We're here everyone...we're at the beginning of the end. In just a few weeks, one team will be crowned the Overwatch League 2020 Champion, and will have its memory etched in all our minds for years to come. Once again, we will have no Hero Pools, and will watch our favourite players fight it out on a new balance patch.
It's being rumoured that a Double Off-Tank Meta will be seen during the Playoffs, with Roadhog and Zarya taking centre stage, and hitscan heroes being the main source of damage/picks. A composition like Roadhog-Zarya-Widowmaker-Ashe-Mercy-Ana does bring a lot of damage, range, and pick-potential to the table; but it has its weaknesses. In a close-quarters map or a map with multiple flank routes, running Double Sniper is both risky and ambitious, and for that reason, I think Dive will be the meta in those cases. Tracer is still really strong, and she'll likely be a popular pick accompanied by ideally a Hammond, since Winston just gets wrecked by Roadhog. Also, since Brig was nerfed a fair bit, she'll likely see Mercy or Lucio played over her, which means Hammond may not always need a Zarya to bubble him to stop him from being stunned, and that opens up the opportunity for weaker Zarya players (off-tanks, mainly) to stick to Sigma. I also think Ana will be almost a must-pick in this meta, since she can effectively shut down Roadhog with her cooldowns.
In summary, we'll probably see Double Off-Tank with Double Sniper on long-range maps like Gibraltar and Junkertown, but switch to Dive/Partial Dive on those with more flank routes and uneven geometry, like Nepal and Oasis.
With that speculation out of the way, let's talk match predictions, jumping straight into Round 1!
ROUND 1
1. Boston Uprising vs. Houston Outlaws (NA)- Outlaws win 3-0. In this particular meta, I think the Outlaws can have a decent run if they utilise their resources correctly. They'll probably be fine on Dive-centric maps, since Hydration will be able to play Wrecking Ball and MekO will be able to play Sigma/Zarya. If the tanks can occupy Boston's attention well enough with the help of Danteh's Tracer, they can set up LiNkzr to get picks on Widow quite easily as well. Houston may end up running MekO-blase on Double Off-Tank if Hydration can't play Hog/Zarya too well, but they should be fine against Boston regardless, who are in a bit of a pickle as always. The Uprising's Partial Dive should be okay with Fusions and Punk on Hammond and Zarya respectively, but I'm not sure how well they'll fare in Double Off-Tank. I'm confident in Punk's Zarya, but not in literally-anyone-on-Boston's Roadhog, basically because we haven't seen any of them play it in OWL, so yes, a sweep for Houston is very likely. In a match that featured Hog-D.Va comps, the Boston Uprising managed to find a few pop-off moments, courtesy of Jerry and Myunb0ng, that helped them defeat the Outlaws 3-1. Shoutout to MekO though, he was very impressive as a defensive D.Va, and was one of the bright spots on his team in that series.
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2. Washington Justice vs. Vancouver Titans (NA)- Titans win 3-0. Despite the ups-and-downs, the Vancouver Titans have shown us that they have the talent to beat some of the mid-tier teams in the League, and I'm quite certain they can beat the Justice if they maintain consistency. They can be very comfortable in this meta, especially if they use ShRedlock-KSAA for Hammond-Zarya/Sigma and KSAA-Tsuna for Hog-Zarya. SHockWave can handle the primary hitscan role as usual, using his Widow play to get picks, whereas Dalton can be the backup hitscan on Ashe and also flex on Tracer. The Titans are rife with hitscan players, so this meta should be quite good for them. Theoretically, the Justice could also make it work in this meta, since they can field rOar-JJANU on Hammond-Sigma, and JJANU-Decay on Hog-Zarya. On second thought, the first option isn't great since rOar isn't very good at anything but Winston, and although the second option is feasible, it would be a compromise on the hitscan slot, with Stitch playing the role instead of Decay. On support, I think AimGod is a pretty great Ana, and is certainly better than Roolf, so if he can shut down KSAA's Roadhog frequently and efficiently, it can be one of their few rays of hope. I know word's out there that Washington are doing pretty well in scrims in this meta, but I'm confident the Titans can take this series...if they don't mess up. Well, the hearsay checks out. The Justice are quite solid in this meta; or at least they were against the Titans, who were still victims of high ping and, in my opinion, poor coaching decisions. Playing Winston into a Roadhog, even with KSAA's backup, was not ideal, and you could see how easily Decay farmed him on Zarya, rendering him unable to set up successful dives.
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3. London Spitfire vs. Chengdu Hunters (APAC)- Hunters win 3-0. In a meta where Wrecking Ball is likely to be a strong pick, it's not hard to see why Chengdu might be able to wreck face. Ameng is still the best Wrecking Ball in the League, and if his team plays well around him, they're likely to roll the Spitfire, who aren't too strong of a team anyway. That said, if the Hunters are forced into playing Double Off-Tank, it might be a problem for them, since none of their players is known for their Roadhog. Also, London has two sharp Ana players in Krillin and Highly, so playing Hog against them especially when you aren't a very good Hog player will be quite tough. On the flip side, I think London can actually adapt well to this meta, since they've got a good Ball player in Jihun, and a good Zarya/Sigma player in BERNAR. If they click, they may even be able to beat Ameng and Elsa/LateYoung. This will be a rather interesting matchup to watch, but I'm going to vote for the OG Hammond God Ameng and his cohorts, so long as they aren't thrown into a Hog-Zarya head-to-head.
ROUND 2
1. Toronto Defiant vs. Los Angeles Gladiators (NA)- Gladiators win 3-0. Based off what we've seen so far, Hog-Zarya or Hog-D.Va is the tank line around which most comps are based. I guess this means we'll see SPACE perma-fielded for Hog, along with MirroR's Zarya or Bischu's D.Va. Another possibility is for SPACE-MirroR to be the permanent tank line, with MirroR playing Hog (due to his flexibility) and SPACE playing Zarya/D.Va. Their support line is quite solid, and their DPS line is adaptable, which enables them to play a variety of compositions to a very high level. So far, it seems like Ashe, Tracer and Sombra are the meta damage heroes, and they're right up the Glads' alley, with Kevster being able to handle Ashe, and Birdring being a consistent threat on Tracer and Sombra. I imagine the Defiant will be more restricted in this meta for lack of a strong Zarya player, but they could do well at Hog-D.Va, which I suspect will be played by Agilities-Nevix. Their DPS line will likely be Logix on primary hitscan, and zYKK on flankers like Tracer and Sombra. Should be a fun game.
2. Boston Uprising vs. Atlanta Reign (NA)- Reign wins 3-0. Despite Boston's upset against Houston, I'm confident that the Reign can stomp them. They've got a pretty good off-tank lineup in frd-Hawk, who can play Hog-D.Va to great success in my opinion. They've got a great Tracer in Edison (which I hope they utilise), and two hitscan players in SharP and Saucy, who can be fielded for Ashe. Similar to Boston, this team needs to rely on individual plays to advance in the Playoffs, and this meta really enables the individual more than the team, so anything can happen. Good luck to Boston and Atlanta.
3. Washington Justice vs. Dallas Fuel (NA)- Fuel wins 3-0. Clearly an upset prediction, I don't think beating the Titans and their off-meta picks necessarily means the Justice are going to make a deep run in these playoffs. Dallas definitely has cracks in their armour, the biggest being their lack of a great Hog player, but there are ways to work around that. For instance, I could see them opt out of playing Hog altogether and run a more Dive-y style with Gamsu on Wrecking Ball, NotE on D.Va, Onigod on Tracer and Doha on Sombra. Staying on their comfort picks is Dallas' best bet, and given how pervasive Dive can be if executed well, it's not a bad option at all. The obvious counter-point would be that TTuba can shut down Gamsu with his Sombra, but with the level of peel NotE provides, he'll be able to prevent a lot of those hacks and protect his main tank. Let's see what happens, I'm excited for this matchup, and things could go either way despite my unhealthy confidence in the Fuel.
4. Chengdu Hunters vs. New York Excelsior (APAC)- Excelsior wins 3-0. After watching Chengdu's match, I'm quite confident that the NYXL will have their number. I think the team from the Big Apple has got two suiting off-tanks i.e. HOTBA and BiaNcA for this meta, since they can play a really good Hog and D.Va/Zarya respectively. In the capable hands of JJoNak and Anamo, these tanks should have no problem going for aggressive plays and seizing all the space they need from the Hunters. I'm not sure what New York's DPS line will be, but since their tanks and supports have been the primary cause of their success this season, I'm not too worried about it. If they focus on punishing the Hunters' mistakes in classic NYXL fashion, they should be able to bulldoze them in a sweep.
5. Seoul Dynasty vs. Hangzhou Spark (APAC)- Spark wins 3-2. Oh this should be an interesting one. The Hangzhou Spark have got a pretty good chance at taking this series owing to the 3 off-tank players in their lineup. Ria, SASIN and QoQ will provide this team with a ton of options in this Double Off-Tank meta. They've also got a pretty solid support line, which I think is super-important in this meta, and two reliable DPS players in GodsB and Architect who can flex around many hitscan heroes and flankers. The Dynasty also have a ton of options for off-tank, since Toyou has shown us a great Zarya, Michelle is solid on D.Va himself, and Marve1 is, well, marvelous, on Sigma. I'm not sure if any of these players has a great Roadhog, but I'll keep an open mind. I'm honestly not even sure if they'll run a ton of Hog, since they're quite adept at Dive styles, and could very well go the Chengdu route and run Hammond-Zarya comps as much as possible. It'll be very interesting to see how this match goes since both teams are almost equal when it comes to skill and consistency, but my bet's on the Spark as of now.
ROUND 3
1. Los Angeles Gladiators vs. Philadelphia Fusion (NA)- Fusion wins 3-0. The Gladiators looked very shaky while playing against the Defiant, and that's something the Fusion can certainly capitalise on. Philly is also well-equipped to play a variety of comps; they've got two amazing and flexible off-tanks who can play Hog-D.Va/Hog-Zarya to a very high level, and also have the option of running SADO on Winston if they want to try out Dive. They can also cover all the meta DPS i.e. Ashe, Tracer, Widow, Sombra, just by running Carpe and Heesu. They could even try out Pharah comps with Ivy or Eqo and see success. Backed up by the powerhouse support Alarm and the high-flying Brit FunnyAstro, this should be a fairly easy series for them if they stick to their guns and remain consistent. The Gladiators are definitely capable of taking a map or two off of the Fusion, but it's hard to gauge how well they'll do so I'm going with a 3-0 prediction.
2. Los Angeles Valiant vs. Florida Mayhem (NA)- Mayhem wins 3-0. This is the match in which Florida's loss streak against the Valiant ends, I can feel it. In a meta where they can play Gargoyle on Roadhog, the Mayhem should be hard to stop. If they can supplement their off-tank with a solid Zarya, maybe from BQB, and temporarily move Sayaplayer back on hitscan (please make it happen), they should have a solid run in these Playoffs. With Yaki on Tracer and Sombra, this should be an easy win for them. The Valiant aren't looking too bad themselves though, especially since they can run KSP-Shax's infamous signature heroes Ashe/Widow and Tracer, which I presume they'll run with McGravy's Hog and KSF's Zarya. I think it'll come down to which team can punish the other's cooldowns better, since both sides are great at exploiting openings on the other team.
3. Washington Justice vs. San Francisco Shock (NA)- Shock wins 3-0. Despite the Justice's recent success, I think San Fran will remain untouched. Their lineup looks very promising for the current meta, with ChoiHyoBin's Roadhog being, well, un-chained, and possibly super backing him up on D.Va (or the other way round). ANS and Striker will have the hitscan/flanker department covered, with Rascal being around for a map-based Pharah flex if needed. Twilight and moth will likely be this team's support line, and I don't need to tell you how good they are. Decay'd better watch out, this team's coming for him hard.
4. Atlanta Reign vs. Paris Eternal (NA)- Eternal wins 3-0. I predict that Hanbin-NiCOgdh will be the go-to tank line for this squad. Both these players can play multiple off-tanks to an acceptable level (understatement, considering Hanbin is a God on every off-tank), so their frontline should be solid. SoOn and Xzi can easily cover the hitscan department, with Fielder bringing up the rear on his signature Ana. This lineup should shatter the Reign, who struggled even against the slightly-better but still-much-weaker Boston Uprising in their series yesterday.
5. New York Excelsior vs. Shanghai Dragons (APAC)- Dragons win 3-0. I'm not saying New York is bad, but Shanghai is on another level. With the Double Off-Tank Meta dominating regional play in APAC, Void-Geguri should be able to Sigma-Hog/Zarya-Hog/D.Va-Hog their way to success against the Excelsior, who seem to like Dive even on the current patch. I mean, yes, it can work, but with the level of coordination the Dragons have, it won't be hard to punish. For instance, I see no way for Mano's Wrecking Ball to have much impact against LIP's Sombra, whose hacks are immediately followed-upon by his team. Should be a tough one for the NYXL.
6. Seoul Dynasty vs. Guangzhou Charge (APAC)- Dynasty wins 3-2. The Charge have a pretty stacked lineup, which will likely play a lot of Dive comps. I won't discuss this much, but will say that I don't feel too good about the Charge in this meta. I don't think their Dive play or Hog comps will be too extraordinary, which is why I'm predicting them to lose against the Dynasty. It's just an instinct, but let's see.
7. Florida Mayhem vs. Los Angeles Gladiators (NA)- Mayhem wins 3-0. Despite their hardships against the Valiant, the Mayhem put on a great performance, with Fate and Gargoyle being the stars of the show in my opinion. If they can maintain those standards while going up against the Gladiators, who rely mostly on their DPS line to pop off, they should be fine. I've not been too impressed with the men in purple so far in the Playoffs, and believe it won't be too much of a challenge for Florida to beat them.
8. Washington Justice vs. Paris Eternal (NA)- Eternal wins 3-0. If you think I'm not done underestimating the Justice, think again! They proved to be quite challenging for the Shock, and are going up against the Eternal, who weren't too impressive against the Reign. However, I believe their constant roster switches, individual pop-off potential, and stylistic versatility will be able to throw off the Justice, who have just shown one look throughout these Playoffs so far.
9. Los Angeles Valiant vs. Philadelphia Fusion (NA)- Fusion wins 3-0. Fusion too clean. Too good. GGs already.
10. Atlanta Reign vs. San Francisco Shock (NA)- Shock wins 3-0. Okay let's sit down and talk about this. The Reign have been playing brawl in most situations during these Playoffs, and the San Francisco Shock are insanely good at brawl styles. There's no way I see them losing to Atlanta in Rein-Zarya mirrors, especially with super and moth using their experience from Goats to stay on top of things and keep their teammates on the same page. Even if it comes to Dive mirrors, smurf-ChoiHyoBin are a tier above Pokpo-Hawk. There should be no way the Shock lose this.
If you guys like these predictions, be sure to share this post around and subscribe to my blog; it'll mean a ton to me. Thanks a lot for sticking around till the end, and remember to return to this very page for more predictions of Week 1 of the Playoffs as they progress. Cheers, and I hope you're staying safe!
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