Overwatch League Season 2 Countdown - Shanghai Dragons (#12)

As the start of Season 2 of the Overwatch League approaches, the next team on our list is a fan favorite from the inaugural season with a fresh coat of paint. The Shanghai Dragons did not manage to secure a set win last season, but with an updated roster they look like a completely different team. Only three players from the original roster will be returning this season, and the new talent has solid results from past seasons of Contenders. Shanghai has nowhere to go but up from their performance last season, and it seems that they may surprise many fans with the roster they have assembled.

Many fans of Overwatch Contenders will recognize the names of the three new DPS players signed to the Dragons. Coming from Team KongDoo Panthera is the DPS duo of DDing and YOUNGJIN, two up-and-coming faces from the Korean Contenders roster. DDing is a projectile specialist, who has shown skillful play as Pharah, Doomfist, Hanzo, and other heroes. YOUNGJIN is the other DPS from KongDoo, and he has demonstrated the depth of his hero pool with picks including Soldier: 76, Genji, Brigitte, and even Roadhog among others.

YOUNGJIN and DDing were able to help KongDoo achieve second place in Contenders: Korea this past season in 2018, going up against numerous other high-level teams. The only team stopping KongDoo from taking it all was RunAway, who has been signed to the Overwatch League as the Vancouver Titans, and when these teams face off again, it will certainly make for an exciting match.

Rounding out the DPS squad for Shanghai are Diem and Diya. Diem is a hitscan specialist coming from Lucky Future Zenith, the Contenders team that dominated Contenders: China in 2018. Diem is known for playing heroes including Widowmaker, McCree, and Soldier: 76, but is known to flex onto other heroes if needed, including Sombra and even Zenyatta. As one of the star players from that roster, Diem certainly has the potential to help establish the Dragons as a threat in the league. Alongside Diem is Diya, a returning veteran from Season 1 with Shanghai. Diya was one of the playmakers for Shanghai in the inaugural season, making critical picks with his Widowmaker, McCree, Tracer, and Doomfist. Alongside the other veterans of Shanghai, Diya will be a crucial part of helping the Dragons to hit the ground running in Season 2.

Geguri and Fearless are the other returning players to the Shanghai lineup and will make up most of the tank roster. Geguri was one of the fan favorites from Season 1, with her amazing Zarya and D.Va play and charming personality. Alongside Geguri is Fearless, the main tank from Shanghai season 1. Fearless was a valuable player for the Dragons last season who had good showings on Winston. These two players have a solid history of playing together, and their synergy will be important for the rest of the team to build off of. The last tank for Shanghai will be GuardiaN, a flex player coming from Toronto Esports. Unfortunately, GuardiaN will have to compete for time on the stage with Geguri as a flex tank, so it is unclear how much we will get to see of his play.
The support players for the Dragons will consist of Luffy and CoMa, the support duo from Team KongDoo Panthera. These two were a critical part of what made Team KongDoo

Panthera able to have such a strong showing in Contenders: Korea, and already have experience playing with YOUNGJIN and DDing. Luffy primarily plays heroes including Ana, Mercy, and Zenyatta, while CoMa plays mostly Lucio, Ana, and Mercy. Luffy and CoMa both seem to be skillful players on their own, and the additional experience with the other members of this team is an enormous benefit.

Overall the Shanghai Dragons look to be a much-improved team from what we saw last year in Season 1. The new players include many strong stars from Overwatch Contenders, with several already having played on the same team. The strongest players from the original Shanghai roster are still here, and the new additions should help make the team more refined. The Dragons ended Season 1 without a single won match, but with the changes they have made going into this next season, it is very difficult to believe they will stay that way for long. However, we will have to wait until their first match on February 14th against the Hangzhou Spark to be sure.

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Image Via: The Critical Index