The first playoff matchup in Overwatch League history pits the number three seed Boston Uprising against the number six seed Philadelphia Fusion, in a matchup of epic proportions. These two teams are one of the fiercest rivals in the Overwatch League, and their best of three match series is sure to excite. With a shot at the semifinals on the line, it’s all or nothing for the Fusion and Uprising as they kick off their quest of becoming the Overwatch League’s Inaugural Champions.
Boston Uprising (#3) vs. Philadelphia Fusion (#6)
Game 1: July 11th 8:00 EST, Game 2: July 13th 8:00 EST, Game 3: July 13th 10:00 EST
The Boston Uprising and the Philadelphia Fusion are both trying to prove that they are elite teams as they kick off the Overwatch League playoffs with an 8:00 EST match. Both of these teams have exceeded expectations to reach this point, as Boston was considered to be a bottom tier team and the Fusion wasn’t given much of a chance after they missed the pre-season. The Fusion is a team that has immense DPS depth in Jae-hyeok ‘Carpe’ Lee, George ‘Shadowburn’ Gushcha, and José ‘Eqo’ Corona, which makes them an extremely formidable opponent. The Uprising, on the other hand, is all about team synergy and have shown in the past that when they are on the same page they can beat anyone.
Season Series
The Uprising and Fusion first met way back in week five of Stage 1, in a game that Boston took by a commanding score of 4 to 0. It is worth noting that the match was actually much closer than the score suggested, as the teams went to overtime in two of the four games played. When they met in Stage 2, it was a completely different story, with the Fusion pulling off their own 4 to 0 sweep in convincing fashion. That was also the Stage in which the Fusion were arguably at their best, as the team went all the way to the Stage Finals, before losing a nailbiting 3 to 2 series to the NYXL. Stage 3 was also the time when Nam-joo ‘Striker’ Kwon made this play:
Coming off of their successful Stage 2, many expected the Fusion to continue their rise to the top. However, no one really anticipated the effort that the Boston Uprising would put forward. The Uprising defeated the Fusion in the first match of Stage 3 and didn’t lose another game the rest of the way, as they became the first team to achieve a perfect Stage result. And of course, in typical fashion, the last game of these teams series’ ended in a 3 to 1 Fusion win, which tied the season series at two wins apiece.
Standout Players
Along the way, there have been many MVP calibre performances by players on both teams but two stands above the rest. For the Philadelphia Fusion, that player is Carpe. For the Boston Uprising, it’s all about Striker. Carpe is arguably the league’s best Widowmaker player and he has demonstrated the ability to single-handedly turn matches around in his team’s favour. Here’s a two-minute clip summarizing his work so far:
Similarly, Striker is the main DPS focal point for the Boston Uprising, and his Tracer play is arguably the best in the world. All season Striker has kept Boston in matches with his uncanny ability to stay alive and net key kills at key moments. He is the very definition of clutch, and will need to put in the performance of his career if his Uprising are to emerge victorious.
Match Prediction
As mentioned earlier, this match could very well go either way and there is a convincing argument for both teams. The fact is that both teams have looked near-unstoppable when they’re hot and downright dreadful when they are off their games. That being said, the Fusion has such an embarrassment of riches in their DPS position and that should be enough to get them the series win.
Projected Winner: Philadelphia Fusion
What team(s) are you rooting for in the quarterfinals? And which players do you think are going to step up? Let us know in the comments below!
Liked this article and want to read more like it? Check out the article on Whether the Overwatch League Can Survive Expansion and our Interview with Overwatch Voice Actress Lucie Pohl.
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