Jessica S. September 2, 2018
The Shanghai Dragons announced today that they are releasing eight of their team’s players after a 0-40 inaugural season in the Overwatch League.
The eight players released are
- Chon "Ado" Gi-hyeon
- Cheng "Altering" Yage
- Kim "Daemin" Dae-min
- Chen "Fiveking" Zhaoyu
- Xu "Freefeel" Peixuan
- Jing "Roshan" Wenhao
- He "Sky" Junjian
- Liu "Xushu" Junjie
Tank players Seyeon “Geguri” Kim Eui-Seok “Fearless” Lee join DPS player Weida “Diya” Lu as the only three players that remain on the roster.
Analyst Jia “Nai8” Jia and coach Jun-young “Kong” Son were also released from the their contracts.
This is the largest cut of players seen in the Overwatch League thus far. Coming from a winless season, it’s no surprise that the Dragons would take drastic measure to restructure the team. Although they had a 0-40 season, Shanghai still boasts a passionate and dedicated fan base.
The three players that remain on the roster, Geguri, Fearless, and Diya, have all been major playmakers for their team.
Geguri was considered one of the best Zarya players in the league, and a D.Va master to boot. She drew out plays because of her ability to stay alive, giving her team momentum in team fights.
Fearless added a Winston that wasn’t afraid to jump into the fray. With an aggressive tank to disrupt the back line, this gave the Dragons opportunities to push forward.
The team’s star DPS player, Diya, missed the second half of stage two due to family issues, but returned strong to carry out his role as the team’s main sniper. His ability to pick off important supports and menacing DPS opponents has shown him to be a valuable member of the team.
Heading into the league’s second season, the Dragons now sit as the squad with the most open positions. With the addition of franchises in Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Chengdu, the Shanghai team will not be the only Chinese Overwatch League team, raising the bar for Shanghai to maintain local fan interest.