Meet the teams for the inaugural season of the Overwatch League

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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