Overwatch Streamer Dafran Could Be Going Pro Once Again
| Tags: Overwatch
| Author Alex Mcalpine
The domains of video game streamers and pro esports players are often so tightly connected that they heavily overlap. However, for one figure in the Overwatch esports community, the two fields have become so close that they are practically interchangeable. The person in question is Daniel Francesca, better known as Dafran.
Recently, it was revealed that Francesca, a popular streamer of Overwatch and a former pro Overwatch player could be heading back to professional competition. The news was broken by Arran ‘Halo’ Brown, who is active in the esports community as a blogger, as well as Michael ‘mykL’ Padilla, Overwatch content creator. According to them, Dafran is considering the option of joining either a Contenders team or an Overwatch league team.
Initially, Halo shared a rumor that the streamer was leaning towards a Contenders team, but could be hooking up with a new franchise in the form of the Atlanta Overwatch League. Later, mykL confirmed the news and added that the steamer was reaching out to numerous Overwatch League teams.
Finally, in a recent stream, Dafran confirmed that he is considering coming back to the Overwatch competitive scene. He promised that he would share an update as soon as he had any definite news.
Previously, Dafran came through the ranks playing as a part of Selfless Gaming in the period before the Overwatch League was formed. In that era, he became one of the top players in North America. He was later suspended because of grieving and throwing games in ranked play. Later, Dafran stated that this behavior had been an attempt to extract himself from the professional play which he found boring and depressing. In July 2017, he stated that he would prefer a job change rather than work as a professional player. But, instead of that, his reputation allowed him to become a popular streamer in the community. At the same time, the ecosystem of pro players has been drastically differed with the arrival of the Overwatch League.
Right now, Dafran could use the signing window to sign as an exclusive free agent for one of the eight new expansion teams. This allows the teams to build their roster and not compete with other teams for the signing of players. Starting October 8, all Overwatch League teams will be able to sign these free agents. By December 8, all teams will have to include at least eight players on their roster and Dafran could be one of them.
Alex graduated from UWO with a degree in journalism. He is a Battle Royale and FPS guru. He often reads 'Winner Winner Chicken Dinner' as he is ranked in the top 100 on the PUBG leaderboards. Alex is also an Overwatch and CoD expert. You can learn more about Alex via our About page.