Video Credit: Akshon Esports
After months of competition, the inaugural Overwatch League finally has its champion: London Spitfire. The team faced off against Philadelphia Fusion last Saturday, where London finished off Fusion in a 3-0 victory, winning 2-0 overall and claiming their rightful place as the best team in Overwatch. Oh, and also $1,000,000.
Spitfire’s path to glory wasn’t all that smooth, with plenty of mid-season struggles, but they performed when it really mattered. They won a season-long six consecutive maps, finishing their last 21 maps of the postseason with a dominant 18-2-1 record, and while Philadelphia Fusion gave it everything they had, it simply wasn’t enough. London had talent everywhere, and with no weak links, they seized the championship.
One of the major proponents to London’s success was their DPS and finals MVP Park “Profit” Joon-yeong. He was a monster all series long, landing incredible Hanzo Dragonstrike ultimates and having the highest ultimate effectiveness among all Hanzo players in the playoffs. One play in particular that stood out — even for his standards — was his stunning five-kill ultimate defending Junkertown in Game 1.
But London’s supporting cast were just as instrumental. Main tank Hong “Gesture” Jae-hee and off-tank Kim “Fury” Jun-ho were each making massive contributions, whether it was setting up the DPS players for big combos or neutralizing enemy players. Fusion player Lee “Carpe” Jae-hyeok in particular was targeted by the London support, rendering him a weak force in the series. Moreover, London’s flex support Choi “Bdosin” Seung-tae excelled on both Zenyatta and Roadhog, continually coming up big when Spitfire needed him most.
In short, Fusion was simply outclassed by London’s incredible talent. Several key matchups, such as Fusion’s flex support Issac “Boombox” Charles vs Bdosin, all went in favor of Spitfire, and aside from a few good bursts from Philadelphia’s DPS Josh “Eqo” Corona and Carpe, London was ultimately too strong.