Overwatch: HOTBA Picked Up by New York Excelsior
| Tags: Overwatch
| Author Malik Shelp
It may be Friday, but the roster changes never stop coming as the New York Excelsior has picked up a new tank player to replace Tae-hong “MekO” Kim.
Please join us in welcoming @HOTBA_OW to the @andbox_official family as the new off tank for the NYXL squad#EverUpward pic.twitter.com/G82faE2INS
— NY Excelsior (@NYExcelsior) November 15, 2019
When the New York Excelsior released MekO, everyone wondered who would – and could – replace him. Tank player Hong-joon “HOTBA” Choi was released from the Guangzhou Charge on November 11th, along with four other teammates. HOTBA was a top tier Sigma player in the Overwatch League, and his trade was surprising, to say the least. The Guangzhou Charge finished Stage 4 in third place but after losing so many players, their run at the Overwatch Shanghai Masters Invitational may be cut short.
HOTBA'S New Beginnings
📢🇨🇳⚡️Introducing the 2019 Guangzhou Charge Lineup! @osp0418 @Chara_RRRing @wjddn1763 @WonJaeLee_OW @HOTBA_OW @kongzzang_shu @nero_overwatch @KYB @OnlyWish_ – Feel The Charge! pic.twitter.com/bmulyimLke
— Guangzhou Charge (@GZCharge) November 23, 2018
When looking at playstyles, HOTBA and MekO have similar off-tank tactics, staying aggressive and maintaining off-angles. HOTBA has shown that his Sigma is one of the best in the league. Given time to practice with the rest of the Excelsior, the New York team is looking to be dominant again in 2020. The team remained strong throughout the OWL's three stages but slipped towards the end of the season, ending up near to the bottom of the leaderboard.
Malik specializes in esports photography, videography, video editing, and graphic design. He has also written Overwatch and Dota articles for over 2 years for DBLTAP and other esports outlets. You can learn more about Malik on our About page.