For fans of the Overwatch League, these between-stage gaps may have you jonesing for some Overwatch esports action. You may be wondering what you can even watch. Well, if League of Legends doesn’t quite click, if the state of the FGC has you in fits, and Overwatch seems to be the only cure to the itch; you’re in luck. Six of the best teams from Overwatch Contenders are duking it out this weekend in the Overwatch Contenders Pacific Showdown.
Get ready for the Pacific Showdown with @owpathtopro this weekend!
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) May 21, 2019
6 teams. 10 matches. 1 winner.
Learn more here: https://t.co/viLqGnbDSV pic.twitter.com/FaExyD0HWc
Taking place this weekend in the Chinese esports mecca of Shanghai, some of the top teams from Overwatch Contenders South Korea, China, Asia-Pacific, and Australia will meet in a double-elimination tournament. The total prize pool comes in at a cool $125,000; an amount not too much lower than that of regular Overwatch Contenders competition. Outside of bragging rights, this should ensure a solid level of competition in the Showdown.
For those not familiar with the Overwatch Contenders Scene (especially non-North American Contenders), you’re in for a treat. Two teams from China will be making an appearance “The One Winner” and “LGE Huya.” T1W has been a staple the past two years in Contenders China, taking home the cup in 2018, only falling this year to the other Chinese team that will be appearing in the Showdown, LGE Huya. While you may not know Huya, you’ll probably have some love for the mixed-roster team as they act as the academy team for OWL’s Chengdu Hunters.
The South Korean teams entering the Showdown are equally impressive, “O2 Blast” and one of the more famous Korean Overwatch teams, “Element Mystic.” In the past, Element Mystic has provided such players as the Atlanta Reign’s Pokpo and DACO as well as players now appearing on the Vancouver Titans, Seoul Dynasty, London Spitfire, and Shanghai Dragons. They have an eye for new talent, and for breaking the meta. For fans of the original Runaway roster, O2B will have a familiar face, Main Tank Sang-hoon "Kaiser" Ryu.
The two remaining teams may not be household names, but deserve no less attention. “Order” from Australia and “Talon Esports” from the Asia-Pacific region are both exciting teams to watch. Order was one of the first esports organizations to be crowdfunded, and currently has Aussie fan-favorite DPS player James “Yuki” Stanton on the team. Talon represents the sole Hong Kong-based team in the Showdown, and has had back-to-back wins in the Asia-Pacific region of Contenders.
Fans and curious spectators will be able to watch the games on the Overwatch Contenders Twitch Channel, which you can see embedded below. Matches kick off Friday, May 24th, at 10pm PDT and run through Sunday, May 26th. Curious about the Overwatch Contenders Atlantic Showdown? Find out more via our Contenders Dates and Times guide!!