The Overwatch World Cup has concluded at BlizzCon today, with Team South Korea coming out on top after stomping Russia in a decisive final where they didn't drop a single map. Sweden took bronze, edging Finland 2-1.
There were some incredible strategies and players in the tournament, so we've collected a handful of World Cup highlights that had us looking on in awe of the impressive talent.
This first one shows South Korea's Zunba as Zarya, getting ready to engage the United States team on Eichenwalde. You can see the South Korean team wait for Zunba's lead, a very patient strategy that pays off. Zunba jumps into the middle of Team USA as they're pushing the payload, drops a Gravitron Surge, and then helps his team eliminate every American player. This clip is a great demonstration of why South Korea is so dominant, besting every team and claiming the top spot.
Clearing out an entire team from pushing the payload results in some of the most satisfying moments in Overwatch, and there was no shortage of that during the World Cup. In another match, Finland's Taimou uses his excellent McCree skills to clear out almost the entire Russian team without even uttering the words, "It's high noon."
Another Finland highlight features Hymzi as Roadhog. Now, I think we all know how demoralizing it can be to get hooked out of nowhere, only to meet the wrong side of Roadhog's flak cannon. Well, in an impressive move, Hymzi demonstrates his great physical awareness by picking off a rogue Tracer from the corner of his screen and punishing her with that dang hook of his.
No words can fill enemy players with a special brand of dread like McCree telling you what time it is. South Korea's Esca triggers the gunslinger's ultimate at the best possible moment, demonstrating the exceptional patience that helped take the South Korea to the top. He wastes four players with his Ultimate and finishes off a fifth with a few well placed shots.
And there you have it: the highlights that had us hitting replay for a second, third, and maybe even fourth viewing.
In related news, Blizzard announced the Overwatch League, a competitive association that Blizzard wants to be the "world's premier esports league." The developer hopes to combine the fundamentals of competitive gaming with real sports, guaranteeing players contracts with baseline minimum salaries and benefits. Each team in the league will represent a major city, and you can read more about it here.
