Houston Outlaws vs Shanghai Dragons

For our second match of the day we have a clash between the Houston Outlaws and the Shanghai Dragons. If someone told you that this match had the potential to be a barnburner just a couple of months ago, you would’ve laughed to tears.

But we really have reached the dankest of timelines.

The Dragons have been slowly entering playoff contention, and while they might not be able to fulfill that dream when all is said and done, they’re deceptively strong and deserve nothing but respect and admiration for their fantastic turnaround. They’re entering this match with a fair bit of momentum after their stellar 3-1 win over the Florida Mayhem and, even though that isn’t exactly the biggest and most hype-inducing victory possible, it’s still enough to get them to a respectable 2W-2L stage two record, which puts them in tenth place.

They know this is a winnable match-up, but they also know they’ll have to fight tooth and nail in order to emerge victorious.

Opposite them, we have none other than the Houston Outlaws. A team that’s downright amazing to watch, but has been unable to find an identity for themselves throughout the entirety of the sophomore season.

They have only played two matches so far, and both of them were basically one-sided shellackings. They lost 1-3 to the Vancouver Titans in week two, and then proceeded to get outclassed by the Philadelphia Fusion in 0-4 fashion just a week afterwards. They definitely have to start picking up wins, but that’s easier said than done. Even though one would think that they have a chance at taking Shanghai down, they didn’t exactly do much in either of their games, and thus by proxy, don’t deserve any benefit of the doubt.

We know they’re incredibly talented. We know of their immense skill and mechanical prowess. But at the same time, if it can’t consolidate, if they can’t mount an offensive in due time and actually make a solid run, then it’s all in vain.

Fortunately, the meta is slowly shifting in their favor and if they’re able to unleash their DPS prodigies they definitely have a chance at going blow-for-blow with some of the best teams in the League. Then again, it’s not like Shaghai was just idly sitting on the sidelines.

They’ve invested ample time in their play and it’s evident in their cohesion as well. They’re still a bit rough around the edges, but they’re slowly but surely improving and could potentially become a solid gatekeeper.

So in the end, we’re siding with the Shanghai Dragons on this one – and that feels absolutely frightening. The flashbacks of their 2018 level of play is still somewhat fresh, and yet the same goes for the Houston Outlaws. We all remember their immense mechanical prowess; their insane defenses on Lunar Hoziron Colony and King’s Row. Their stellar DPS core and just how capable they were at turning the game on its head – not to mention their great tank duo and great support players.

It seems like they have everything a team would need in order to become a solid mid-tier contender – at the very least.

In any case, watching Shanghai’s recent rise to prominence was downright fantastic. We all became accustomed to their mediocrity, and seeing them do well on the Overwatch League stage is something no one really foresaw. What an exciting time to be alive if you’re sporting a Shanghai Dragons jersey.