Let’s take a closer look at some of the best Overwatch League players who’ll compete in the 2021 season. Before we delve any deeper, we need to first explain our criteria.
What are we valuing the most?
Is it sheer mechanical prowess?
Or perhaps the ability to persevere once the pressure mounts — to dominate in those oh-so-important “do or die” moments when the fate of the match is decided by just a couple of clicks?
In a way, it’s all of the above and so much more.
The individuals listed below have proven their worth regardless of meta and strength of schedule. It’s the way they handled the pressure that made them stand out the most.
And it truly is an elite club, reserved only for the select few who have shown exceptional mental fortitude and skill.
They persevered through thick and thin, and even though some of them didn’t compete for the best teams around, they still found a way to shine bright.
This is by no means a definitive list, but rather a short introduction to some of the most talented (and impactful) individuals who stood out over the last two seasons.
Best Overwatch League Players In 2021
Jay “Sinatraa” Won, San Francisco Shock (DPS)
The 2019 Overwatch League MVP. Sinatraa definitely had a ton of hype coming into the inaugural season of the Overwatch League, but he simply couldn’t find his stride in time.
By the end of 2018, he displayed a ton of potential but he wasn’t nearly as consistent or dominant as most people expected.
The potential was certainly there, but he needed more time.
Fortunately for the Shock, 2019 gave us a look at the best Sinatraa to date, and we were not left indifferent.
He’s an insanely impactful player on a wide variety of champions, and was able to dominate on both DPS heroes as well as Zarya back in the GOATS meta.
Sinatraa finished 2019 as a champion of both the Overwatch League and the World Cup. Talk about a worthwhile investment on the Shock’s end.
Will he be as dominant this year as he was in 2019? It’s still too early to know for sure, but the odds are certainly in his favor.
Matthew “super” DeLisi, San Francisco Shock (Tank)
Another piece of the San Francisco Shock puzzle, and perhaps equally as important as Sinatraa.
Super is what most tank mains aspire to become, and his Reinhardt play was at the heart of Shock’s success last year.
Always at the right place at the right time, throwing game-deciding ultimates and dominating on the fields of battle.
Super is, without a doubt, one of the best and most impactful tank players in the entire League.
The Shock’s off-tank Hyo-bin “Choihyobin” Choi also deserves a shout out as he was the yin to Super’s yang. The two players synergized perfectly and were the Shock’s foundation during the GOATS days.
Noh “Gamsu” Yeong-jin, Dallas Fuel (Tank)
The former professional League of Legends player definitely stood out in 2019. Perhaps that’s even an understatement.
Gamsu’s masterful performances elevated Shanghai Dragons to newfound heights which eventually resulted in them winning the third stage after a historic Loser’s Bracket miracle run.
After getting traded from the Boston Uprising, Gamsu took matters into his own hands and enabled Shanghai in the pursuit of their elusive first win. He’s a stable performer and a fantastic main tank.
How well he’ll mesh with Dallas Fuel in 2020 still remains to be seen, but if he maintains his standard level of play, he’s bound to once again rank among the best tanks in the League.
Corey “Corey” Nigra, Washington Justice (DPS)
Corey’s 2019 was a fascinating ride. Like many of his DPS peers, he was forced to adapt to a meta he never signed up for.
But once GOATS became a thing of the past, Corey wasted no time in making a name for himself.
He was Washington’s best and most important performer, and his sniper play blew the minds of many.
With Corey unleashed, the Washington Justice finished Stage 4 at fourth place with a spectacular 6W-1L record.
Such a turnaround wasn’t enough to salvage an otherwise abysmal season, but it definitely got a lot of people hyped for the future.
Corey then went on to dominate just as much at the 2019 Overwatch World Cup alongside Sinatraa, and eventually hoisted the trophy after outclassing China in the grand finals.
Hopefully, 2020 will allow Corey to once again flex his DPS prowess and further solidify his spot in the DPS pantheon.
Lee “Twilight” Joo-seok, Vancouver Titans (Support)
The Titans have no shortage of exceptional players. Amongst all of them, Twilight stands out as the foundation of the team.
His consistency and uncanny ability to keep his team alive were paramount during Vancouver’s dominant days.
The sheer fact that he overtook JJoNak’s place as the most lethal support in the League speaks volumes about his skill and sheer dominance.
Xu “guxue” Quilin, Hangzhou Spark (Tank)
Hangzhou’s main tank is still somewhat underrated, although we’re pretty sure that’ll change over the coming months.
His growth (and impact) throughout last year was spectacular and his ability to adapt to the changing meta certainly provided Hangzhou with an upper hand, especially as the season came to an end.
Guxue enabled Hangzhou’s commendable playoff run which was highlighted by impressive wins over the Seoul Dynasty (4:1) and Atlanta Reign (4:0).
He’s not the most consistent player around, but when he’s at the top of his game, only a couple of players are capable of trading blows. He’s coming in hot after a second-place Overwatch World Cup finish with China and is bound to dominate in 2020.
With a full season of play behind his belt, guxue has all the right tools to once again leave a mark.
Kim “Haksal” Hyojong, Vancouver Titans (DPS)
Haksal is one of Vancouver’s biggest catalysts. He’s a spectacular DPS player, and yet he mostly stood out because of his mind-blowing Brigitte play during the GOATS meta.
He’s one of the select few who seamlessly transitioned from playing DPS heroes to one of Overwatch’s most divisive releases.
Once the meta reverted back to 2-2-2, Haksal once again made the transition without skipping a beat.
He was eventually recognized for his highly impactful play with the Rookie of the Year award.
He already proved his worth last year, and we’re excited to see how well he’ll do in 2020, now that he solidified his spot as a premier DPS player.
Hopefully, we’ll get to see a lot more of his feared Genji.
Yang “DDing” Jin-hyeok, Shanghai Dragons (DPS)
Against all odds, DDing made a couple of DPS picks viable in the GOATS meta and his incredible play enabled Shanghai’s Stage 3 win.
His Pharah was often the deciding factor between victory and defeat, and his Sombra play was every bit as dominant and game-changing.
He’s a specialist through and through, and while he doesn’t exactly excel at a lot of heroes, he certainly dominates beyond measure on the ones he prefers.
It’s not the best strategy in the world, but DDing already showcased his ability to defy the meta and still find success, so we’re excited to see if he’ll continue doing so in 2020 as well.
Sung-hyeon “JJoNak” Bang, New York Excelsior (Support)
JJoNak is the kind of player that blurs the line between support and DPS. Frankly, those lines exist for a reason.
You’re either one or the other, and focusing on both is bound to create a disbalance.
Well, not if you’re JJoNak.
His spectacular aim and positioning sometimes allow him to deal even more damage than his DPS teammates, and that’s saying something seeing how he’s playing alongside some of the best players in the history of the game.
The fact that his healing numbers are also through the roof is further evidence that he’s a one-of-a-kind phenom.
Even though he failed to find much success with NYXL last year, he’s still an absolute beast of a player and will be looking to once again dominate in 2020.
Park “Profit” Joon-yeong, Seoul Dynasty (DPS)
The 2018 T-Mobile Playoffs MVP. One of the best players to ever step foot on the Overwatch League stage.
Profit certainly didn’t have a good 2019 with London Spitfire, which is why we’re elated that he’ll make the move over to Seoul for the third season of the Overwatch League.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about Profit is his ability to create legendary, rule-bending plays when you’d least expect it.
He was London’s biggest catalyst, and seeing him shackled to their underperforming roster last year was a painful sight.
Fortunately, 2020 will provide the South Korean prodigy with an opportunity to once again make the world take notice.
Closing Remarks
That’s it for our list of the best Overwatch League players who’ll compete over the coming months!
The 2021 Overwatch League season began on April 16th and will continue every week until August 22nd.
You can watch all matches online through their YouTube channel.
