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New Titans roster claims first victory

Seventh time’s a charm as Vancouver sweeps Dallas 3-0 in Week 20 of the Overwatch League

After a 6-game losing streak, the new Vancouver Titans roster may finally have hit their stride after a 3-0 sweep against the Dallas Fuel this past Sunday. It was the first Overwatch League (OWL) victory for the newly-formed Titans, and a much-needed win for a team near the bottom of the regular season standings.

While the Fuel aren’t a top force like the NXYL or Shock, the match showed the Titans’ damage, support and tank lineup is starting to gel, and can win team fights when it counts.

With the addition of Shockwave, their newest DPS player, the Titans can play more aggressively, and have seen a 21 per cent increase in team fight victories. Shockwave was also the player of the match, and helped carry the team with his sniper skills as Widowmaker and Hanzo.

With the addition of Shockwave, the Titans have seen a huge increase in their win-rate during teamfights.

The Fuel put up a solid fight in the opening map, Busan, but crumbled in the next two, Junkertown and Hollywood. The Titans gave Play of the Game to Shockwave’s three-kill play as Widowmaker on point A defense of Junkertown.

Although the Titans won, the conversation from commentators and the comment section alike were dominated by what-ifs: the Fuel were missing DPS star Decay, who sat out a match the Fuel may have perceived as an easy win. While it’s common for star players to take rests versus easier opponents, it appears they may have underestimated how quickly the new Titans roster would adapt to the pressures of the Overwatch League.

This weekend features two Titans games. Week 21 of OWL will see the Titans versus Boston Uprising (currently ranked last out of 20 teams) on Saturday at 4:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. against the Atlanta Reign. Each game can be viewed exclusively at YouTube.com/OverwatchLeague.

Prediction: 3-0 sweep versus Boston, but a 2-3 loss (sorry Titans) against the experienced Atlanta Reign.

Jonathan McGill is a video game enthusiast and fan of the Overwatch League esports scene. By day, he’s a graphic designer and communications specialist in Burnaby, but at night he plays main tank as Orisa in Overwatch.

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