Following closely by the Philadelphia Fusion and the fan-favorite San Francisco Shock, the Shanghai Dragons have the solo number one spot for now. A feat that is extremely difficult to achieve, considering how competitive the Overwatch League is.
The Chinese squad garnered a 26-2 win-loss record and a positive 41 score difference than the median. The team also flaunts MVP worthy players and claimed two of the three APAC championship titles. Even though the Overwatch League has not had a long written history yet, this performance is by far one of the most commanding track records by any team in three years. An even more astonishing achievement accounting how the Dragons made history in the first season as one of the worst performances in any eSports tournament.
[embed]https://twitter.com/ShanghaiDragons/status/1294581991690690560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/embed]The team proudly tweeted on this milestone of the franchise history. It reads, “It’s been a long journey, but we finally made it. With that win, we lock in a 1st place finish across the entire league for the 2020 regular season!!!”
The Shanghai Dragons can now focus their energy and strategies for the post-season. They are the top dog team heading into the gauntlet-style playoffs, especially against their other APAC region competitors. However, it will be more enjoyable when they challenge the prime teams in North America. A pressure that the team has not faced before.
The eSports organizers of OWL have announced that the grand finals will observe a different format than what the audience is used to seeing. Scheduled to take place in South Korea from October 8 to 10, the finalists from each region will clash in a double-elimination bracket to honor the 2020 champion of the league.
Of course, even the smallest detail can tilt the weighing scale on one team’s direction from the other. A balance patch or a change in meta, much like the recent barrier-based heroes nerfs.
Even though some fans and analysts question the ruling on how this year’s results due to the worldwide pandemic, the Dragons are equally inspired to prove to the OWL fans that they deserve to be one of the elite squads in the league. On top of that, of course, is the $1.5 million paycheck for everyone’s effort and the bragging rights of a champion.
Fans are rejoicing over at Twitter for the moment to be loud and proud has just come. One fan exclaims, “I’ve always cheered you on, my dragons, from the start, from birth, all the way ’till now.”