The good news is that this one was quick, which let us catch up to all of the other matches that are currently littering the esport streams for seemingly every title ever created. The bad news is that this was difficult to watch, as it was so wildly one-sided that it’s difficult to ascertain any positive qualities of the losing team.
Seoul Dynasty was knocked out by Hangzhou Spark in the Season 2 playoffs, and Seoul were looking ready for a bit of old-fashioned vengeance against the team that is one of the first esport teams ever to officially partner (and offer a roster slot to) an anime character.
The match began on Lijiang Tower in Night Market, and both teams clashed incessantly onto the point with notable character selections of Profit on Pharah, Creative on Ana, Guxue bringing the monkey mayhem with Winston, and QOQ on D.Va as off-tank.
Spark managed to gain a wealth of a percentage before Seoul retook the objective and never let go, and Night Market went the way of Seoul at 100/89.
Control Center was next and Adora brought out the Reaper, a fitting choice considering the more tightly-knit corridors that CC offers, facing directly against Profit on Ashe. Spark once again managed to put up a massive amount of control before rescinding control over to Seoul, and control was pushed back and forth until Spark managed to clutch it at 99/100.
This brought the teams to the third map of Lijiang, and what many consider to be the breaking point: on Garden Profit reprised his role on Pharah and Architect brought out the Sombra. Seoul managed to take first control after a decidedly long and belated battle between the two rivals and gained 59% before Spark could recap for 11%. Seoul recapped and ran for the hills with the score which resulted in 100/11.
On Hollywood, Seoul began on attack and as one caster put it, the play became ‘brutal’; Spark had no response to Seoul’s double hit-scan with Ashe and Widow on Profit and Fits (respectively); Hangzhou put together a solid defense for the second point, however, thanks to GODSB shifting over to Asha. Seoul was able to break the second point by shifting Profit to Tracer. Seoul managed to cap all three points with 49 seconds in the bank.
The Spark were similarly locked between the first and second points, yet couldn’t break free from a double-sniper play on Seoul’s behalf; Seoul took the second map.
The third map, which began after almost thirty minutes of ads and talking segments, saw the feared Temple of Anubis with Seoul on attack; they managed to take the two points (two CP rears its head again) with only 45 seconds left in the bank. Hangzhou struggled to cap the first point, yet managed. They faltered on the second point thanks to Profit once again reprising his role on the Pharah.
It was a clean sweep from the Dynasty who looked in rare form, and Hangzhou Spark have dropped out of the playoffs.