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Overwatch League Stage 2 preview

By Christine Wang Dickson

2018-02-10 / Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
2018-02-10 / Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment /
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Catch up on everything you missed during the first stage of the Overwatch League.

The first season of the Overwatch League kicked off in January. What followed was five weeks of intense matches for the league’s inaugural 12 teams. There were a good amount of “Four-Overwatch” sweeps, but as the first stage of the competition came to an end, a surprising number of teams overcame stumbles to make a play for the Stage 1 playoffs while previous favorites fell from the top.

It was a remarkable start to a new franchise, more exciting and successful than many people expected. And that was just from one of the five stages planned for the season.

Stage 2 of the Overwatch League kicks off on Feb. 21. With new hero balances (RIP Mercy, welcome Lucio), new players and new maps coming into the mix, all teams have a new chance to shake up the standings as much as possible in order to get themselves into the post-season playoffs.

Whether you’ve been following the Overwatch League since the beginning or have decided to start watching tomorrow, here’s everything you need to know to get caught up for Stage 2.

The current standings

(Note: Teams with the same record are ranked secondarily by individual map wins and losses.)

  1. New York Excelsior (9-1)
  2. Houston Outlaws (7-3)
  3. London Spitfire (7-3)
  4. Los Angeles Valiant (7-3)
  5. Seoul Dynasty (7-3)
  6. Boston Uprising (6-4)
  7. Philadelphia Fusion (6-4)
  8. Los Angeles Gladiators (4-6)
  9. San Francisco Shock (3-7)
  10. Dallas Fuel (3-7)
  11. Florida Mayhem (1-9)
  12. Shanghai Dragons (0-10)

Stage 1 playoffs and champion

At the very end of the stage, the top three teams competed in two rounds of playoff matches to determine who would receive $125,000 in prize money and the title of stage champion.

The New York Excelsior entered the playoffs as the top seed, earning themselves a first round bye. This meant that the London Spitfire and Houston Outlaws had to duke it out for their chance at facing off against New York in the championship. Despite defeating the Spitfire earlier in the stage, the Outlaws were overwhelmed by the Spitfire in the playoffs. The Spitfire then went on to stage a reverse sweep of the Excelsior to claim the title of Stage 1 Champion.

Stage 2: New players by team

Shanghai Dragons: Sky (Support), Geguri (Tank), Fearless (Tank), Ado (Offense)

Florida Mayhem: Sayaplayer (Offense), aWesomeGuy (Tank)

Dallas Fuel: aKm (Offense), Rascal (Offense, previously on London Spitfire; pending Blizzard approval)

Houston Outlaws: FCTFCTN (Tank; pending Blizzard approval)

Stage 2 maps

  • Hanamura
  • Volskaya Industries
  • Watchpoint: Gibraltar
  • Route 66
  • King’s Row
  • Hollywood
  • Nepal

Stage 2 schedule changes

On all weekdays, Overwatch League starts broadcasting on Twitch at 4 p.m. PST. On Saturdays, Overwatch League starts at 1 p.m. PST. Stage playoff and championship matches will now take place on Sunday of the last week of the stage, starting at 1 p.m. PST. For Stage 2, this will be on March 25.

Next: Overwatch League signs first female player

Stage 2, Week 1: Notable matches

If you are just starting your journey into the Overwatch League, here are the matches you’ll want to pay attention to right away during the first week of the stage:

  • Feb. 22 4 p.m. PST — Houston Outlaws vs. London Spitfire: Rematch alert. These two teams have already played each other twice, once being in the high-stakes environment of the Stage 1 playoffs. Their series history sits at 1-1. Who will break the tie and set this developing rivalry on fire?
  • Feb. 11 8 p.m. PST — Boston Uprising vs. Philadelphia Fusion: Get ready to rumble for a rematch of Overwatch League’s “Super Bowl.” These two teams are incredibly evenly matched and sit right next to each other in the standings. Last time, Boston got revenge for their fallen New England Patriots with a win over Philadelphia. Will they be able to do it again?
  • Feb. 23 4 p.m. PST — London Spitfire vs. New York Excelsior: These two teams faced off during the Stage 1 playoff championships, where London came from two maps down to dramatically rob New York of $100,000 in prize money and Stage 1 bragging rights. Will New York be able to get their revenge?

The second act of the Overwatch League starts Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. PST. Catch all the action on the Overwatch League’s Twitch channel or on the Overwatch League website.