The Shanghai Dragons finally ended their infamous Overwatch League losing streak, as the team won their first match on their 43rd try.
The team ended the first season of the Overwatch League without a single win at 0-40, prompting drastic changes. Only three players were brought back for the second season, including the league’s first female player, Kim Se-Yeon, better known as Geguri. They also picked up Noh “Gamsu” Young-jin in a trade with the Boston Uprising.
It was Gamsu who propelled the Shanghai Dragons to their first Overwatch League victory, and ironically, it was against the team that traded him away.
The Shanghai Dragons dominated the first map, Ilios, with a convincing 2-0 victory. The Boston Uprising took an early 1-0 lead on the second map, King’s Row, but lost to a 3-4 score. The third map, Lunar Horizon, took two bouts of overtime, but the Shanghai Dragons held on 5-4, clinching their first match win.
IT HAPPENED!!! #OWL2019
THE @ShanghaiDragons SECURE THEIR FIRST WIN!https://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/Nfux0Zvl7H
— Overwatch Esports (@OW_Esports) February 23, 2019
The match officially ended at 3-1, as the Shanghai Dragons broke the longest losing streak in the history of professional sports. The outcome sent the audience into a frenzy, and tears were shed.
Let's go Dragons!🔥🐲#BreakThrough pic.twitter.com/jmkEv164UD
— Shanghai Dragons (@ShanghaiDragons) February 23, 2019
The record of the Shanghai Dragons in the early stage of the second season of the Overwatch League is now 1-2, still at the bottom half of the standings in Stage 1. It remains to be seen whether the team can keep the momentum going in their next match, which will be on March 9 against the New York Excelsior.
In the Overwatch League, teams represent particular regions, giving fans the opportunity to support their own team just like in traditional sports leagues. It quickly gathered a huge following, and eventually entered the mainstream in a deal with Disney and ESPN.
For its second season, eight teams were added to the Overwatch League, bringing the total number of participating teams to 20. One of the new teams is the Atlanta Reign, which is currently in second place with a 2-1 record. Some of the other new additions include the Vancouver Titans, the Paris Eternal, and the Hangzhou Spark.
The Shanghai Dragons have their work cut out for them if they want to move up the Overwatch League standings. Finally breaking their losing streak, however, is a great first step.
