The latest season of competitive Overwatch has come to a conclusion. Starting on September 21, the 2021 Overwatch League Playoffs was easily one of the most hotly anticipated esports events of the year. After five days, the Playoffs have now concluded and a new champion has been crowned. The Shanghai Dragons, a team that's climbed from the bottom of the league to the top, has won the Overwatch League Playoffs 2021.
To call the Shanghai Dragons' run through the Overwatch League Playoffs 2021 dominant would be cutting the team short. Facing teams including the San Francisco Shock, the Los Angeles Gladiators, the Dallas Fuel, and the Atlanta Reign, the Shanghai Dragons never lost more than a single round in each matchup. Further, the Shanghai Dragons went a stunning 4-0 in the playoffs' Grand Finals, cementing its championship with an exclamation point. The Shanghai Dragons left no argument about which team is the best in 2021.
As mentioned, what makes the Shanghai Dragons' performance in the Overwatch League Playoffs 2021 so impressive is how it stands in contrast to where the team started. Across 2018 and 2019, the Shanghai Dragons' origin seasons were marked by a difficult 0-42 streak, a run unparalleled across all of not just esports but professional sports. Of course, the teams of 2018 and 2019 are long behind the Shanghai Dragons. Only two players of the nine on the active roster have remained with the team since 2019.
One of those players that's been with the Shanghai Dragons since 2019 is Fleta, the 2020 league MVP. He's been joined by Overwatch League 2021 Role Stars LIP, Izayaki, LeeJaeGon, and Void. Rounding out the active roster is Fate, Molly, WhoRU, and Develop. Head coach Moon says that he's "very honored and happy" to have been a part of the team that made the Shanghai Dragons "shine."
The runners-up in the Overwatch League Playoffs 2021 are the Atlanta Reign, which lost its first match in the playoffs only to reach the Grand Finals through the Losers Bracket. The Atlanta Reign lost 2-3 to the Chengdu Hunters, and then defeated the Washington Justice, Los Angeles Gladiators, San Francisco Shock, and Dallas Fuel. Third place in the Overwatch League Playoffs is the Dallas Fuel, followed by the San Francisco Shock in fourth.
Overwatch League 2021 marks the end of the league's competitive play within the original Overwatch. Overwatch League 2022 will begin on an early build of Overwatch 2. That means that, as dominant as the Shanghai Dragons are at the moment, everything is going to change next year. Overwatch League 2022 starts in April 2022.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
