The 2019 Overwatch League playoffs were the postseason tournament of the 2019 Overwatch League regular season, beginning on September 5, and concluded with the 2019 Grand Finals, the second championship match of the Overwatch League (OWL), on September 29.
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Game | Overwatch |
| Dates | September 5–29 |
| Administrator | Activision-Blizzard |
| Venue | Blizzard Arena, Burbank, California |
| Teams | 8 |
| Purse | $3,500,000 |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 14 |
| Grand Finals | |
| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Venue | Wells Fargo Center |
| Champion | San Francisco Shock |
| Runner-up | Vancouver Titans |
| Finals MVP | Choi "ChoiHyoBin" Hyo-bin |
Eight teams competed in the OWL Playoffs – a double-elimination tournament. The winner of each round of the Playoffs were determined by a single-match, where each match winner was determined by which team wins four maps. The final two teams remaining in the tournament advanced to the Grand Finals, which took place at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1][2]
The defending OWL champions were the London Spitfire, who won the title against the Philadelphia Fusion in the 2018 OWL Grand Finals, but they fell in the first round of the lower bracket. The San Francisco Shock defeated the Vancouver Titans in the finals to claim their first OWL Championship.
Map pool
editThe postseason map pool consisted of twelve maps evenly distributed across the four map types.[3]
| Control | Assault | Hybrid | Escort | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pool | Lijiang Tower | Horizon Lunar Colony | Numbani | Dorado |
| Ilios | Temple of Anubis | Eichenwalde | Watchpoint: Gibraltar | |
| Busan | Hanamura | King's Row | Rialto |
Participants
editEight teams qualified for the Season Playoffs. The two division leaders from the regular season were awarded the top two seeds, the following top four teams, based on regular season standings, were awarded seeds three through six, and the top two teams from the Play-In Tournament were awarded seeds seven and eight.[4]
| Seed | Team | Division | Record | MR | MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver Titans | PAC | 25–3 | 89–28–0 | +61 |
| 2 | New York Excelsior | ATL | 22–6 | 78–38–3 | +40 |
| 3 | San Francisco Shock | PAC | 23–5 | 92–26–0 | +66 |
| 4 | Hangzhou Spark | PAC | 18–10 | 64–52–4 | +12 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Gladiators | PAC | 17–11 | 67–48–3 | +19 |
| 6 | Atlanta Reign | ATL | 16–12 | 69–50–1 | +19 |
| 7 | London Spitfire | ATL | 16–12 | 58–52–6 | +6 |
| 8 | Seoul Dynasty | PAC | 15–13 | 64–50–3 | +14 |
Bracket
edit| First Round September 5–6 | Winners Round 1 September 8 | Winners Round 2 September 13 | Grand Finals September 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Vancouver Titans | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Seoul Dynasty | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Vancouver Titans | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Los Angeles Gladiators | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Hangzhou Spark | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Los Angeles Gladiators | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Vancouver Titans | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | New York Excelsior | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | New York Excelsior | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | London Spitfire | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | New York Excelsior | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Atlanta Reign | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | San Francisco Shock | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Atlanta Reign | 4 | 1 | Vancouver Titans | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | San Francisco Shock | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Losers Round 1 September 7 | Losers Round 2 September 12 | Losers Round 3 September 14 | Losers Round 4 September 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Atlanta Reign | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Hangzhou Spark | 4 | 4 | Hangzhou Spark | 4 | 2 | New York Excelsior | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 8 | Seoul Dynasty | 1 | 4 | Hangzhou Spark | 0 | 3 | San Francisco Shock | 4 | |||||||||||||||
| 3 | San Francisco Shock | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Los Angeles Gladiators | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | San Francisco Shock | 4 | 3 | San Francisco Shock | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | London Spitfire | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Matches
editFirst Round
edit| First round | September 5 | Seoul Dynasty | 2 | – | 4 | Vancouver Titans | Burbank, CA | |
| 4:00 pm PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 1 | Lijiang Tower | 2 | ||||||
| 3 | Numbani | 1 | ||||||
| 1 | Horizon Lunar Colony | 0 | ||||||
| 1 | Watchpoint: Gibraltar | 3 | ||||||
| 1 | Busan | 2 | ||||||
| 0 | Eichenwalde | 1 | ||||||
| First round | September 5 | Los Angeles Gladiators | 4 | – | 3 | Hangzhou Spark | Burbank, CA | |
| 7:00 pm PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 1 | Busan | 2 | ||||||
| 2 | King's Row | 0 | ||||||
| 4 | Temple of Anubis | 3 | ||||||
| 2 | Rialto | 1 | ||||||
| 1 | Lijiang Tower | 2 | ||||||
| 3 | Eichenwalde | 4 | ||||||
| 3 | Watchpoint: Gibraltar | 1 | ||||||
| First round | September 6 | London Spitfire | 1 | – | 4 | New York Excelsior | Burbank, CA | |
| 4:00 pm PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 0 | Busan | 2 | ||||||
| 3 | Numbani | 4 | ||||||
| 3 | Temple of Anubis | 4 | ||||||
| 2 | Watchpoint: Gibraltar | 1 | ||||||
| 0 | Ilios | 2 | ||||||
| First round | September 6 | Atlanta Reign | 4 | – | 3 | San Francisco Shock | Burbank, CA | |
| 7:00 pm PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 2 | Busan | 1 | ||||||
| 0 | Numbani | 3 | ||||||
| 1 | Horizon Lunar Colony | 0 | ||||||
| 1 | Watchpoint: Gibraltar | 2 | ||||||
| 2 | Lijiang Tower | 0 | ||||||
| 5 | King's Row | 6 | ||||||
| 3 | Rialto | 2 | ||||||
Losers Round 1
edit| Losers Round 1 | September 7 | Seoul Dynasty | 1 | – | 4 | Hangzhou Spark | Burbank, CA | |
| 6:00 pm PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 0 | Busan | 2 | ||||||
| 3 | Eichenwalde | 2 | ||||||
| 1 | Temple of Anubis | 2 | ||||||
| 2 | Dorado | 3 | ||||||
| 0 | Lijiang Tower | 2 | ||||||
| Losers Round 1 | September 7 | London Spitfire | 0 | – | 4 | San Francisco Shock | Burbank, CA | |
| 9:00 pm PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 1 | Busan | 2 | ||||||
| 2 | Numbani | 3 | ||||||
| 1 | Horizon Lunar Colony | 2 | ||||||
| 1 | Watchpoint: Gibraltar | 2 | ||||||
Winners Round 1
edit| Winners Round 1 | September 8 | Los Angeles Gladiators | 2 | – | 4 | Vancouver Titans | Burbank, CA | |
| 12:00 noon PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 0 | Busan | 2 | ||||||
| 3 | King's Row | 1 | ||||||
| 3 | Temple of Anubis | 4 | ||||||
| 4 | Rialto | 3 | ||||||
| 1 | Lijiang Tower | 2 | ||||||
| 1 | Eichenwalde | 2 | ||||||
| Winners Round 1 | September 8 | Atlanta Reign | 2 | – | 4 | New York Excelsior | Burbank, CA | |
| 3:00 pm PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 1 | Busan | 2 | ||||||
| 4 | King's Row | 5 | ||||||
| 2 | Hanamura | 1 | ||||||
| 1 | Rialto | 2 | ||||||
| 2 | Lijiang Tower | 0 | ||||||
| 2 | Numbani | 3 | ||||||
Losers Round 2
edit| Losers Round 2 | September 12 | Atlanta Reign | 0 | – | 4 | Hangzhou Spark | Burbank, CA | |
| 4:00 pm PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 0 | Busan | 2 | ||||||
| 4 | Numbani | 6 | ||||||
| 2 | Temple of Anubis | 3 | ||||||
| 3 | Watchpoint: Gibraltar | 4 | ||||||
| Losers Round 2 | September 12 | Los Angeles Gladiators | 0 | – | 4 | San Francisco Shock | Burbank, CA | |
| 7:00 pm PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 0 | Busan | 2 | ||||||
| 2 | King's Row | 3 | ||||||
| 2 | Horizon Lunar Colony | 3 | ||||||
| 3 | Rialto | 4 | ||||||
Winners Round 2
edit| Winners Round 2 | September 13 | New York Excelsior | 3 | – | 4 | Vancouver Titans | Burbank, CA | |
| 7:00 pm PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 0 | Lijiang Tower | 2 | ||||||
| 3 | King's Row | 2 | ||||||
| 3 | Temple of Anubis | 2 | ||||||
| 2 | Watchpoint: Gibraltar | 3 | ||||||
| 0 | Busan | 2 | ||||||
| 6 | Numbani | 3 | ||||||
| 1 | Dorado | 3 | ||||||
Losers Round 3
edit| Losers Round 3 | September 14 | Hangzhou Spark | 0 | – | 4 | San Francisco Shock | Burbank, CA | |
| 12:00 noon PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 1 | Busan | 2 | ||||||
| 3 | King's Row | 4 | ||||||
| 4 | Temple of Anubis | 5 | ||||||
| 4 | Dorado | 5 | ||||||
Losers Round 4
edit| Losers Round 4 | September 15 | San Francisco Shock | 4 | – | 0 | New York Excelsior | Burbank, CA | |
| 12:00 noon PST | Details | Blizzard Arena | ||||||
| 2 | Lijiang Tower | 1 | ||||||
| 3 | King's Row | 2 | ||||||
| 6 | Temple of Anubis | 5 | ||||||
| 3 | Rialto | 2 | ||||||
Grand Finals
edit| Grand Finals | September 29 | San Francisco Shock | 4 | – | 0 | Vancouver Titans | Philadelphia, PA | |
| 3:00 pm EDT | Details | Wells Fargo Center | ||||||
| 2 | Lijiang Tower | 0 | ||||||
| 4 | Eichenwalde | 3 | ||||||
| 4 | Temple of Anubis | 3 | ||||||
| 3 | Watchpoint: Gibraltar | 2 | ||||||
Winnings
editTeams in the Season Playoffs competed for a total prize pool of US$3.5 million, with the payout division detailed below.[1]
| Pos | Team | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco Shock | $1,100,000 |
| 2 | Vancouver Titans | $600,000 |
| 3 | New York Excelsior | $450,000 |
| 4 | Hangzhou Spark | $350,000 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Gladiators | $300,000 |
| 6 | Atlanta Reign | $300,000 |
| 7 | London Spitfire | $200,000 |
| 8 | Seoul Dynasty | $200,000 |
Broadcast and viewership
editAll matches of the playoffs were live-streamed on Twitch, the Overwatch League website, and the ESPN app.[5]
Telecast schedule
edit| Match # | Game | Date | Matchup | Network(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Round | Thu, September 5, 4:00 p.m. PDT | Seoul Dynasty | 2–4 | Vancouver Titans | Disney XD/ESPNews |
| 2 | First Round | Thu, September 5, 7:00 p.m. PDT | Los Angeles Gladiators | 4–3 | Hangzhou Spark | ESPNews |
| 3 | First Round | Fri, September 6, 4:00 p.m. PDT | London Spitfire | 1–4 | New York Excelsior | ESPNews |
| 4 | First Round | Fri, September 6, 7:00 p.m. PDT | Atlanta Reign | 4–3 | San Francisco Shock | ESPNews |
| 5 | Losers Round 1 | Sat, September 7, 6:00 p.m. PDT | Seoul Dynasty | 1–4 | Hangzhou Spark | Disney XD |
| 6 | Losers Round 1 | Sat, September 7, 9:00 p.m. PDT | London Spitfire | 0–4 | San Francisco Shock | ESPNews |
| 7 | Winners Round 1 | Sun, September 8, 12:00 p.m. PDT | Los Angeles Gladiators | 2–4 | Vancouver Titans | Disney XD |
| 8 | Winners Round 1 | Sun, September 8, 3:00 p.m. PDT | Atlanta Reign | 2–4 | New York Excelsior | ESPNews |
| 9 | Losers Round 2 | Thu, September 12, 4:00 p.m. PDT | Atlanta Reign | 0–4 | Hangzhou Spark | Disney XD |
| 10 | Losers Round 2 | Thu, September 12, 7:00 p.m. PDT | Los Angeles Gladiators | 0–4 | San Francisco Shock | Disney XD |
| 11 | Winners Round 2 | Fri, September 13, 4:00 p.m. PDT | New York Excelsior | 3–4 | Vancouver Titans | Disney XD/ESPNews |
| 12 | Losers Round 3 | Sat, September 14, 12:00 p.m. PDT | Hangzhou Spark | 0–4 | San Francisco Shock | Disney XD |
| 13 | Losers Round 4 | Sun, September 15, 12:00 p.m. PDT | San Francisco Shock | 4–0 | New York Excelsior | Disney XD |
| 14 | Grand Finals | Sun, September 29, 12:00 p.m. PDT | San Francisco Shock | 4–0 | Vancouver Titans | ABC |
Source:[6]
References
edit- ^ a b The Overwatch League. "Summary of Official Rules 2019 Season" (PDF). Retrieved May 22, 2019.
- ^ George, John (May 8, 2019). "Egamers alert: This year's Overwatch League winner will be crowned in Philadelphia". Philadelphia Business Journal. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
- ^ Hoskins, Ryan (September 3, 2019). "Overwatch League Season 2 Playoffs Preview". Hotspawn. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
- ^ "The Overwatch League Grand Finals Headed to Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia" (Press release). Irvine, California. Business Wire. May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
- ^ "Overwatch League Announces Xfinity as 2019 Playoffs and Grand Finals Presenting Sponsor". Yahoo! Finance. Business Wire. August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ Blizzard Entertainment (July 25, 2019). "2019 Season Playoffs Primer". The Overwatch League. Retrieved August 28, 2019.