The first big finals of the Overwatch League provide a crucial lesson about the esports: Adapt or die



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The Philadelphia Fusion toppled the New York Excelsior to win a place in the first big final of Overwatch League. (Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment)

NEW YORK – Malik Forté's eyes widened and he clapped his hands thinking that someone who did not know the spies could react by learning that after having completed the majority of its inaugural regular season, Overwatch League a significant change to the game during the final stretch. In the end, it's a change that has completely reshaped the playoff picture and set the stage for a surprise game in the league's Grand Finals, Friday and Saturday in Brooklyn, with a prize of $ 1 million on the line. Said Forté, an analyst of Overwatch broadcasts, Blizzard's first-person shooter based on a hero, six out of six. "But, for [esports players] it was no different from many other updates."

It will be a long and expensive lesson for a regular season Goliath who missed a huge day of pays off after the team proved too rigid when the playoffs began.The New York Excelsior, winner of 34 of the 40 regular season games, went through the schedule and seemed destined to mark an end Glorious in the league's first season, winning the first sold-out home title at the Barclays Center. Instead, the team looked at its deadly, speed-based short circuit in the wake of ################################################################################ 39, a tweak of the game.And now, the Philadelphia Fusion, which toppled the Excelsior, will face the London Spitfire in the final

The great fina the OWL's being broadcast live on the ESPN family of networks and re-air on ABC – are a stark example of what happens when an update, or "patch," changes the "meta" , Which players call the conditions of competition. For most of the season, Excelsior mastered a quick-hit strategy for which opponents had no answer – until the game provided one. When Blizzard introduced a new playable character, the enemies of the Excelsior had a counter that could check his quick typing strategy. He was quickly adopted by many league teams, leveling the battlefield.

In comparison to the traditional sports world, the dynamics would have been similar to that of the Golden State Warriors "Death Alignment," but then, in the playoffs, the league made Stephen Curry wearing a weighted jacket while giving to the Warriors' opponents a defensive specialist to help close Kevin Durant. Or, it would be like golfing "Tiger-proofing" its courses by adding yards to counter long drivers like Tiger Woods … but make the change after the third round of a major.

For a traditional audience, such a change be staggering. In the context of esports, patches are common because circuits like the OWL try to avoid outdated scenarios or over-dominate by one or a few of the characters in the game. Players expect a meta -variation, and Nate Nanzer, commissioner of OWL, said that it attracted some fans because the patches prevent the banal gameplay.


The London Spitfire has adopted the latest changes in the game and could be the favorite to win the title. (Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment)

"You've seen a baseball game, you've seen them all," said Philadelphia team president Tucker Roberts. "One of the exciting things about esports is that they change the game and give you a reason to always watch, because it's changing."

OWL gave players nearly a month between the last regular season game and the playoff start to practice and formulate new strategies. Still, the decision, Forté said, still had a huge and huge impact on the Grand Finals clash

This is, to a large extent, indicative of the rapidly evolving digital culture in which Overwatch exists. Every professional sports league considers rule changes to improve its product, but most officials wait after the season to address concerns because they have accepted governance before the year and want to avoid upheavals. The metas must change because, as one game manager said, "we are still in beta". In games, upheaval is the normal form of governance.

So, after the last patch, the teams rush to scrimmage – and solve the puzzle the best way to adapt. Philadelphia has looked at the flexibility of Los Angeles Valiant in switching between characters and adopted similar principles, said coach Yann "Kirby" Luu. Then the Fusion put them into practice against his partner Scrim, London, and as a new composition emerged as a reliable basic tactic, the two began to use it heavily. These maneuvers are the main reason why both teams are in the Grand Final, said London's Jae-Hui "Gesture" Hong. This certainly helped Philadelphia defeat New York 3-0, 3-2 in the semifinal, when Excelsior seemed unable or unable to adapt.

When the lights rise in Brooklyn on Friday night, the teams will present a poetic start to the end of a historic season for the esports.

"This meta, as we read it, looks a lot like rock, paper, scissors," said Josue "Eqo" Corona of Philadelphia, one of the most versatile players in the league. "A lot of strategy is much more involved now. If you do not spend enough time and reflection on understanding, then you will never succeed; a good example is New York. … You must always counter, and you can not choose a [composition] and become the best.

"You can not play rock against everything."

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