In a shocking announcement yesterday, the San Francisco Shock, one of the 20 Overwatch League teams, announced the retirement of Matthew "Super" DeLisi. Super is considered by many to be one of the top Overwatch tank players to have ever touched the game, and this announcement has caught many in the Overwatch community off-guard.Super has been in Overwatch since the beginning of professional play, and his play on tanks has been highly regarded by many in the pro Overwatch scene. Notably, his ability to play the tank hero Reinhardt has drawn considerable praise, with some believing he is the best player in the world on that hero. Super is an incredibly decorated Overwatch player, with two Overwatch League championship titles, two MVP runner-up results, all-star, a role star (given out to the best Overwatch League players at their respective positions), and an Overwatch World Cup gold medal.The San Francisco Shock announced his retirement via Twitter, with Super following up later on. Super said he has lost his passion to compete at a high level, and the work has put on emotional toll on him. He says that he regrets having to put his team in this spot, as eyes were on him to help the San Francisco Shock continue their dominance in the league. Super does have a very successful stream to fall back on, and he even received a nomination at this year's Streamer Awards for the Best FPS Streamer category.
The start of the fifth season of the Overwatch League is just over a month away, so Super's retirement comes at a bad time for the San Francisco Shock. The Overwatch League will be transitioning to Overwatch 2 this season, which means a reduction of tank players from 2 to 1. The San Francisco Shock had Super as their only tank player, with no backups. This leaves the San Francisco Shock in an awkward position, as the off-season has mostly ended, and they will have to scramble to find a replacement for the tank role.
The Overwatch League's move to Overwatch 2 has been messy, as the issues at Activision Blizzard have left the Overwatch League organizers without a clear path forward. There have been multiple leadership changes from top to bottom, and this season is looking quite different from the seasons in the past. The loss of one of the league's top players is also likely to lower viewership numbers when the San Francisco Shock play their matches.
The wait for the public to try Overwatch 2 for themselves is fast approaching. With the Overwatch League starting after the Overwatch 2 beta goes live, some Overwatch fans will be excited to see what the rest of the professional Overwatch players can bring in the upcoming season.
Overwatch 2 is currently in development, with a beta test coming out on April 26.
Source: Dexerto