Overwatch League 2019 Stage 2, Week 4: Fuel's Top Plays, Prize Money
The Overwatch League enjoyed a change of pace this weekend, as the Dallas Fuel hosted the first and only homestand of Stage 2.
The homestand meant a lighter schedule. The Los Angeles Gladiators, San Francisco Shock and Vancouver Titans—the three remaining unbeaten teams—had the week off. At the other end of the standings, the Washington Justice and Florida Mayhem had to wait another week to potentially get their first win.
The Fuel entered Week 4 on the edge of the stage playoff cutoff. On the strength of back-to-back victories, Dallas now sits sixth with only one round remaining before the playoffs get underway.
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Week 4 Results
Saturday, April 27
London Spitfire 4, Paris Eternal 0
Hangzhou Spark 3, Chengdu Hunters 1
Seoul Dynasty 4, Houston Outlaws 0
Dallas Fuel 4, Los Angeles Valiant 0
Sunday, April 28
Hangzhou Spark 3, Paris Eternal 2
Chengdu Hunters 3, London Spitfire 1
Seoul Dynasty 3, Los Angeles Valiant 2
Dallas Fuel 3, Houston Outlaws 1
Week 4 got off to an inauspicious start, as a power outage in Allen, Texas, caused a blackout during Saturday's first matchup between Paris Eternal and the London Spitfire. Once the issue was resolved, the weekend went off without a hitch.
The Los Angeles Valiant were a respectable 2-2 entering Week 4. Dallas blitzed L.A. on Saturday, earning a 4-0 victory.
Looking to earn their first victory, the Houston Outlaws mounted a much stiffer challenge Sunday. The Outlaws nearly pushed the match to a fifth and decisive round, but the Fuel reigned supreme at Watchpoint: Gibraltar to close out a 3-1 win.
Even if the Fuel suffer a defeat in the opening round of the playoffs, simply reaching that stage means a healthy financial reward. The stage winner receives $200,000, with $100,000 going to the runner-up. The third and fourth-place finishers collect $50,000, and $25,000 apiece is awarded to the remaining playoff teams.
The Fuel have one more game remaining in this stage, and it comes against the Mayhem. As long as Dallas walks away with a victory there, the playoffs should be a foregone conclusion.
The homestand couldn't have come at a better time for the Fuel, who used their home-arena advantage to significantly alter their fortunes in Stage 2.
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