Some Overwatch League clubs want to start the next season with a “clean slate” by letting go of the bulk of their players or changing some important staff members. On the other side, the Washington Justice has ruled that everyone must go.
Meanwhile, the Vancouver Titans are also entering the fray only days after the Los Angeles Valiant officially erased their entire player roster.
Was Justice Served in Washington?
All five of the team's current players, in addition to the head coach and player management, made the formal announcement that they would not be coming back in 2023.
supports Jung #Krillin and An #OPENER Gi-beom Tank Yung-hoon DPS players and Shin #Kalios Woo-yeol Jang #Decay Gui-un, Kim #Assassin, and OPENER all had their contract options declined, or in the case of OPENER, their contract was canceled.
Due to a declined option and contract expiry, respectively, head coach Han #Sup7eme Seungjun and player manager Haeni Kim will also not be joining the Justice in the future. Earlier in the week, assistant coach Park #Chilhwa Min-hyung made his leaving public.
In the midst of the 2022 season, Washington reduced its roster to five players—one fewer than the league minimum—and sent some of its top players to other clubs. As the roster shrank, so did the general manager and an assistant coach for the squad.
Over the previous week, a number of Justice players, including Washington's top player Decay, stated on social media that they were looking for a squad. Even while the players said they were still in contact with the Justice, their declaration may have altered the situation.
Four players were classified as having their “option declined,” which meant that either the player or the organization had chosen not to extend their contracts by another year.
The team's rookie support OPENER had his contract marked as “terminated,” a term that is rarely utilized in league contract negotiations. The two-year deal for OPENER was canceled with severance, as explained by Grant “Keranthil” Paranjape, Washington's vice president of esports business, in a Reddit comment.
With an 11-13 record at the end of the 2022 campaign, the Washington Justice ended one of their worst seasons since coming onto the scene.
The Canada Roster Sweep
The Canadian squad made the announcement today that it is saying goodbye to six members as 2023 approaches. Supports Damage dealers Robert #Skairipa Lupsa, Petja #Masaa Kantanen, and Park #Aztac Jeong-su Rene #k1ng Rangel, Chris #MirroR Trinh, tank In 2023, nobody will be sporting blue and green jerseys because they are Nick #False Wiseman.
On the roster, only Luka #Aspire Rolovic, a star DPS player, is still present.
The Vancouver Titans, who also completely overhauled their roster in 2022 and numerous times in previous seasons, are undergoing yet another significant offseason reconstruction.
The plan was to assemble a largely Western squad of top Overwatch Contenders talent for the 2022 season, with a few veteran players thrown in for good measure. Many fans and pundits anticipated Vancouver to be somewhat successful because of players like Masaa and MirroR at the top.
Although each player's potential was obvious, the team's coordination wasn't realized until the hiring of head coach David #dpei Pei in mid-July. Vancouver went without a victory before being picked up. They finished the regular season in 2022 with a 5-19 record. The Titans dropped Dpei last week as well.
Aspire, who established himself as one of the most impressive Sojourn players last season despite his team's losing record, may or may not be the Titans' choice to focus on him. In the event that the team decides to start over, he might also be a desirable trade asset if needed.
