Striker Retires, ANS Returns to the San Francisco Shock
The defending, back-to-back Overwatch League champions San Francisco Shock have had quite a tumultuous week. Nam-joo “Striker” Kwon has decided to hang his mouse and keyboard for good, with Lee “ANS” Seon-chang making his grand return after a relatively short stint in Valorant
What an emotional rollercoaster!
First of all, the loss of Striker will be felt from the very moment the San Francisco Shock step foot on stage to compete. He’s undoubtedly one of the best DPS players in the Overwatch League and is perhaps best known for his spectacular play on Tracer. But, heck, “spectacular” doesn’t even begin to cut it! He first rose to prominence while playing for the Boston Uprising, and from the moment he was picked up by the Shock, he blossomed and grew in ways we couldn’t even imagine.
He played an integral part in San Francisco’s back-to-back championship wins. He was even proclaimed as the Grand Finals MVP back in 2020 — that alone tells you all you need to know when it comes to his inherent talent and ability to clutch things out at the highest levels.
You Win Some, You Lose Some
The return of ANS, however, will surely lessen the blow. This incredible hitscan virtuoso has also awed us in much the same way as Striker and was, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best Widow and McCree players in the entire League — a true testament given whom he had for the opposition.
ANS had decided to retire right after winning the Overwatch League as he wanted to pursue a career in Valorant (under T1’s banner, no less). Fortunately — in a moment of supreme serendipity — he’ll be making a return to competitive Overwatch and will no doubt bolster San Francisco’s chances of winning their third straight championship.
Talk about good timing!
The Kings Need to Step Up
It’s no secret that the Shock hasn’t been all that impressive lately. They’re still one of the best teams in the Overwatch League, but they’ve consistently lost to the Dallas Fuel and have even dropped a bunch of games to teams most folks deemed inferior coming into 2021.
The Summer Showdown is scheduled to begin on June 25, and it’s impossible not to wonder: will the San Francisco Shock get back to their winning ways? If the current trend continues, we might be seeing a completely new team ascend the throne in a couple of months! The pressure is mounting, so tune in to the official Overwatch League YouTube channel to catch all the action!
Comments