Overwatch League offseason changes 2020

With the entire teams dismantling rosters and talented rookies diving into the chaos, the 2020 Overwatch League offseason has felt like a constant cyclone of change. Teams had to pare down rosters because of the effects of COVID-19 and make difficult decisions about the talent they invest in.

This offseason has recorded more roster adjustments than any season before it, but in the seemingly endless list, some acquisitions stand out. A few singular player additions are likely to revolutionize a team, while well-planned reconstructions will forever alter other rosters.

Here are the offseason changes from the 2020 Overwatch League.

Most of the Paris Eternal join Dallas Fuel – Overwatch League offseason

The Dallas Fuel chose to opt for a complete reconstruction after three disappointing seasons in the Overwatch League. 

During the 2020 offseason, the team dismantled its entire roster, sparing only DPS Kim “Doha” Dong-ha, a former member of Element Mystic, the Overwatch Contenders Korea team. Former Paris Eternal head coach Yon “Rush” Hee-won joined the Fuel and soon began building the 2021 season’s ultimate Element Mystic reunion.

Rush was quick to sign some of the best players of the Paris Eternal, including DPS phenomenon Kim “SP9RK1E” Young-han, off-tank expert Choi “Hanbin” Han-been, and hitscan ace Jung “Xzi” Ki-hyo, all of whom played for Element Mystic before. Kwon “Fielder” Joon also joined the Dallas Fuel with adaptable flex support from The Eternal.

Rush and Dallas Fuel probably put together one of the most stacked and dangerous teams to join the 2021 Overwatch League season by “stealing” the core of the Paris Eternal and bringing more Element Mystic alumni, like the former Houston Outlaws Flex support Kim “Rapel” Jun-geun.

Saebyeolbe and Anamo to Seoul Dynasty 

While they were all focused on the Dallas Fuel Shenanigans, the Seoul Dynasty managed to assemble the Infinity Gauntlet veteran of the Overwatch League during the offseason.

After competing in the 2020 Grand Finals against the San Francisco Shock, the Dynasty opted to retain many of its key players. This included the “Profit” Joon-yeong DPS Park clutch and the Jae-hee Hong “Gesture” tank, former 2018 London Spitfire champions.

As if it wasn’t enough firepower, the Dynasty picked up more of the old guard at DPS Park “Saebyeolbe” Jong Ryeol and the main support of Jung “Anamo” Tae-sung, a former DPS guard. New York Excelsior. 

Seoul’s job in 2021 is now to prove that the best talent in the league’s inaugural season can still go down with the start-up rookie teams.

Moth to Los Angeles Gladiators – Overwatch League offseason

Players who win back-to-back team championships are usually happy to stay . After the 2020 season concluded, Grant “Moth” Espe, formerly of the San Francisco Shock, decided to look for a new adventure. This was probably the most surprising off-season trade for fans.

Moth was a key part of the two championship wins of the Shock, serving as the team’s only main support. As part of the Los Angeles Gladiators, it will have the same weight but some built-in cohesion to help the transition. 

He joins with former Team USA partner Indy “Space” Halpern off-tank and fellow Toronto Esports alumnus Kim “Shu” Jin-seo, who is likely to act as Moth’s flex support partner. The Gladiators have already proved that the team is competitive thanks to a dominant win at the Valiant Winter Ball in Los Angeles.

Although Moth’s absence was a heartbreaker for Shock fans, his transition led to another major trade of the year: San Francisco was able to offer home to Brice “FDGoD” Monscavoir, Paris Eternal’s stellar rookie main support.

Mandu and KariV to Guangzhou Charge

Despite an impressive 2020 season, during the offseason, many players from the Guangzhou Charge decided to chase new possibilities. The Charge managed to acquire a support duo in the process of rebuilding that could throw down with the best in the league.

The main support for Guangzhou Kim “Mandu” Chan-hee was previously part of the New York Excelsior. He was hyped as a potential rookie of the year candidate during the 2019 offseason, but was relegated for most of 2020 to the NYXL bench. But he’ll finally get a chance to shine alongside a league veteran as the Charge’s only main support.

Bak “KariV” Young-seo played both the Los Angeles Valiant and Toronto Defiant with Flex support. He regularly serves outputs that are greater than the sum of his teams, held back by poor coordination or lack of strategy. KariV and Mandu both have the drive to demonstrate their true abilities, and Guangzhou provides them with the perfect stage to develop, enhance, and pop off.

Mano to Philadelphia Fusion

Although Kim “Sado” Su-previous min’s Philadelphia Fusion main tank had an anime-level redemption arc during the 2020 Overwatch League season, the team still suffered from the lack of a reliable, confident main tank. Enter Kim ‘Mano’ Dong-gyu, long considered to be one of the league’s best tankers.

Mano played a consistently excellent core tank for the New York Excelsior for three years. NYXL was always competitive, but due to poor strategy and lack of adaptability, they tended to fall flat in key fights. The Philadelphia Fusion, on the other hand, is proud to have players with deep pools of heroes and wild clutch potential. 

It’s probably more chaos than Mano is used to, but for the team, he might prove to be a calming presence. Fusion fans shouldn’t worry about Sado too much, either. Next year, he will continue his redemption at the Toronto Defiant.

Fury to Washington Justice – Overwatch League offseason

For Washington Justice, the 2020 season was unquestionably rough while it experienced retirements, trades, and the pandemic of COVID-19. Thanks to wild plays from DPS Jang “Decay” Gui-un, the team shone in the postseason, but many Overwatch League fans wrote off this success as a fluke.

As the offseason raged, former Philadelphia Fusion off-tank Kim “Fury” Jun-ho was acquired by Justice, a surprising addition considering the hard season of the team. Fury introduces some of the best off-tank talent in the league with him as well as the pedigree of a champion, having been part of the inaugural win of the London Spitfire season.

In addition to the re-signing of Decay, Fury’s addition has enhanced the legitimacy of Washington Justice in the eyes of many fans and analysts. This idea was only added to additional impressive signings, such as that of former Dallas Fuel support and London Spitfire alum Jung “Closer” Won-sik.