In a heated final game, the Overwatch League crowned its first champions. With a score of 3-0 in their last set, London Spitfire defeated Philadelphia Fusion at the sold-out Barclays Center in New York, USA. This comes after a shaky season for the England based team with many wins, but also not losses that made the team an unexpected addition to the final game.
THAT’S IT. @Spitfire WIN! #OWL2018 #TheFirstFinals
LIVE: https://t.co/U6dIioZfOU pic.twitter.com/tdb2yNBcxp
— Overwatch League #TheFirstFinals (@overwatchleague) July 28, 2018
London Spitfire won a $1,000,000 (£763,000) prize, and a custom-made silver sculpture from Blizzard for their victory. Jun-Young “Profit” Park from Spitfire also got a trophy for being the final game’s MVP.
The reason why London Spitfire being at the finals is unexpected in the first place because the team was, during the regular season, was 5th in the rankings with a 24-16 record. However, during the playoffs, the London team won their matches against the LA Gladiators and New York Excelsior, leading them to their prestigious placement at the end of the league. In fact, a large majority of the 19,000 fans at the Barclays Centre were New York Excelsior fans who were expecting their team to be in the finals. In fact, many fans at the stadium booed Spitfire and cheered Philadelphia Fusion as the teams were coming to the stage.
The event itself was also ridiculous, filled with pomp and circumstance. Rockstar Jon Bon Jovi, Brooklyn Nets player D’Angelo Russell, and actress Courtney Miller were all in attendance. Add to that fans in attendance got a performance from Brooklynettes dance troupe and famous meme-man DJ Khaled. These last two performances looked out of place at an e-sports finals, but it shows that the league is getting the recognition it deserves. Although I didn’t keep up with the league during its season, this fantastic news that the team from my country won is making me really interested in further seasons.
But what do you think? Are you happy with London Spitfire having an underdog win? Or should have Philadelphia Fusion won the match? Sound off in the comments below!
