Boston Uprising vs Los Angeles Gladiators

For our first match of the day, we have a very exciting clash between the Los Angeles Gladiators and the Boston Uprising. While it might not look like it on first glance, this is an incredible promising fight that could be exceptionally entertaining. In fact, whenever the Gladiators step foot on stage, chances are, you're gonna be entertained.

The first stage of the season wasn't particularly kind to the Gladiators. Their 3 wins and 4 lossess tally wasn't enough to get them in the playoffs, and they ended the stage at tenth place. Not too shabby, but not that great either. We knew they had ample potential, they were just unable to get going in the GOATS-centric meta, and they weren't the only ones. But once stage two came, it was as if they were completely reborn. They're currently on a massive win streak, they have six wins, and zero losses with a very respectable plus twelve map differential.

If things go "according to plan", they should end the stage in the top three, which would, by all accounts, be a resounding success. They etched a spot for themselves in the pantheon of the Overwatch League, and they're a force to be reckoned with.

And it's not like their road towards this point has been easy. They took down the Shanghai Dragons (3-1) and the Seoul Dynasty (3-2) in week one, the Guangzhou Charge (4-0) and the Los Angeles Valiant (2-1) in week two, and the Florida Mayhem (3-1) in week three. Sure, there are a couple of "easy" wins there, but all things considered, they're a proven quantity, and they're a tough nut to crack regardless of the meta.

Their tanks have fantastic synergy with their front and back lines, they're incredibly quick to switch their team comps, they have some exceptional DPS players (Surefour, Hydration, Decay) and are simply really adept at the current meta and state of the game. They're well-rounded and vastly creative, especially for a team that still hasn't peaked. The sky's the limit for the Gladiators, and they're going to realize their potential sooner rather than later if they continue playing at such a high level.

Boston Uprising, on the other hand, is in a confusing spot right now. The last we've seen of them were two painfully one-sided defeats at the hands of the London Spitfire and the Vancouver Titans in week three. Now, both of those losses were expected. It's hard to fight back against such immensely talented rosters, and the fact that they lost didn't hurt their stock too much. The problem is, they're currently sitting at twelfth place with a somewhat underwhelming 2W-3L record. They didn't have any luck this stage when it came to strength of schedule, so the playoffs are outside of the question. Still, they're a solid team that's still building its identity, and they should be more than capable at bouncing back once stage three comes around.

They're hard to read right now, especially after two crushing defeats where they didn't show much. We don't know if they have something special lined up for this match or if they're working on something new as a team. Regardless, even at their best, they shouldn't be able to go blow-for-blow with the Gladiators. They're simply outmatched across the board, and while they might be able to make this into a competitive scrap, they shouldn't be able to get the win once all is said and done.

There's a much bigger, far more interesting question in the air right now -- just how good are the Los Angeles Gladiators, and will they be able to upset the status quo? Will they be able to go blow-for-blow with the likes of Vancouver Titans, the San Francisco Shock, and the New York Excelsior? They're looking mighty strong right now, but we're still not fully convinced. We still need a bit more in order to get aboard the hype train.

Their endless creativity is perhaps their upper hand, and in a meta that favors such unhinged craziness, they can impose their own will and playstyle more often than not. They're a complex puzzle and if they play to their strengths to could give the upper Overwatch League echelon a run for their money.

In the end, we're siding with the Gladiators, and with good reason. There's simply no reason to bet against them at this point, especially against a team like Bostom.