faith in the esport. The Uprising will look to subvert expectations and pick up wins in the Atlantic Division with the following roster.
Roster
Offense: Jonathan “DreamKazper” Sanchez
Offense: Namju “Striker” Gwon
Offense: Stanislav “Mistakes” Danilov
Tank: Noh “Gamsu” YoungJin
Tank: Lucas “NotE” Meisner
Tank: Shin “Kalios” WooYul
Support: Park “Neko” SeHyun
Support: Mikias “Snow” Yohannes
Support: Connor “Avast” Prince
Support: Kristian “Kellex” Keller
Florida Mayhem
The sunset colors of the Florida Mayhem are backed by the Misfits, along with a partnership with the Miami Heat. The Misfits have had success in both League of Legends and the fighting game community, and now they’ll be looking to make a mark in the Atlantic Division. The Mayhem represent Miami-Orlando, and their brand is a mischievous, lighthearted member of the Overwatch League. Fans who followed the esport before the creation of the League will likely notice Kvyn “TviQ” Lindström on the Offense roster, along with the following players.
Roster
Offense: Kevin “TviQ” Lindström
Offense: Andreas “Logix” Bergmans
Flex: Tim “Manneten” Bylund
Flex: Johan “CWoosH” Klingestedt
Support: Sebastian “Zebbosai” Olsson
Support: Zleksi “Zuppeh” Kuntsi
Houston Outlaws
The Houston Outlaws, backed by OpTic Gaming, rock the same black and green as their parent organization. OpTic made a name for themselves in Call of Duty and have proven quite adept at creating strong shooter teams and building a fanbase. Now, they’ll be faced with recapturing that magic in the Atlantic Division. These lawbreakers have a diehard rivalry with fellow Texan team the Dallas Fuel, dating back to the days of OpTic versus Team Envy.
Roster
Offense: Matthew “Clockwork” Dias
Offense: Jake Lyon
Offense Lucas “Mendokusaii” Håkansson
Offense: Jiri “Linkzr” Masalin
Tank: Austin “Muma” Wilmot
Tank: Matt “Coolmatt” Iorio
Support: Daniel “Boink” Pence
Support: Christopher “Bani” Benell
Support: Shane “Rawkus” Flaherty
Flex: Alexandre “Spree” Vanhomwegen
London Spitfire
Backed by esports powerhouse Cloud9, the London Spitfire is considered one of the strongest teams in the Overwatch League. Europe’s only team, the Spitfire will be competing in the Atlantic Division with an astonishingly strong South Korean roster. While the Spitfire aren’t content to rest on their laurels and ride the hype train, viewers and analysts are expecting them to do some serious damage in the Overwatch League’s debut season.
Roster
Offense: Kim “Rascal” Dong-Jun
Offense: Park “Profit” Jun-Young
Offense: Kim “birdring” Ji-Kyeok
Tank: Hong “Gesture” Jae-Hui
Tank: Baek “Fissure” Chan-Hyung
Support: Kim “Nus” Jong-Seok
Support: Jo “HaGoPeun” Heyon-Woo
Support: Jung “Closer” Won-Sik
Flex: Kim “Fury” Jun-Ho
Flex: Seong “WooHyaL” Seung-Hyun
New York Excelsior
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Right on the heels of the Kraft Group buying into the Overwatch League was Sterling.VC, who are behind the New York Excelsior. The Excelsior have acquired LW Blue, one of the best South Korean competitors, for its roster. Representing New York City and claiming that they are “ever upwards,” the NYXL hope to finish strong in the Atlantic Division. Despite the South Korean roster, NYXL are leaning hard into their New York brand to create an approachable team for the layperson.
Roster
Offense: Park “Saebyeolbe” Jong-Ryeol
Offense: Kim “Libero” Hae-Seong
Tank: Kim “Meko” Tae-Hong
Tank: Song “Janus” Jun-Hwa
Tank: Kim “Mano” Dong-Gyu
Support: Bang “Jjonak” Seong-Hyun
Support: Hong “Ark” Yeon-Jun
Flex: Kim “Pine” Do-Hyeon
Philadelphia Fusion
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The only team who has yet to debut on the Overwatch League stage, the Philadelphia Fusion will be playing for the first time during the League’s inaugural season. Backed by Comcast Spectacor, the owner of the Philadelphia Flyers, the Fusion was one of the last teams to join the Overwatch League. The final roster is multicultural, with players from around the world coming together to represent Philly in the League.
Roster
Offense: Lee “Carpe” Jae-Hyeok
Offense: Georgii “Shadowburn” Gushcha
Offense: Simon “Snillo” Ekström
Offense: Josue “Eqo” Corona
Tank: Joona “Fragi” Laine
Tank: Kim “Sado” Su-Min
Support: Joseph “Joemeister” Gramano
Support: Park “DayFly” Jeong-Hwan
Support: Isaac “Boombox” Charles
Support: Alberto “Neptuno” González Molinillo
Flex: Gael “Poko” Gouzerch
Flex: Choi “Hotba” Hong-Jun
Pacific League
Dallas Fuel
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Team EnVyUs was one of the most dominant teams in early competitive Overwatch. They’re carrying that forward into the Overwatch League as the Dallas Fuel, backed with a $35 million investment from Hersch Family Investments. Dallas is the hometown of Mike Rafael, the Fuel’s owner, and the Overwatch League marks a homecoming for the team. Add in the fact that they have some of the biggest names in Overwatch, including Seagull and Mickie, and it’s no surprise many eyes in the Pacific Division are on the Fuel.
Roster
Offense: Hwang “Effect” Hyeon
Offense: Timo “Taimou” Kettunen
Tank: Christian “Cocco” Jonsson
Tank: Félix “xQc” Lengyel
Support: Sebastian “Chipshajen” Widlund
Support: Scott “Custa” Kennedy
Support: Jonoathan “HarryHook” Tejedor Rua
Flex: Ponghop “Mickie” Rattanasangchod
Flex: Brandon “Seagull” Larned
Los Angeles Gladiators
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Clad in royal purple, the Gladiators are one of the two Los Angeles teams in the Pacific Division. Owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, along with the Los Angeles Rams, the Gladiators have been all in and shields up on their entrance to the Overwatch League. Bold, regal, and ready to pick a fight, the Gladiators have some of the most daring offense players in the League. Their main competitor remains the Valiant, the second city team in Los Angeles.
Roster
Offense: Choi “Asher” Jun-Sung
Offense: Lane “Surefour” Roberts
Offense: Joao Pedro “Hydration” Veloso de Goes Telles
Tank: Luis “iRemiix” Galarza Figueroa
Support: Jonas “Shaz” Samuel Suovaara
Support: Benjamin “BigGoose” Ville Aapeli Isohanni
Flex: Aaron “Bischu” Kim
Los Angeles Valiant
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Originally known as Immortals, the Los Angeles Valiant were one of the first North American organizations to find success in competitive Overwatch. During Season Zero of Blizzard’s Overwatch Contenders, the Valiant proved completely dominant over their North American competition. In the Overwatch League, the Valiant will face much stiffer competition, but the roster’s mix of veteran experience and young talent should be more than enough to make them one of the most exciting teams in the tournament.
Roster
Offense: Ted “Silkthread” Wang
Offense: Terence “Soon” Tarlier
Offense: Christopher “Grimreality” Schaefer
Offense Brady “Agilities” Giardi
Tank: Koo “Fate” Pan-Seung
Tank: Sebastian “Numlocked” Barton
Support: Park “Kariv” Young-Seo
Support: Stefano “Verbo” Disalvo
Support: Benjamin “unkoe” Chevasson
Flex: Indy “Space” Halpern
Flex: Lee “Envy” Kang-Jae
San Francisco Shock
Owned by NRG Esports and backed by celebrities like Shaq, Jennifer Lopez and Marshawn Lynch, the Shock has been one of the more fun brands in the Overwatch League. Tongue planted firmly in cheek, the team has vowed to #ShockTheWorld with audacious play and big personalities. While they’re unable to field a couple of young wunderkinds, including Offense Jay “Sinatraa” Won, expect their skill to jump when those players suddenly become eligible to play.
Roster
Offense: Jay “Sinatraa” Won
Offense: Dante “Danteh” Cruz
Offense: Andrej “Babybay” Francisty
Offense: André “iddqd” Dahlström
Tank: David “Nomy” Lizarraga Ramirez Osmar
Support: Nikola “Sleepy” Andrews
Support: Daniel “dhaK” Martinez Paz
Flex: Matthew “Super” DeLisi
Flex: Andreas “Nevix” Karlsson
Seoul Dynasty
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We’ve mentioned several South Korean rosters so far, but only one team holds the Seoul spot. The Dynasty, owned by KSV eSports, has signed the Lunatic-Hai roster widely considered to be the best in the world. From their black and gold team uniforms to their impressive track record to the name Dynasty, it’s clear that Seoul already considers themselves to be a top tier team. Indeed, their social media is downright wholesome and kind compared to the swagger of other teams. Many fans expect the Dynasty to be one of the main contenders in the inaugural season of the Overwatch League, but it remains to be seen whether they can live up to the expectations.
Roster
Offense: Chae “Bunny” Jun-Hyeok
Offense: Choi “Wekeed” Seok-Woo
Offense: Kim “Fleta” Byung-Sun
Offense: Byun “Munchkin” Sang-Beom
Tank: Gong “Miro” Jin-Hyuk
Tank: Kim “Kuku” Dae-Kuk
Support: Yang “Tobi” Jin-Mo
Support: Ryu Je-Hong
Flex: Koo “XepheR” Jae-Mo
Flex: Kim “Zunba” Joon-Hyeok
Flex: Moon Gi-Do
Shanghai Dragons
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The first brand to be announced, the Dragons represent Shanghai clad in red, yellow, and black. Owned by game development company and distributor of Blizzard titles NetEase, the Shanghai Dragons are relatively unknown compared to many of the other rosters in the Overwatch League thus far. While they dropped both of their preseason matches against Boston and Seoul, they’re clearly ready to roar back in the first season against the rest of the Pacific League.
Roster
Offense: Chao “Undead” Fang
Offense: Weida “Diya” Lu
Tank: Junjie “Xushu” Liu
Tank: Wenhao “Roshan” Jing
Support: Peixuan “Freefeel” Xu
Support: Zhaeoyu “Fiveking” Chen
Support: Yage “Altering” Cheng