New to Overwatch? Get caught up on everything Overwatch League by reading our introduction.
Imagine you’ve trained to do one specific thing. You worked yourself through the ranks. From the bottom to the the top. Now you’re in the big leagues. All that time spent grinding, practicing, and scrimming so you can show you’re the best at what you do. And then – you get asked to do something else. What would you do?
Like a first baseman asked to play outfield or a right winger put in as the goalie, blase, a dps specialist, found himself put in the brig. What is the brig? For the uninitiated, the brig is a special type of hellhole for those like blase who specialize in dispensing death to the masses. Instead of headhunting, smashing with your fist, or shooting grenades, you’re made to shieldbash. To hand out repair packs like halloween candy. Or to get all your teammates together and throw out a rally. What a miserable existence.
To have such an exceptional skill set, to be on the grandest stage, and to be told – to do something else? That has to set off an array of emotions. We got the chance to ask blase about it, how the Uprising are doing, and where he sees the team going.
Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
Boston Sports Extra’s LoadScr33n:We’re just about halfway through the 2019 season – what are some of the highlights for you and the team?
Jeffrey ‘blase’ Tsang: Some highlights were being able to play DPS on certain maps like Koth where I got to show my doom off. Another highlight is our three reverse sweeps in a row which was pretty cool to pull off, and also making the Stage 1 playoffs when the odds were stacked against us.
LoadScr33n: It seems the Uprising have been able to deal with major roster turnover both as the season started and as it progressed. What are some reasons why this team has so quickly developed such strong cohesion?
blase: Everyone on our team is nice and easy to approach, no one has a huge ego and we all get along. We also have a great coaching staff that keep everything in order if things ever go awry.
LoadScr33n: Let’s talk about week 5’s two matchups. There were low expectations for the Uprising going against the then Stage 2 undefeated LA Gladiators. What did were some big things you did to prepare for the match?
blase: We knew that LA Gladiators wanted the perfect stage and to accomplish that, they needed to win one more match which was against us. We knew they were pretty nervous and the way we thought about it was the way we lost to the Hangzhou Spark and we could do the same thing against them. We could be the Spark against the Gladiators, like the hole in the road they were against us. We just played our game and tried our best.
LoadScr33n: You guys played a lot of DPS comps on Control and Assault maps against Washington/LA – why is Boston not only willing to play that way but successful at it?
blase: After obtaining RCK, we were able to flex more to triple DPS compositions because we also have good DPS players in Colourhex and myself. We are also not perfect at goats much like the top teams so DPS comps are a good “cheese” to beat certain teams that are weak at it.
LoadScr33n: Boston is 12th in the league standings – far away from the automatic season playoffs cutoff of sixth place. What are some things the team can work on to better their position and improve as a whole?
blase: We just need to keep practicing and be more consistent with our performances and keep a certain level of skill even if we play a weaker opponent. It’s also probably going to be more goats in stage 3 so we will keep at the grind to be a better goats team.
LoadScr33n: Fans learn about the team and players from watching matches, following Twitch streams, scanning Reddit, and several other online news sources. Despite this plethora of information, what would you say are some things fans don’t know or understand about the Boston Uprising and you specifically?
blase: I don’t mind playing brig but would like to play a different meta.
Everyone at Boston Sports Extra appreciates blase taking the time to speak with us. At 7-7, Boston sits at 12th place in the league. Missing the Stage 2 playoffs, the team has its work cut out for them. Stage 3 begins this Friday, June 7th at 8:45pm. Uprising are hosting a free watch party at the Hard Rock cafe for fans. Get there early.
New to Overwatch? Get caught up on everything Overwatch League by reading our introduction.
The London Spitfire have so many talented players on their roster it’s insane. You could discuss Profit and Birdring for literal hours going back and forth about who can carry their team harder. Then you have Gesture creating all sorts of space for the back line, while Fury is having an incredible season eating almost a grav a game. But today we are going to breakdown how Bdosin, London’s off-support, surprised Boston and pulled the match into London’s favor.
The last time these two teams met, the match came down to a last minute push on King’s Row. Boston was able to hold London short of the last point, so all they needed to do was push 1 meter farther. The fight was shaping up to be a clean Boston win.
rCk looks for the game-winning EMP
Let’s Watch the full fight and see what happened.
Clip Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment and the Overwatch League
By just a hair, rCk missed Bdosin with his EMP and Boston lost the fight because of it. This one small play by Bdosin prevented another reverse sweep attempt from Boston. But after watching this series multiple times over, it’s obvious that this match wasn’t defined by one play. It was won by Bdosin having one of the cleanest games of his OWL career. I want to take a look at how that happened, and what Boston can do to stop him in the upcoming match against London.
Superior Positioning
Bdosin’s strongest asset he brought to the match was his incredible positioning. He constantly creates situations where Boston was left with an impossible decision. Does Boston attempt to attack the back line first in a 3-3 mirror? Or do they believe they can power through the front line and clean up the healers after? The usual answer is the latter – burst down the enemy Reinhardt or Zarya, and then quickly roll the rest of the team over since their main source of damage is gone.
Having seen his fair share of GOATs, it looks as though Bdosin decides to create as much pressure as possible from difficult to reach positions. By staying far away from the chaos, he is able to force Boston to take fights that are out of their favor. Take this example from the first map Busan – Meka Base.
Busan – Meka Base
As Boston approaches the point, London is posturing just for a moment to build ult charge and to allow Gesture to return to the point. In the meantime, Bdosin takes advantage of the high ground that overlooks the point. The strength of Bdosin’s position lies in the fact that he is both uncontested and able to see the entire point. Why is this important? From where Bdosin stands, he is able to generate ult charge twice as fast as Aimgod. Being able to have line of sight to heal as well as deal damage, Bdosin gains 55% ult charge in 27 seconds. To compare, Aimgod gains 41% in the same time span.
Bdosin overlooks point from a safe distance
Even worse for Boston is that even if they do decide to pressure Bdosin on the high ground, they would waste large amounts of time to force him to simply rotate back to his team. Because he plays near the ledge behind his team, Bdosin puts himself in a spot to be able to drop down and ult if needed. From this one fight, London is able to snowball their advantage into a map win.
Paris Defense
As a bonus example, I wanted to share this little clip from the next map Paris. London has given up the first point easily to Boston, and now face a large time bank to hold Boston from completing the map. It’s a brief moment, though I think it really defines why these players are pro and most people are not.
Bdosin avoiding unnecessary damage
Boston eventually pushes London out of this position, but Bdosin sets up in a spot with 3 forms of protection against the enemy Zen. Bdosin sets up behind Birdring here, but he has the option to stand behind the globe as well as Gesture. From this position, Bdosin also has two very easy escape routes behind him and to the right towards point. Small moments like these are excellent for showcasing how each position should bring value to your team, even if you aren’t in a fight.
The Clutch Factor
Just like physical sports, the attributes that separate a good player from a great player are the intangibles. During this series, Bdosin displays what it means to have incredible game sense. His plays on Paris and King’s Row highlight what exactly “the clutch factor” can do for a team.
Paris Attack
If you re-watch this series, you’ll start to notice a trend in Bdosin’s play. He solely focuses the Boston supports in the posture phase. The pressure he inflicts onto the Boston backline causes Aimgod and Kellex to position themselves in awkward areas.
On the second Paris attack, Bdosin turns on the heat and brings Aimgod to half health the moment he peeks the choke. The shock of almost getting one-shot forces Aimgod to back up and play safer around the small wall and Blase. This also forces Aimgod to use bio-nade, a crucial cooldown Boston needs in order to slow down London’s push.
Moments later, Bdosin ends the game with a pick on Kellex to break the stalemate. The death of Kellex creates a flurry of opportunities for the London attackers.
First and foremost – Boston no longer has a defensive ultimate because they had elected to play Ana in hopes to counteract Bdosin’s transcendence. Second, Boston no longer has the speed boost to control the pace of the fight, once Lucio is gone London is given the freedom to attack when they choose.
Without that kill, Boston has a shot at winning the map and gaining momentum into King’s Row. Unfortunately Bdosin had other plans.
King’s Row Defense
Down 0-2, Boston needs to create a spark to get the momentum back in their favor. Up until this point, Boston has not brought out their Sombra GOATS despite having resident expert rCk in the lineup. It only makes sense that now would be the time to lean back on “the crutch” that is Sombra.
Sure enough, that is exactly what we see from Boston on their first attack. Even though Boston is able to complete the map, it was obvious the match would boil down to Bdosin’s transcendence vs rCk’s EMP. You can guarantee both players knew this as well, but only one was able to come out the victor. When the dust settled, Bdosin dodged 4 out of the 6 EMP’s from rCk.
Just another dodge from Bdosin
How was the battle so lopsided? Bdosin knew that each fight he had transcendence available, he needed to watch and listen for Sombra. Understanding that Sombra is the Boston win condition, Bdosin positions himself in spots that allows him to either ult early or avoid a hack altogether. Most importantly, when the last fight came around, Bdosin was simply more clutch than rCk.
When you watch the clip at the start of the article, you can see rCk trying to line up his EMP. He looks to hit both tanks and DPS, but Bdosin knows he is out of line of sight. Staying in that room forces rCk to either commit fully to hacking only Bdosin, or hack the rest of London with Bdosin left able to use his ultimate. By taking a small step back, Bdosin ends the match with a bang. Bdosin’s clutch dodge leads to a disappointing loss for Boston.
Moving Forward for Boston
This time around, I believe Boston can beat the Spitfire if they neutralize Bdosin’s play style. It’s important to not let him become comfortable standing in the back line uncontested. Whether it be Sombra or a triple-DPS team composition, Boston needs to be more proactive against London. After Busan, Boston was down 31-12 in terms of eliminations. Against any opponent this is a terrible ratio, let alone a team as strong as London. As we watch the games this weekend, keep an eye out for the thrilling rematch of rCk and Bdosin. Hopefully this time rCk waits just one more second to use that EMP.
All clips featured in this article are courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment
Be sure to follow Brock on twitter for more breakdowns and analysis #BostonUp
New to Overwatch? Get caught up on everything Overwatch League by reading our introduction.
The Uprising can be a really frustrating team to watch. At times they can be world beaters, smashing even the best of teams without breaking a sweat. Then at times they look like their monitors are turned off in the midst of high-pressure games. As we head into a pivotal Stage 3 for Boston, we are hoping that the boys in blue are able to play like the top tier team they can be. The only problem is their difficult schedule ahead.
Stage 3 Schedule
The Uprising will have to play 3 top-8 teams, even having to play Philly a second time in what will certainly be a decisive last game for Boston right before playoffs. As a result, Boston has found itself as the underdog for more than half of the stage. Luckily they get the benefit of playing the struggling Paris Eternal twice, providing some form of relief from tougher opponents. But just how tough is it for Boston in Stage 3? Check out the head-to-head records against each opponent:
Opponent
Head-to-Head Record
London Spitfire (4)
2-3
Paris Eternal (16)
0-0
Houston Outlaws (18)
2-3
Philadelphia Fusion (7)
3-4
San Francisco Shock (3)
1-2
Paris Eternal (16)
0-0
Philadelphia Fusion (7)
3-4
Yikes. Boston does not have a single winning record against their opponents this stage. The most surprising being a losing record against the currently 3-11 Houston Outlaws, a team that has thoroughly played below expectations. While the game against Houston should be relatively one-sided in Boston’s favor, the rest of the schedule will not be so kind.
Strength of Schedule
Here’s a quick glance at how Boston’s schedule compares to the rest of the league.
Rank
Team
Average Opponent Map Win %
1
Chengdu Hunters
0.572
2
Dallas Fuel
0.556
3
Atlanta Reign
0.549
4
Florida Mayhem
0.53
5
LA Valiant
0.522
6
London Spitfire
0.518
7
LA Gladiators
0.513
8
Boston Uprising
0.509
9
Toronto Defiant
0.484
10
Houston Outlaws
0.478
11
Vancouver Titans
0.477
12
Hangzhou Spark
0.474
13
Washington Justice
0.47
14
Shanghai Dragons
0.462
15
Paris Eternal
0.459
16
Philadelphia Fusion
0.455
17
Seoul Dynasty
0.451
18
San Francisco Shock
0.438
19
Guangzhou Charge
0.422
20
New York Excelsior
0.408
Ranked 8th in the league in terms of schedule strength, Boston has quite the uphill battle if they want to finish the stage with a positive record. At 7-7, they sit on the playoff bubble with teams like Atlanta, Seoul, and Toronto – all of which share the same record. While Atlanta has the 3rd toughest schedule this stage, Seoul and Toronto have much weaker schedules, adding even more pressure onto Boston to win their tougher match ups.
Match Predictions
San Francisco Shock (11-3)
Coming off of their “Golden Stage” and a Stage Championship,the Shock are easily the hottest team in the league. This is undoubtedly Boston’s toughest match of the stage and it will be a gigantic test for the Uprising. Prediction: San Francisco 4 – 0
London Spitfire (9-5)
The classic revolutionary rivalry. London absolutely smashed Boston last time around, but since it is the first match of the stage for these two I see this as a statement game for Boston. They can again assert themselves as a team to fear with a win. Then again, Boston is 2-4 in stage openers, so we can only hope they shake off their early stage struggles. Prediction: London 3 – 2
Philadelphia Fusion (8-6)
Philly is a team that really excels in a DPS-focused meta where they can make use of carpe and eqo’s insane mechanical skills. Expecting more GOATS and bunker comps, Boston’s tank line should be favored this time around. Since they play twice this stage, I wouldn’t be surprised if these two split 2 very close matches. Game 1 Prediction: Boston 3-2 Game 2 Prediction: Philly 3-2
Paris Eternal (5-9)
The first meeting for these two teams, and we get to see them play twice in the same stage. Paris has seemed lost through the first two stages, showing some really good moments but a lot of bad decision making. Boston should have no problem capitalizing on the mistakes of a weaker team. Game 1 Prediction: Boston 4-0 Game 2 Prediction: Boston 3-1
Houston Outlaws (3 – 11)
I don’t think there’s a more disappointing team to watch than the Outlaws right now. Their GOATS is just terrible, which is stunning with a normally exceptional Rein player in Muma. Boston needs to expect shenanigans from a desperate Houston team, otherwise we will see another Washington fiasco. Prediction: Boston 4-0
I think at 4-3 Boston would have a shot at making the stage playoffs, however looking forward to the season playoffs they would certainly have to pull out a few upsets along the way. There is a scenario where Boston upsets London and wins both games against Philly to go 6-1 for the stage, and I think it may be more likely than most people realize.
This is the stage for Boston to truly separate themselves from the rest of the pack of middle-tier teams. With a full stage with rCk under their belt, and a set roster moving forward, this stage is the best opportunity to make some noise in around the league. Last year we saw Boston have a perfect Stage 3, who says they can’t do it again?
Be sure to follow Brock on twitter for more breakdowns and analysis #BostonUp
Hey there! I’m new here so I’ll introduce myself real quick. My name is Bryan Rockwood and I will be joining the Boston Sports Extra team to discuss the Uprising.
I am a software developer by trade, and a video game enthusiast on my time. I went to school in upstate New York with a dream to become a video game developer. A quick 4 years later I realized I wasn’t quite cut out for it. What I did find out though, was that I was quite good at discussing games instead of playing them. After a couple of articles on my personal site, I knew it was time to try something bigger. So here I am now, bringing in some fresh insights into OWL and the Boston Uprising.
As someone who grew up in Massachusetts, Boston sports are near and dear to my heart. When the news came out that Bob Kraft would be pouring money into a Boston OWL team, I couldn’t believe it. There would be a full fledged location-based esports league for a game that I love watching. Every other league that I have watched was named after an organization like TeamSoloMid or Fnatic. But now, I could add another Boston jersey to my collection to sit next to Gronk and Bergeron.
I was lucky enough to go to the Grand Finals last year at the Barclays Center. And let me tell you, that was the defining moment for me to really start investing myself into the Overwatch League. So I started to slowly do just that. I began playing more, started watching more highlights, and kept reading a lot of Reddit threads in hopes to improve as a player. I learned pretty quickly that I just didn’t have it to make it as a competitor. So I swapped to the next best thing and started writing about Overwatch.
I’m still very much a rookie on this front, but this is some of the most fun I have had doing “work” and I can’t wait to start a new journey here at BSE.
Overwatch Grand Finals from Bryan Rockwood
I currently live in New Jersey with my girlfriend and our puppy Maisie. Be sure to follow Brock on twitter for more breakdowns and analysis#BostonUp
New to Overwatch? Get caught up on everything Overwatch League by reading our introduction.
After a 4-3 record in Stage 1 and losing their first round playoff matchup to the Vancouver Titans, the Boston Uprising seemed to have a clear path forward. Keep on grinding, focus on scrims, and scrape by on just making playoffs. That’s what most teams would have bunkered down with. But conventional wisdom isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
In a move that surprised Overwatch League observers worldwide, the Boston Uprising traded fan favorite off tank Lucas “Note” Meissner to the Dallas Fuel for fellow off tank Richard “rCk” Kanerva. Note, one of the few holdovers from Boston’s season 1 roster, was lauded for his consistent and serviceable play. Conversely, rCk had a reputation for his ability to flex off the traditional DVa role. Importantly, the Finn could play Sombra, the very kryptonite used against the Uprising all season.
With the trade happening just days before Stage 2, rCk had little time to join the Uprising and adjust to the new surroundings. Interestingly, he had just ended Stage 2 by being reverse swept by his new teammates. That had to make the whole situation just a bit more stressful. Boston Sports Extra got the opportunity to speak to rCk about how the trade and transition happened. We also got to speak about the future of the team.
Boston Sports Extra’s LoadScr33n: What was your first reaction to hearing you were being traded to Boston?
Richard “rCk” Kanerva: My first reaction was kind of sad and confused at the beginning because I didn’t understand why I was being traded to Boston after performing well with Dallas. But after a couple of days of practicing, I felt like this was going to be good after all and I would be a good fit in Boston.
LoadScr33n: What were those few days like between being told you were traded and the start of stage 2? What did the team do to integrate you given the short period of time before the first match?
rCk: I was scared because I only had 4 days of practice with a new team in a completely different work environment. The team did a great job of welcoming me in and I felt better after a few days. Everyone was super friendly and understanding and we got along straight away.
LoadScr33n: In your first match against Atlanta, on Eichenwalde, you were left alone on the payload as overtime started. Everyone else had been picked off and the Reign were steps from pushing the cart to win the series. What went through your head as you picked off Poko and hit a 2k with the self-destruct? How do you stay focused in high pressure situations like that?
rCk: The only thing that went through my mind was that I needed a big bomb to be able to clutch the situation. I needed a new mech because I had no health left and I needed to get picks with the bomb and hope that my teammates would respawn fast enough to give support afterwards. At that point when I used Self-destruct I knew there was no place for them to hide after using all their abilities/cooldowns. To be able to stay focused in a situation like that you just have to focus on your fundamentals and how badly you want to win and find out your enemies’ weaknesses.
LoadScr33n: Boston became the first team to pull off three consecutive reverse sweeps. Having been on the receiving end of one of them, what’s it like being on the winning end of not one, but two since you joined the Uprising?
rCk: I’ve always been a competitive person and I understand the hunger of winning while you’re at a disadvantage. It’s the best feeling ever to be able to reverse sweep and win the series like that but it’s the worst feeling to lose like that. I was hoping to win both matches that we reverse swept with Boston in a clean 4-0 but reverse sweeping not once but three times is pretty exciting.
What a debut with my new team @BostonUprising. We won @ATLReign 3-2 with a reserve sweep!! Now I know how it feels like. Very proud of everyone in the team for popping off the last 3 maps! Thanks to all the fans for the support, you guys are the best!!❤️ #BostonUp
LoadScr33n: How would you describe your role on the team after the first few matches? How has the transition been?
rCk: I kept the same role that I had in Dallas that I was very comfortable in and I’m happy to bring it to Boston with me. I think my communication skills are great so I help with shot calling and making plans. Also, because I’m a really flexible off-tank player with a large hero pool, I help the team by changing my playstyle depending on what composition we play against. The transition has been very good and I’m liking the fact that I can be more of a playmaker for them.
LoadScr33n: What do you think is a realistic expectation for this team in this upcoming stage and for the season? What do you see as the biggest challenges to accomplishing those goals?
rCk: I think we are a great team and there’s tons of potential. Like every team, we have a few small issues but if we work hard and we put in the time and overcome them we could be a top-5 team for sure. Our whole team thrives to be better and continue learning. The biggest challenge is to understand that everything good comes with hard work and those who practice more in the right environment will improve greatly. #BostonUp #RiseUp
Everyone at Boston Sports Extra appreciates rCk taking the time to speak with us. At 7-7, Boston sits at 12th place in the league. Missing the Stage 2 playoffs, the team has its work cut out for them. Stage 3 begins next Friday, June 7th at 8:45pm. Uprising are hosting a free watch party at the Hard Rock cafe for fans. Get there early.
New to Overwatch? Get caught up on everything Overwatch League by reading our introduction.
Boston entered the 2019 Overwatch League with a retooled roster of both new and returning players. Several of these new players came from across the globe, among them British main tank Cameron ‘Fusions’ Bosworth. Riding his energetic shotcalling, aggression, and leadership, the Uprising snuck into the Stage 1 playoffs. Receiving league-wide acclaim, the rookie has been named to the All-Star game as a starter for the Atlantic Division.
Excitement followed the team as they started Stage 2 with two reverse-sweeps against Atlanta and Toronto. Unfortunately, the Uprising would go 0-3 in their next games, including an 0-8 map score against London and Vancouver. A win against the then-undefeated Stage 2 LA Gladiators would lift the team’s spirits before getting reverse swept by the then 1-win Washington Justice. Now the Uprising are on the outside looking in on the Stage 2 playoffs.
We were fortunate to have Fusions answer a few of our questions about how Stage 1 went, the roster changes throughout the season so far, and how far this team can go.
Note: This interview was conducted just before Stage 2 week 5’s matchup against the LA Gladiators.
Boston Sports Extra’s LoadScr33n: There were a lot of questions about the Uprising headed into the 2019 season considering all the turnover with the roster. Looking back, how would you evaluate the team’s performance in Stage 1?
Cameron “Fusions” Bosworth: First I think our performance in stage 1 was really good overall, we absolutely smashed our expectations and performed really well against some good opponents, the only match I was unhappy with was the 0-4 loss against defiant because I felt like we didn’t really give our all to that match.
LoadScr33n: Boston’s Stage 1 success has been widely attributed to your addition to the roster. What are some of the influential experiences in your amateur career that have helped you perform so well at the professional level?
Fusions: Prior to being in OWL I had a lot of experience as a shotcaller in multiple teams and lots of experienced players so that helped me adjust really fast, also I’ve had plenty of LAN and match experience prior to the Overwatch League so I wasn’t that overwhelmed coming into OWL.
LoadScr33n: Let’s talk about the Note trade. You two seemed to have a great partnership both in and out of the game. What do you think makes Note a special player?
Fusions: I think the thing that makes Note so special as a player is the fact that he’s so consistent. I’ve never played with a player who does his job as consistently as Note did and still does with the Fuel and that’s something that we will greatly miss in our team.
LoadScr33n: Where were you and what was your reaction when you heard Note was traded to Dallas? What were some of your first thoughts about having rCk as a teammate?
Fusions: I was obviously sad when I heard Note was leaving but also optimistic about the rCk trade since I knew him from playing against him and knew he was a really good player, as well as meeting him personally in Poland during contenders LAN, so I was definitely excited to have him.
2019-02-14 / Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
LoadScr33n: Everyone knows rCk adds flexibility to the team with his Sombra play. What are some things he brings to the team that fans may not know about?
Fusions: As well as his flexibility and Sombra play, rCk also adds another layer to our comms as well as being a smart player than can come up with ideas on the fly, it’s always good to have players that think outside the box in certain situations.
LoadScr33n: Three straight reverse sweeps. What are the coaches and players saying at halftime that helped the most with you guys pulling it off against Dallas, Atlanta, and Toronto?
Fusions: During halftime on the days of our reverse sweeps most of what was being said was about how to adapt to our opponents, but also a lot of everyone hyping each other up and motivating one another, I personally always try to keep my energy high and keep my team in high spirits because I know that if I ever show that I’m upset the team will immediately notice and worry.
Not sure how many reverse sweep my heart can take 😅. GGs @TorontoDefiant so proud of my team
LoadScr33n: The meta in Stage 2 is much more fluid than it was in Stage 1. We’ve seen you flex off Rein to play Winston, Orissa, and Hammond at different times. Which of those three do you feel strongest and weakest on and why?
Fusions: I think out of the 3 main tanks other than Rein I feel like I’m definitely strongest on Winston overall and weakest on Orisa probably since I play her the least of any of the main tanks, however I’d say I’m comfortable on every main tank now, if we were talking comparatively to the rest of the league I think my Hammond would rank as my highest of the 3 since I’ve practiced him a lot more than other tanks and my Winston would be my worst since the level of Winston in OWL is so high.
LoadScr33n: Boston has leaned into the DPS compositions, particularly when you played Vancouver this past week. Generally speaking, do you think the Uprising are a better GOATs or DPS team?
Fusions: I think we’re a strong team in either meta but I think we have more potential in a dps meta, Colourhex and Blase in particular shine when they’re on their dps heroes particularly Colours’ Widow and Blase’s Pharah/Doomfist/Junkrat so given time to practice in that I think we’ll be a team to be scared of.
Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
LoadScr33n: Speaking of Vancouver, they beat you in the Stage 1 playoffs when Boston played GOATs and this past weekend when the team played more DPS. What do you think it will take for the Uprising or anybody to stop the Titans?
Fusions: I think Titans are an extremely good goats team and beating them will be tough for anyone, but I think when the meta changes and they have to adapt at the same pace as other teams, coaching and player mentality/flexibility will determine the best teams in the league so we’ll see how they can adapt.
LoadScr33n: Stage 2 playoffs are going to be difficult for the Uprising to reach. What are some things the team need to work on to keep in playoff contention both this stage and for the rest of the season?
Fusions: In order to make stage 2 playoffs at this point we’d probably have to pull a miracle so I’m more focused on overall playoffs, the 2 matches this week are really important ones for our season overall so I really want to win them both. DC have improved a lot so are not to be underestimated and Gladiators are obviously a very tough opponent, hoping we can pull off 2 wins.
We’d like to thank Fusions for taking the time to answer our questions and give fans a view behind the curtain. Though eliminated from Stage 2 playoffs, you can see Fusions as a starter on the Atlantic Division in this year’s All-Star game, May 15-16. From there, he and the rest of the team will get a midseason break before reassembling on Friday, June 7th when they open Stage 3 against the London Spitfire. We wish him and the entire Boston Uprising organization good luck on the rest of the season. #BostonUp
All photos are by Robert Paul and courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment
For more Boston Uprising content and gameday banter, follow Loadscr33n on Twitter #BostonUp
New to Overwatch? Get caught up on everything Overwatch League by reading our introduction.
Entering the last week of Stage 2, Boston’s stage playoff chances were slim. To pull it off, they’d need nearly two sweeps against the LA Gladiators and the Washington Justice, and a whole lot of help from the rest of the league. Short of that, the team could only hope for a strong finish that they could build on going into Stage 3. How would they do against an LA Gladiators team looking for a perfect stage record, and a Washington Justice team who’d only recorded 1 win?
The Good
To be or not to be – GOATs
In my preview for the week, I said that Boston needed to decide what they were going to be – a team that stuck to GOATs comps 24/7, or one willing to spice it up with DPS comps. Well, seems like someone listened. And the answer is – they’ll do whatever it takes to win and play to their strengths. That’s why in both opening Control maps we saw rCk play – Mei!
That’s right – in both matches we saw the Uprising open on Control with a Mei. More surprising – it worked! rCk played the snow queen perfectly, raising walls on chokes, sniping with icicles, and dropping the freeze ult for cc expertly. It’s no wonder they had no problem cleaning up on Control.
Additionally, we saw Boston pull out all types of DPS heavy comps. This included Blase on Doomfist, alot of Colourhex on Widowmaker, Pharmercy, Aimgod on Ana, and Hammond let loose. Not that the Uprising didn’t play their fair share of GOATs, because they did. But seeing the team lean into their strengths a bit more and defy the meta worked more often than not. Boston was 4-0 on the weekend on Control and Assault, both of which they played heavy DPS comps. Coincidence?
LA Gladiators
Overwatch League fans were all high on the LA Gladiators – and who could blame them? Undefeated in Stage 2, the Uprising were the last notch in their belt for an undefeated record. Sadly, Boston played spoiler and ruined the fairy tale. Even better, it was a total team effort. rCk getting some great SDs, Kellex seemingly always having a sound barrier when the team needed it, and Fusions having his way with the hammer. They out GOATs’d them at every turn, as Colourhex racked up energy easily and threw several great gravitons at them.
There was a lot of clear fight from Boston throughout the match. On Blizzard World, the first several waves on attack were thwarted. Just when it looked like they’d be full-held, Fusions dropped a perfect shatter past the Gladiator’s shields, and the team mopped them. From nearly overtime on Point A, to almost getting the payload through to the end, Boston showed a lot of fortitude in the face of all that pressure.
Trash Talk
A lot of spice came out of the LA Gladiators before the match. Leave it to Huk, within seconds of the Gladiators losing, to remind them of it.
The MVP in my mind of the two matches was the Finnish master of all heroes. Besides his Mei play (which was excellent) – I thought he showed a lot of doubters just how good his DVa could be. Time and again he peeled off to the backline to bail out the Brigitte, picked off the weak support, or landed a great SD. Working with the rest of his team against LA, he hacked and EMPd them several times to score team kills effortlessly.
I will say I thought his Sombra play against the Justice was particularly poor. He threw several focused EMPs at a sole or pair of heroes throughout the match. Rarely did he hit a whole group with his ultimate. Not sure if it was symptomatic of how the whole team underestimated Washington, but his Sombra play in the weekend’s latter match was underwhelming.
The Bad
Washington Justice
Let’s not sugar coat it – if you want to claim you/re a top tier team you have to take care of business against weaker opponents. It doesn’t get any easier than the 1-11 Washington Justice. This should have been Boston’s second 4-0 of the year. Easily. Instead, they crapped their pants. After opening up with the same DPS comps on Control and Assault, they climbed to an easy 2-0 lead. Things were looking great at halftime – I think I spoke for everyone.
Then Washington came out and put on their big boy suits and went to work. How did it happen? Bad ultimate economy. Fusions getting focused. Missed pics. Out of alignment. Fusions dying. It was a mess. Boston just didn’t seem to be on the same page. Maybe Boston spent all week focusing on the LA game and took Washington for granted. Can’t say anyone would blame them. But this being their GM’s last game, the number of losses stacking up, and playing for free ice cream from their new support Sleepy, Washington went ham. And now Boston has over a month to think about how they got reverse swept to end the stage. That’s going to sting for awhile.
The Uprising
-Getting reverse swept is bad. Making it to the 3rd stage of that 5th map, up 99%-0% and blowing it is as bad as it can get. That is a horrible way to end the stage. The 5 week break is going to be a long one.
-I think Kellex was sneaky sneaky the MVP of the Justice match. Him booping people off ledges and into the drink on Rialto was great. Whenever the team got gravitoned and there was no transcendence, he always seemed ready to pop a sound barrier. Loved the Uprising OG’s play today.
-The casters called it right during the Justice map – their strategy was clear. Focus Fusions. Take him out and the shotcalling goes. And they played it to victory time and time again. Now how much of that is Fusions responsibility? There were certainly several times in the Justice-Uprising match where he didn’t help matters. Using the shatter erratically to no good effect. Being aggro where it made the Justice’s focus job easier. But on the flip side, the Uprising need to respond. Peel to your All-Star main tank! Punish the other team’s focusing solely on one of your players. It’s like Lebron playing with the Cavaliers all those years they choked in the finals. Give the man some support! PS – this is a rough look:
-Blase has to feel good being given the reigns to play Doomfist. Thought he did a great job wreaking havoc. Need more of this, please.
-Now officially eliminated from Stage 2 playoffs, Boston will have a long 5 week break before Stage 3 starts. They’ll have a chance to show if they can get back to stage playoff contention when they open up against the London Spitfire – who just swept Boston last week 4-0.
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Friday, May 3 @ 8:30pm: LA Gladiators
Sunday, May 5 @ 4:45pm: Washington Justice
What’s the best thing you can hope for when you go 0-8 in week 3? A bye week – and that’s just what the boys in blue got. Not having to fly out to Dallas hopefully gave the boys time to stop, reflect, and retool. Will the layoff work in their favor? They’ll have two chances to show whether that’s the case as they play against the LA Gladiators and Washington Justice. Two very different teams. And with Stage 2 playoffs technically a mathematical possibility, it should be an interesting weekend.
LA Gladiators
Far and away the big test of the weekend comes tonight when Boston faces off against the Gladiators. At 6-0 in Stage 2, the Uprising are the only thing between the Gladiators and a perfect stage. Certainly a tall task for anybody, let alone a team that just got broomed twice in a row. LA sits atop the Stage 2 standings. Is there a path to victory for the Uprising?
Any match against LA will revolve around their All-Stars Surefour and BigGoose. Surefour is a top tier hitscan player, and Boston would be wise to prepare counter strats to his Widow and Bastion. With a meta that has shifted chaotically across the league this stage, it’s hard to predict just what we’ll see. In week 3 Boston played GOATs against London and DPS against the Titans. Who knows what they’ll throw at LA. For their part, the Gladiators has not shied from DPS, Sombra-GOATs, and bunker comps. Here’s hoping we see shifting comps between maps and offense/defense and maybe set a record for heroes picked.
2019 Map Record
Boston Uprising
LA Gladiator
Oasis
1-1-0
0-1-0
Hanamura
0-1-0
0-1-1
Blizzard World
1-0-0
2-0-0
Rialto
2-1-0
2-2-0
Washington Justice
On the other end of the spectrum, the Washington Justice have been swimming in the toilet bowl since joining the league. Currently fighting with the Florida Mayhem for the #1 pick in next year’s draft, Boston has no business dropping a map here. At 13-36-1 for the year, those map wins haven’t come easy for Washington. If Boston wants to present themselves as the top tier team they think they are, here’s an opportunity to prove it.
In a stage that saw two reverse sweeps, a soul crushing map 5 loss, and being on the receiving end of two successive sweeps, a sweep would be an appropriate end to a smorgasbord of a stage. If Boston isn’t going to make it into Stage 2 playoffs, they need some punctuation on the stage to remind the league they’re still a threat. Wiping the floor with the Justice would go a long ways to do that.
We are excited to have @Sleepy stand with Justice!
Even Justice fans have to expect a shellacking. They just added San Francisco Shock’s rarely used support Sleepy to the team, while their GM just announced she’s departing the team after this match. While the team may be motivated to send her off with a win, it’s unlikely a cobbled together team, with a week to sync up with their new support, will turn things around. Washington is a juicy steak for the Uprising to pounce on. Hopefully they chew and digest quickly.
2019 Map Record
Boston Uprising
Washington Justice
Lijiang Tower
0-3-0
0-1-0
Temple of Anubis
2-3-0
2-3-0
Blizzard World
1-0-0
0-1-0
Rialto
2-1-0
0-4-0
Outlook
While there are some scenarios that could see the Uprising make Stage 2 playoffs, it doesn’t look good for Boston. More likely, they’ll be on the outside looking in. What matters is how the team performs. Can they rebound from a tough weekend and show they’re still in the mix? Will they show one of the supposed best teams in the league up? Which team comp will they throw out – GOATs, DPS, or something wild?
With no significant meta shift expected for Stage 3, Boston needs to decide who they want to be. Are they going to be the Sombra GOATs we saw against London and Hangzhou? Will they run DPS comps like when they played Vancouver? Are they going to be contextual, deploying certain comps based on map, opponent, and matchup? More importantly – can they hammer the nails lined up in front of them? Specifically, can they squash the Justice down where they belong? Will they stop the train that is the Gladiators? Strap yourself in Uprising fans – this weekend is going to be good. Let’s get to work.
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Admit it. Down 2-0 at halftime against both the London Spitfire and Vancouver Titans, you thought Boston could come back and reverse sweep. You thought there was some magic left down in the well. That the spark that lit the fire against Dallas, Atlanta, and Toronto was still burning. It’s ok, I did too.
We know how that worked out.
For the second time in team history, Boston’s weekend comes up empty as they get swept off the stage in both matches. It was ugly. While there were flashes of brilliance, it’s hard to draw something positive out of a double-zero on map wins in the span of two matches. Let’s break it all down.
The Good
There’s a good argument to be made that in a weekend where Boston doesn’t win a single map this space should be blank. But we look on the bright side around here on Boston Sports Extra – let’s go!
Fusions
What’s it say about you when the other team considers you prime target number one? Against London, the Uprising’s main tank was the clear go-to for focus fire. Conversely, the Brit didn’t get as much help from supports. Against London, where rCk played a good amount of DVa, his sustain seemed to be the team’s focus. That combination seemed fatal. Looks like Fusion’s notoriety from Stage 1 has made him many team’s go-to focus fire target.
He had his moments all weekend. Slaying Vancouver’s Lucio and Brigitte on Paris’s Point B on offense as Rein. His Rein was very good in both matches. It’s clearly still his strong suit. I also thought his Winston was much better. He still had a few times where he’d charge with no backup and get focus killed quick, but he also used his Primal Rages alot better.
Gotta stay away from @Fusions or he will knock you DOWN!
I’m not as convinced his play on Wrecking Ball is as legit. Too many times we saw him get picked first and early on the hamster. That may just be because the character’s kit isn’t meant to be played as the Uprising deploy him. But to my eyes, Fusions isn’t S-tier on him. Also – I thought his play on Orissa on both Paris and Gibralta, against Vancouver, was admirable. Those shields were right where they needed to be and his firing was well done.
DPS Comps – Against Vancouver?
In my weekend preview, I said that Boston should ditch GOATs and go DPS heavy. They didn’t do that against London, but they certainly did against Vancouver. Opening on Leijing Tower with Pharah-Hammond-Sombra-Widow-Ana-Mercy, Boston consistently played DPS comps. Bunker comps on Paris defense. A pirate ship on Gibraltar that got the third highest time on attack. They looked great! While they couldn’t get a win against Vancouver, they were clearly much better running DPS against Vancouver than when they did GOATs a few weeks ago.
Which makes you wonder why they didn’t play these comps against London. Why wouldn’t they use that as a formal practice for the Vancouver game? Heck, they could have won against an inferior GOATs team like the Spitfire! Why they felt restricted to the GOATs meta in that game is beyond me.
Blase
DPS trained, American born, Blase has been in the Brig all season. While he’s a good Birgitte player, you know he’s pining to get back on DPS where he’s comfortable. Didn’t happen against London, but he was let loose on Vancouver. And we were better for it! On Pharah, he was pog champ. For example, his ult on stage 1 of Leijing saved the team in OT against Vancouver. His Roadhog on Gibraltar against the Titans was even more pog champ. He even whipped out Doomfist. You have to wonder what it’d be like to see him play DPS full time.
Aimgod
I should put the flex support first. Far and away the most consistent player all weekend, Aimgod faired well against both teams. Playing primarily Ana and Zen in both matches, and had some great moments. His snipe on King’s Row Point A on London’s Bdosin single-handedly got London to flee the point both on offense (1st lap) and defense (2nd lap). While he didn’t have to dodge any EMPs like the Spitfire and Titans had to, he certainly held his own. Also camping the Titans after the rest of the team got wiped took balls. Especially with an emote.
The Bad
(This is an abridged version. A full itinerary of all the bad things that happened this weekend will be submitted for publication in the case we don’t make Stage 2 playoffs).
Ultimate Economy
All weekend it seemed like Boston couldn’t maximize the value of their ultimates. Now, that’s hard to separate from the myriad of other issues that were going on in the debacle of a weekend they had. But, time and again we saw London and Vancouver either make due with less, save ults intelligently, or counter what Boston threw at them.
We saw this on Busan against London. Up 77%-28%, London having control, and Boston with all 6 ults, the Uprising’s win condition was clear. Draw out any of the Spitfire’s 4 ults in one or two fights using as little of their own as possible. Swoop the point and win. How’d it play out? To start, rallies on both sides. Gesture Shatters and Fury’s Self-Destruct picks a demeched rCk whose own SD does nothing. Colourhex wakes up from the Shatter and shoots his Grav, but rCk’s SD isn’t in position or timed well enough to do anything. Profit hits his Grav which forces Kellex to drop his Sound Barrier to save the team. Now it’s 77%-48% and both teams are wiped of Ults. Would anyone say that was the best use of ults?
Boston also gambled playing strats that required post-point switches. We saw all weekend that London and Vancouver stuck with 3-3 all match while Boston switched. This gives the other team ult advantage from the start. Boston would play from behind, needing two team fights just to farm enough ult to compete. It’s a hard decision – go all in with a comp you know you’re going to switch off of, but do so knowing it gives you the best chance. It’s a bit of an all or nothing stat. Something for the coaches to chew on.
rCk
I do think every player had good moments and great plays at some point this weekend. But on the sum, if I’m putting one player in the bad category, it goes to the freshmen team member. While the Finn played a mix of Sombra/DVa against London, we saw him play almost exclusively the hacker against Vancouver. And the hacker didn’t do what we needed.
For example, on King’s Row against London, the payload is just about to hit the end when he tosses the Translocator. Then, he immediately EMPs – but he doesn’t hit Bdosin’s Zenyata. The Transcendence hits and he immediately gets picked and the team gets wiped. That should have rolled the Spitfire for a map win. Then again, in overtime, he clearly learned and stalked the back line to pick off Bdosin and Nus’ Lucio without dropping an EMP. But after holding onto it, he jumped at Bdosin and dropped the EMP. Except, there was a wall between them. Transcendence dropped. Boston wiped. Overtime over. Map – London.
This happened with Vancouver, too. You could tell what a difference the enemy team’s comp had on him. On King’s Row, his Sombra ruthlessly shredded Vancouver when they played the Ana. Fight after fight, he had no trouble dropping an EMP and having his team roll. Once the Titans switched to the Zen, he had trouble connecting to the omnic healer. At the final hour, he was unable to hit Twilight who immediately used his Transcendence. Boston’s attack was stimmied and Vancouver won the map.
As Uber said, you can hack the entire team but if you don’t get the Zen whose got a Transcendence ready to launch, what’s the point? If rCk is going to be as great as we know he can be, he has to focus his ult much more effectively in the matches to come.
Paris defense – Vancouver
Is the last minute choke defending Point A on Paris against Vancouver the worst ever? I’m not saying it is, but I’m not not saying that, either. Because with Overtime looming, the bunker defense running in high gear, the Titans took an unorthodox attack. Switching to a Sombra and Wrecking Ball, Vancouver got a last minute miracle capture. They snowballed it into an easy win. I think Boston will be watching tape of that whole exchange for a long time to come.
Colourhex
It was a mixed back for the kiwi on Zarya this weekend. His Graviton getting fed to Fury on Busan and King’s Row in critical moments didn’t help. I don’t think his Zarya is bad, but the lack of consistent team cohesion and synergy puts him at a disadvantage.
Of course, when he played against Vancouver and got to switch to a Bastion or Widowmaker, he proved himself again. He had some great kills on nearly all the maps as a DPS. Makes you excited for when the meta shifts more into his wheelhouse.
The Uprising
Valskyia Industries may be Boston’s official home base, King’s Row is their ninth circle of hell. The boys are now 0-5 this year on the hybrid map.
Vancouver opening their Paris offense with a pretty Symmetra teleport onto the point play was delicious. Seeing them run it was fun – especially when Colourhex shredded them all into oblivion.
That time on King’s Row against Vancouver rCk saw the Zen use Transcendence. You knew he was thinking, THIS IS MY MOMENT – LETS EMP AND ROLL THESE JERKS. He hits the EMP… but there is Lucio with a Sound Barrier. Vancouver gets the sustain, team wipe, point capture. Every Uprising fan had to be thinking – what is it going to take?
It may have been short lived, but I loved the Symmetra, Bastion, Baptiste, Orissa, Mercy comp to open Junkertown against London. Seeing them teleport the bunker comp around the map was neat. Except when they switched to 3-3 it was too late. The Junkertown curse continues.
Kellex got quite a few kills on Bumper. We see you Uprising OG.
Hexagrams called Boston a “resilient cockroach of a team” which he meant in “the nicest way possible.” Hmmmmm.
Love the tbag by Aimgod on Bumper – just down the street where Bumper did the same last time these two played. These two are getting quite salty against each other.
Hearing the overtime music refereed to as Hans Zimmer (from Inception) blew my mind.
What was with Junkertown starting with Blase on Sombra and Aimgod on Moira? Did they quit on the last map?
I really hate Bumper. This didn’t help.
For more Boston Uprising content and gameday banter, follow Loadscr33n on Twitter #BostonUp
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Saturday, April 20th @ 3pm: London Spitfire
Sunday, April 21st @ 3pm: Vancouver Titans
After a frustrating week which saw Boston narrowly lose against the Hangzhou Spark on the match’s fifth map, the Uprising are back at it. This week they face off against the London Spitfire and Vancouver Titans. Last year’s champions, the Spitfire, started off a surprising 3-4 in Stage 1. They’re off to a hot start 3-0 in Stage 2. Meanwhile, the Titans remain undefeated at 10-0. What can fans expect to see from the Uprising this week?
Ready Player One
Boston needs to go into this week forgetting the mistakes made against Hangzhou. Does the Uprising have to keep playing GOATs? Last week they certainly seemed to think so – and look how that worked out. This week they’ll be going up against the Titans – easily the best GOATs team in the league. They’ve been playing the 3-3 team comp since season 3 of Contenders last year. Why should Boston try to play a mirror? The boys need look no further than week 1 of the stage to see what works for them. Using DPS comps, playing surprise tactics, and playing to their strengths seem the clear path to victory.
For DPS comps, will Boston gamble and let Blase out of the Brig? We saw him on Hammond, Soldier 76, and Pharah back in week 1. Colourhex also put everyone on notice. The kiwi, he of 41% critical hit accuracy, showed he’s an elite Widowmaker. Will Huk and the coaching staff let the DPS players loose, or will they be fixed to their Brigitte and Zarya roles as they were last week?
Can Boston continue to deliver the set plays, unorthodox strats, and strong off-meta comps they have in weeks past? It will be fascinating to see which tank Fusions gets put onto. We’ve seen him stick to Rein when the team went GOATs, but have also seen him play considerable time on Winston and Hammond. Then there’s rCk – how much Sombra will we see? Boston could lean into Sombra GOATs or continue to play her intermittently? These small decisions will have major consequences.
London
A lot of people are buying low on Spitfire stock, and for good reason. A 3-0 start to a stage is nothing to smirk at, and their level of play has picked up considerably. While Stage 1 saw the defending champions of the inaugural season look sloppy, the Spitfire seem to be returning to form. But look how they got that record. They barely squeaked by the Florida Mayhem, winning 2-1, and then swept the Atlanta Reign, who seem to be in free fall this stage. London also won 2-1 against the Philadelphia Fusion last week. Needless to say, they haven’t played high tier competition this stage. Boston will be their first real measuring stick of where they stand.
Looking at the maps helps inform what we can expect to see. London are 3-0 this stage on Control, 2-1 on Assault, 1-1-1 on Hybrid, and 3-0 on Escort maps. In all those games, they haven’t played any of the maps they’ll play Saturday.
Boston, on the other hand, has played a few of these maps. They played Control maps 6 times in 3 matches, thanks to each going to a 5th map. They have a 2-6 record, winning only when it was the last map. This includes winning Busan against Atlanta to end a match, and losing it against Toronto to start a match. They have a 1-2 record on Assault and 3-0 on Hybrid maps, but have yet to play Paris or King’s Row. Lastly, the Uprising are 2-1 on Escort maps, including that horrible Junkertown they played against Hangzhou last week where they were full held before the first point. If Boston can’t fix the complete embarrassment they showed there last week, it’ll be a long night for the Uprising.
Prediction
You have to think London has an edge on Control and Boston has it on Hybrid. Boston thrives off of Hybrid/Escort maps because they operate in a highly coached, set-play driven style. They scrim with specific comps on different pieces of maps with well rehearsed strats. If Boston can hold their edge on Hybrid maps and split the Assault/Escort with London, I like their chances in a sudden death Control. They just barely lost last week on Leijing Tower against the Spark, and are well versed in playing under the pressure of a 5th map. London, meanwhile, has only played a 5th map two times this season. They beat the Washington Justice but lost to the Shanghai Dragons. There are clear paths to victory for Boston.
Vancouver
Stage 1 champion seems to be just the beginning for the accolades Vancouver may amass by the end of the season. They’ve looked even better in Stage 2, dropping no more than a single map in any of their first 3 matches. After rolling Boston 3-0 in the Stage 1 playoffs, does the Uprising have a prayer?
I think we’re going to see just how stubborn the Uprising coaches are in this match. No one is equipped to out GOATs the GOATs masters. If Boston runs something off-meta that Vancouver isn’t prepared to counter, they may have a prayer against them. Even if it’s swapping in a Moira or Ana if the map geometry accommodates it, that may throw off the Titans.
Prediction
Will that be enough? Probably not. Vancouver have shown they are a juggernaut that will need a complete meta shift if they’re to lose. Boston can either run GOATs to see how their 3-3 can hold up in a mirror, or throw some crazy DPS comp out there to catch them off guard. Either way, Boston is going to struggle to avoid the sweep. Hopefully they can keep the maps tight and steal one somewhere in the match.
Outlook
After week 1, Boston was the talk of the league. Three straight reverse sweeps will do that. But now we’ve seen that Atlanta and Toronto are dumpster fires. Then they narrowly lost on another 5th map against Hangzhou. Now the Uprising face a tougher path to Stage 2 playoffs. They likely won’t win against Vancouver, but have every reason to think they can meet the challenge of the surging Spitfire. Boston gets a bye next week then has a double header against the Gladiators and Justice. There aren’t any freebies. Time to clock some wins and pave a road to Stage 2 playoffs. It’s now or never.
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