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Finally, the Overwatch League resumes after a week long break between stages. We saw the Vancouver Titans complete their Stage 1 undefeated streak and win the stage title. Will anyone be able to dethrone the seemingly unbeatable expansion team?
To answer that, we have to look at how Overwatch will be played in Stage 2. We saw in Stage 1 a dominance of the meta by the 3-3 composition (known as GOATs). Players, fans, and casters all seemingly disliked this high health, teamwork, and ultimate focused gameplay. Fortunately, Blizzard’s latest patch is an all-out assault on the GOATs meta. Handing out buffs and nerfs like candy on Halloween, predicting the meta going forward is challenging given the plethora of changes. Additionally, the introduction of the new support character, Baptiste, will contribute to a new meta for Stage 2.
Could a drastic meta change shakeup the league? Yes and no. While we may see some changes in the middle and lower tiers, let’s not fool ourselves about how the league is stacked. Last season we saw little change at the top tier when Mercy was nerfed and the dive meta became prominent. It’s unlikely we’ll see top tier teams (NYXL, Vancouver, SF) dramatically drop in the standings. But that’s not to say that any other team’s strengths/weaknesses won’t be exposed. What can we expect for the Boston Uprising?
The Good
After a tumultuous offseason and start of the year, Boston’s roster seems to have settled down. Gamsu’s last minute trade to Shanghai may have seemed earthshattering (no pun intended) – but Boston’s main tank position seems secure. Fusions has broken into the Overwatch League and garnered universal acclaim. Between him and off-tank veteran Note, Boston has every reason to feel confident about their tank line.
Fusion’s contract fiasco (and Boston’s subsequent loss to Shanghai) notwithstanding, Boston’s management has proven adept at plugging holes in the roster. Though they’ve been doubted at the start of each season, Boston consistently finds undervalued and capable players. We may not know how the meta will play out in Stage 2 and beyond. What we do know is if Boston finds itself unequipped for a new meta, the management knows where to look. Huk, President of Gaming for the Uprising, is an unmatched scout. Time and time again he’s been able to find the right player for this team. There’s no legitimate reason to doubt him now.
The Bad
A reasonable take going into Stage 2 is there are a lot of unknowns. We haven’t seen Blase or Colourhex play DPS. They’ve been stuck on Birgitte and Zarya, respectively, during Stage 1. We can look at their past performances to get a hint. Blase, at least on Twitter, has professed his love for Doomfist and other twitch centered heroes. Colourhex is known as a projectile focused DPS with a hero pool centered on Genji and Pharah. Without a clear hitscan gifted DPS, it is possible Boston could find themselves without a central cog of the new meta. There are already plenty of rumors that Boston is addressing this. Expect this to be the main storyline of Stage 2 for the team.
The Uprising
Landing in the Stage 1 playoffs was a notable achievement for a team seemingly scrutinized by everyone. But let’s not get complacent. A new meta is a new opportunity for teams to reinvent themselves. Teams that did poorly Stage 1 (London, LA Gladiators) will be hungry to upset a Stage 1 playoff team like Boston. Conversely, Boston gets an opportunity for revenge against Toronto and Vancouver this stage. Plenty of reasons to tune in week-to-week.
Another reason to be excited by Stage 2 is the schedule. Of the 7 teams Boston plays, only 3 were in the Stage 1 playoffs. Only 1 team over .500 didn’t make the playoffs last stage (sorry not sorry Dallas). If Boston can take care of business against the likes of Hangzhou, London, LAG, and Washington, they will be comfortably in the running for Stage 2 playoffs. They’ll have an opportunity to prove their gusto with matches against Atlanta, Toronto, and a redemption shot with Vancouver. Any win against one of those three will go a long way towards moving Uprising into the upper tier of the league.
Week 1’s matchup will be interesting. With Atlanta’s fan-favorite Dafran announcing his retirement, the Reign may be ripe for the feasting. Hopefully Atlanta feeds and Boston can start Stage 2 with a strong rebound from their loss to Vancouver.
We also should hope to see a bit of the Uprising’s bench players – Alemao and Axxiom. Both players are known in the community as more than capable in their roles (Lucio and Winston, respectively). If we see Boston want to changeup their team comps and strategy, hopefully both players will receive an opportunity to shine.
New meta. New teams to play against. A clean slate to work towards a Stage 2 title. Season standings still up in the air. Questions at the DPS position. There is plenty going on for the Uprising. Which is to say they still have that opportunity to PROVE. THEM. WRONG.
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