As Shanghai Dragons release Geguri, OWL has no female players

It’s the Overwatch League’s offseason and many teams are making big changes to their rosters. But one stands out more than the rest. 

Shanghai Dragons recently announced that they were releasing Se-yeon “Geguri” Kim, a female tank player that immediately became a fan favorite. This news immediately upset an Overwatch League community that came forward with an outpouring of support for Geguri and her teammates after the Twitter announcement. 

“We will never forget the persistence of Diya and Geguri,” Shanghai Dragons tweeted. “Veteran players who played for the Shanghai Dragons for three seasons. They demonstrate their love to Shanghai Dragons and professional careers in their own way.” 

First female Overwatch pro leaves Shanghai Dragons roster

Geguri first made headlines when she was accused of using an aimbot hack while playing Zarya at only 17-years-old. As the jabs and accusations continued, Geguri decided to show off her Zarya skills live. Blizzard cleared her of any charges. 

Her skills and story caught the eye of the Shanghai Dragons. After playing in the South Korean APEX scene, Geguri was signed to the Shanghai Dragons roster in 2018. She became part of the team’s emotional rise from the worst Overwatch League team in history to champions. 

Being a woman in an all-male league got Geguri a lot of attention, most of which she didn’t want. She was named “Next Generation Leader” by TIME Magazine in 2019. She was also used as a South Korean feminist group’s symbol, but she asked them to remove her name and image. 

“Since I am the only female player in the whole league, I think there are a lot of people who look up to me and see me as a role model,” Geguri said. “Knowing this, I’m trying a lot harder to inspire others to get to where I am today.”

Even though Geguri made waves throughout the esports industry, she slowly faded from the Overwatch League stage. Her skills as a Zarya player didn’t seem to translate well to the competitive scene, especially as the meta continued to shift change. 

Geguri plans to continue her Overwatch career, within the OWL if possible. Teams will have the chance to pick her up for Season 4.