Overwatch League 2020 Week 8: Seoul Dynasty's Top Plays, Prize Money

After seven weeks of Overwatch League action, we finally got a chance to see the league's Chinese and Korean teams in Week 8.

And all hiccups from the online-only production were forgiven when the scuffed broadcast ended with caster Soe Gschwind's cat, Nori, successfully banning everyone's least-favorite hero, Mei, from Week 9 play.

It was a marvelous resumption of OWL play after two weeks without matches. Seoul Dynasty's incumbent main tank, Marve1, kept a starting spot despite the team's addition of Gesture—player for the 2018 champion London Spitfire.

Speculation has buzzed for months following the Dynasty's replacement of some team stalwarts with a trio of players from the seemingly regressed Spitfire. But that was all laid to rest as all three additions, DPS Profit, flex support Bdosin and Gesture, all popped off while earning 100 percent playtime. 

In their 2020 debut, the Dynasty emerged with a convincing 2-0 in matches and 6-0-1 on maps. And they did so by succeeding where the Boston Uprising once failed: by starting two main tanks and stacking double shields for days.

With Winston, Soldier, Sombra and Lucio banned, the Dynasty trotted out an Orisa, Sigma, McCree, Mei, Baptiste, Zenyatta combo for much of the weekend. Aside from Marve1, the three Spitfire transplants started alongside DPS Fits and longtime main support Tobi (keeping the Lunatic Hai presence alive).

Fits clicked heads relentlessly with the space offered by a revamped roster. Here's how the week played out, with a specific eye toward the Dynasty's top moments.

Saturday, March 28

Guangzhou Charge 0 - 3 Shanghai Dragons

Chengdu Hunters 2 - 3 Hangzhou Spark

Toronto Defiant 3 - 1 Boston Uprising

Los Angeles Valiant 0 - 3 Seoul Dynasty

San Francisco Shock 1 - 3 Los Angeles Gladiators

Sunday, March 29

Chengdu Hunters 3 - 0 Shanghai Dragons

Hangzhou Spark 2 - 3 Guangzhou Charge

Florida Mayhem 0 - 3 Atlanta Reign

Seoul Dynasty 3 - 0 Los Angeles Gladiators

Los Angeles Valiant 3 - 1 San Francisco Shock

Full schedule and standings available here.

In what was otherwise a week of parity, the Dynasty chowed down on both teams representing Los Angeles. The Atlanta Reign were the only other team to go without defeat, but they only played one game. Seoul beat the Valiant first (who then beat the 2019 champion Shock) and the Gladiators second (who beat the Shock the day prior). 

Both days were marked by pop-off performances from the Dynasty's new DPS duo.

Saturday: Seoul Vanquishes the Valiant

Profit may have dubbed himself "Mei one trick" following the team's victory Sunday, but on Saturday, he introduced a brash, raw Valiant team to his Tracer. The iconic, flexible mushroom-haired DPS earned an easy Player of the Match designation by averaging 29.2 eliminations per 10 minutes...with just 1.7 deaths. 

Embracing clean-up duty, Profit had four melee final blows and finished fights off regularly. 

Sunday: The Dynasty Destroy Los Angeles

The Lord's Day was Fits' moment to shine; his McCree play made excellent use of the team's 2020 synergy.

Against the Gladiators, Fits had a sharp McCree performance, putting up 31.2 eliminations per 10 minutes (to 6.1 deaths) and a crisp 15 head-shot eliminations.

"

.@Fits_ow 눈에 띄면? 바로 #OWL2020 8주차 @LAGladiators와의 경기 POTM은
FITS입니다!

Beware of FITS, #POTM #서울다이너스티 #SeoulDynasty pic.twitter.com/kNFQGBil6r

— Seoul Dynasty  (@SeoulDynasty) March 30, 2020"

In a cruel twist of fate, Seoul's players weren't the only former Spitfire champs to play this week and Profit's former running mate, Birdring, was on the losing side of Sunday's match. His former teammate, Bdosin, tweeted some love his way after the clapping.

The Dynasty now join the Titans as the lone two teams without a loss this season. That means we can impatiently dub them front-runners for a big splash of this season's $5 million prize pool.

The schedule for next week isn't determined yet, so we're not sure when Seoul will face its next test. But what we do know is that Wrecking Ball, McCree, Mei and Brigitte will be the heroes banned for the OWL's next slate of matches. 

All praise goes to Nori, who is already being crowned—in the righteous all-caps his performance deserves—an "MVP" and "WIZARD."