RESULTS: Los Angeles Valiant Defeat Shanghai Dragons in the Overwatch League

Despite the best efforts of the Shanghai Dragons, they just can’t seem to overcome their opponents and claim their first victory in the Overwatch League. This time falling to the Los Angeles Valiant, they at least didn’t go down without a fight. Here’s a brief breakdown of the series.

The first map, King’s Row, saw the Dragons make their attack first. Able to secure the first point, they began to move the payload. The defence from the Valiant was not able to set up in time, and Shanghai would advance the payload through the second checkpoint and reach the end of the map with some time to spare, setting an impressive target for Los Angeles to reach. The attack from the Valiant was similarly successful, as they too were able to secure the first checkpoint and advance the payload through the map, reaching the end with time to spare themselves. The overtime set would see Shanghai again attack first, and after a tough battle, the Dragons were able to secure the checkpoint and start the payload moving, before being stopped just outside the spawn as the timer ran out by the returning Valiant defence. The attack from the Valiant was just as successful as their opponents, as they too were able to secure the point and start pushing the payload before being held up for a time just outside of the spawn. Despite the best efforts of the Dragons, they could not stop the Valiant from pushing them back, ending the match with Los Angeles taking an early lead.

The second map, Hanamura, again saw the Dragons taking the first attack. This time they were unable to penetrate the defences of Los Angeles fully, only able to secure 45.8% of the first point before being pushed back and the clock run down. The attack from Los Angeles was much more successful, as they were able to bypass the Dragons defence to secure the required amount with plenty of time in the back, taking a 2-0 lead heading into half-time.

The third map, Oasis, started strong for both teams, with Shanghai reaching 99% before being forced off the point by the Valiant. Los Angeles would claim the first round, setting up match point for the next. The second round did not go as well for Shanghai, as they were barely able to secure 17% of the point before being forced back, while Los Angeles seemed relatively unchallenged as they claimed the round, map, and series all at once.

The fourth map, Watchpoint: Gibraltar, was the last chance for Shanghai to claim anything in this match. The attack from the Dragons was fluid and deadly, pushing Los Angeles back as they advanced the payload across the map to reach the end of the course with plenty of time to spare. The attack from Los Angeles was not as successful, as they were blocked off by a renewed defence from Shanghai. Los Angeles was unable to reach the first checkpoint, preventing them from claiming a clean sweep though they would still pick up the series win overall.

The Shanghai Dragons have yet to claim their first victory in the Overwatch League, but they are improving over time, while the Los Angeles Valiant will be happy with adding another victory to their belt. For more on when these teams will clash again, check out the official schedule page, here, and for more Overwatch League action, check out the match recaps from earlier in the day, here.