Things are getting tense in the Blizzard Arena as we approach the final stages of Season 1. Every match and every map will be a deciding factor of who will be part of the Season 1 playoffs. While NYXL has a comfortable lead against the rest, the race for 2nd to 6th place is becoming very close between the 7 competing teams.  

As we enter the second week of the final stage, we will look at the most important matches that could possibly determine the season 1 playoffs.


4 Impactful OWL Matches That You Do Not Want to Miss This Week

Both the Los Angeles Gladiators and the Houston Outlaws are off to a good start, as both teams gained 2 wins with +6 map differentials. The Houston Outlaws are looking like one of the strongest team in the League right now with Linkzr absolutely destroying teams. They steamrolled through the London Spitfire with a 4-0 victory, and then beat Stage 2 finalist Boston Uprising with a score of 3-1. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Gladiators claimed won against the Dallas Fuel and San Francisco Shock, both with a 3-1 score.

This match is probably one of the most important matches of the week because whichever team takes the win from this match will also be likely to take Seoul Dynasty’s 6^th place spot in the League. This is assuming that Seoul Dynasty loses both matches this week, and the team that takes a win from this match will also take a win from the next match of this week. However, both teams are facing relatively easier teams after this match, and Seoul Dynasty is facing the London Spitfire and New York Excelsior this week.

Both teams have shown that they are adapting to the new meta well. However, the Houston Outlaws look like they are going to take this match. Both of Houston’s opponents in Week 1 have been top-tier teams, the London Spitfire and Boston Uprising. On the other hand, the Gladiators faced two of the lower tier teams, the Dallas Fuel and San Francisco Shock, so Houston seems to be in a stronger position.

Things are looking grim for the London Spitfire. They were swept by the Houston Outlaws and failed to put up a good fight against the New York Excelsior. They are slowly falling through the ranks and now are tied with the Los Angeles Valiant and Philadelphia Fusion.

This match is important for the London Spitfire; Philadelphia is set to take both wins this week since they are playing against the Dallas Fuel and Shanghai Dragons. If the London Spitfire is hoping to remain in third, they need to win this match and their match with Seoul on Saturday. Although far from being a Tier 1 team, the San Francisco Shock has been looking better since the introduction of Architect into the team. He has consistently been presenting strong performances ever since his debut and has arguably played better than Fleta versus Seoul Dynasty in week 1. On the other hand, the London Spitfire has been looking somewhat uncoordinated and even tilted at times. It will be a challenge for the Spitfire to take both wins.

Although the Spitfire were dominated by the Houston Outlaws, they looked a lot better against the New York Excelsior despite their loss against them. The San Francisco Shock may have upgraded, but they are still a relatively weaker team. So, even though this match might be a lot closer than people think, London is looking like they might take the victory. The match will largely depend on whether London can keep themselves together or not. Should London fail to do so, they might have a really difficult time trying keep Architect in check. If they can however, their teamwork might overwhelm Architect despite his spectacular individual performance.

The Valiant were able to take Seoul Dynasty’s spot as the leader of the Pacific Division this week by beating both Seoul Dynasty and the Shanghai Dragons. This means that the Valiant has a chance to receive the first-round bye into the semifinals. On the other hand, Boston might be second in the overall standings, but they are not far ahead of those in 3rd to 5th place; a couple more losses could put them in a dangerous spot. Despite their perfect run in Stage 3, they haven’t performed as well with their new meta. It seems like their dive is still their strongest composition, but this line-up is struggling against Brigitte.

This match is important for both teams, but especially for the Los Angeles Valiant. If the Valiant manages to beat the Uprising, they will further cement their lead in the Pacific and will be guaranteed a spot in the semi-finals. As for the Boston Uprising, they are a few losses away from getting their 3rd spot taken by London, Philadelphia or the Valiant, which could put them as low as 5th place. With their continued bad performance, not making it to the playoffs is slowly becoming a possibility.

However, despite their losses against Philadelphia and Houston this week, I would argue that the Uprising is still a stronger team compared to the Valiant. Boston faced two of the toughest opponents in the League, while Los Angeles faced Seoul Dynasty and the Shanghai Dragons. Therefore, it seems like the Boston Uprising will be able keep their status quo after this week. I believe this match will largely depend on which team has adapted better with Brigitte in the line-up, and Boston seems like they have the slight edge.

The Seoul Dynasty is in trouble. A team that was considered the top of the League is now struggling to make it to the playoffs. Their only chance for making it to the playoffs is heavily dependent on the matches this week because of their surprising losses against the Los Angeles Valiant and San Francisco Shock. With both the Los Angeles Gladiators and Houston Outlaws quickly catching up to Dynasty’s standings, it is imperative that the Dynasty gets at least one win this week, and their only chance would be against the London Spitfire.

If the Dynasty beats the London Spitfire this week, they can comfortably sit at 5th place with relatively easier matches through the rest of the stage. They only have to worry about their match against the Fusion in Week 4 and the Gladiators in Week 5. However, with their loss against both teams, Seoul will be out of the playoffs at 7^th place coming into Week 3. From there, it will be hard for the Seoul Dynasty to make it into the playoffs unless the Gladiators or the Outlaws go into an unexpected slump.

This match will be heavily dependent on the main tank of Seoul. If Seoul decides to put Ryujehong back on support and put a main tank that can competently take on London, then Seoul might have a chance. If Seoul decides to put Ryujehong on main tank and Gido on support, I predict that they will be crushed by New York and London. Gido’s performance in the last two matches has been less than stellar, with odd ultimate timing that cost many of the battles. On the other hand, if London continues to play solo queue style without a clear plan and coordinated attacks, Seoul might have a chance with a proper tank/support line. However, I still predict a win for the Spitfire.


Disclaimer: The following article was written freely based on the author's opinion, and it may not necessarily represent Inven Global's editorial stance.

(All photos of the Blizzard Arena have been provided by the official Twitter of Overwatch League)