In the Overwatch League, 9 teams from the USA and 3 from the rest of the world compete. One of them is London Spitfire, the only team with European roots. It is clear who the Germans should support… or not?
The Overwatch League started its first season yesterday, on January 11, 2018. 12 teams representing cities from all over the world compete against each other for money and fame. The connection to the cities makes it easier to choose a favorite, even for eSports newcomers. Only we Europeans have it tough…
London Spitfire – The Korean Team of Europe
The only team competing under the flag of a European country in the Overwatch League is London Spitfire. The team is owned by the American eSports company Cloud9, which also has a subsidiary in Europe.
However, all positions in the team are occupied by Koreans! All players and most of the staff come from South Korea. Only the owner, Jack Etienne, and the general manager, Danan Flander, are Americans.
The team establishes the connection to Great Britain through consultant Tom Stylosa, who has been part of the team since January 11. He himself took on the task of making the “British team British” and immortalized this task with a somewhat sarcastic video.
The Problem with Sponsors and Rules
That the entire British team consists of Koreans is perfectly fine according to the rules of the Overwatch League. In the Overwatch League, it is allowed to hire players and managers from all over the world. This distinguishes it from traditional eSport, where usually only 1-2 foreign players are allowed, if they are allowed to join at all.
Players from South Korea are therefore logical for team owners. The country is a leader in gaming, no other has established video games and eSports as strongly. That most good players come from South Korea is no coincidence.
That’s why there is no German star in the Overwatch League
It cost 20 million US dollars to acquire a starting spot in the Overwatch League. It is quite clear that the owners do not want to rely on luck. They want security, which is why the strongest available players are more interesting than local talents.
The high price is also the reason why there are no further European, let alone German teams. There simply weren’t any companies or individuals for whom the risk was worth that much money.
London Spitfire or Florida Mayhem – Who plays for Europe now?
The big question for us Europeans remains: Who should we actually support? Who really plays for “us”?
There are two answers to this. On one hand, everyone should support the team they favor, whether it be because of the personalities or the play style. Those who have a little knowledge of professional Overwatch gaming will likely already have their favorites – be it just a team or a player. Many well-known names also appear in the Overwatch League.
For those pursuing European local patriotism: There is also a team for them – and it plays under an American flag. The players of Florida Mayhem all come from Sweden, Finland, and Belgium. The owner of the team is also Misfits, an eSports company from the UK. So the only “completely European” team.
In the German Facebook communities, it also becomes apparent that many sympathize with the team “Dallas Fuel”. The deceased and at that time the most influential German Overwatch player INTERNETHULK is significantly responsible for the discovery of Jonathan Tejedor “HarryHook” Rua, Timo “Taimou” Kettunen, Sebastian “Chipshajen” Wildlund, Christian “cocco” Jonsson, and Pongphop “Mickie” Rattanasangchod.
All of these talents currently play in the Overwatch League in the team Dallas Fuel, which is considered one of the most promising teams in the tournament. If INTERNETHULK were still alive, he would probably be the only German player or coach in the Overwatch League – and almost certainly found in the roster of Dallas Fuel.
