Overwatch League Atlanta Reign Homestand Weekend Primer | Part 2

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Overwatch League Atlanta Reign Homestand Weekend Primer | Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of ESTNN’s Atlanta Reign Homestand Weekend Primer! Last time we looked at the Atlanta Reign, Washington Justice and Florida Mayhem. This time, we’ll be covering the Toronto Defiant, the Philadelphia Fusion and the Guangzhou Charge. Without further ado, let’s begin!

Toronto Defiant

toronto defiant team 1
Photo via ESPN

Kicking off part two is one of two Canadian teams, the Toronto Defiant. And despite expectations for the team being high at the start, the team have slipped down the rankings. They’re at 17th place on the season table, with a 7-12 match record and a -16-map differential, just one map above the Guangzhou Charge. In terms of making the season playoffs, it doesn’t look good for the Defiant.

The Toronto Defiant started off doing quite well, as they reached the stage playoffs for Stage 1. But after that, their wins became less and less frequent. A lot of their matches ended in the team being swept, or the Defiant would take a map. However, some of the Defiant’s problems could be due to communication issues. The team seems to be running their new players without much time for them to practice with their teammates, which can lead to issues in communicating and coordinating, especially if you are fielding a mixed roster of English and Korean. The individual talent on the Defiant is impressive though, with skilled flex tanks like Gods and a solid Zenyatta like Neko. With enough time and practice, the Defiant may be able to turn some heads and pick up some more wins.

Philadelphia Fusion

philadelphia fusion team 1
Photo via Comcast Spectacor.

The Philadelphia Fusion aren’t looking too shabby this season. Sitting at 7th place for the season, they’re just one place shy of making the season playoffs. With an 11-8 match record and a -1-map differential, things seem to look bright for the Fusion.

However, things aren’t as stable as they could be for Philadelphia. One problem they do have is their consistency. When the Fusion win their matches, they’re either a map five affair or a near clean sweep. But if they lose, they lose hard, sometimes getting cleanly swept or just picking up a single map. In a meta where Reinhardt was prominent, the Fusion wouldn’t run their main tank Fragi, who’s renowned for his Reinhardt skills. Despite the inconsistencies, the Philadelphia Fusion are a solid team, as proven by their successes last season. The individual talent on the team is overwhelming, and if they can bring their A-Game to Atlanta, they are bound to take their match wins over the weekend.

Guangzhou Charge

guangzhou charge team 1
Photo via Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment

The Guangzhou Charge are in a tough spot to judge. They’re sat at 18th in the standings for the season, with a 7-12 match record and a -17-map differential. Looking just at their standings, you would think they’re only slightly better than the bottom two teams.

But it’s hard to tell with the Charge. Looking at their schedule, they haven’t had easy matches. Facing San Francisco twice in one week can be draining, especially when both are clean sweeps from the Shock. They have managed to beat teams like the LA Valiant, but the Valiant were going through a rough patch when they first faced off in Stage 1. They’ve also lost to teams like the Paris Eternal and the Chengdu Hunters, both of which are middle of the pack teams. But when you look at the roster and some of the plays they pull off, the talent is radiating off of them. Players like Happy have made their names known with his skills on heroes like Widowmaker. Perhaps during this weekend, the team can finally show the fans what they can really do.


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Featured image via Atlanta Reign.

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Charlotte August
Charlotte “CharlieHiggins” is a student in London, England with a strong passion for Overwatch Esports. She is a Community Moderator for the Los Angeles Gladiators and creates daily content for fans to enjoy. You can learn more about Charlotte on our About page.