Florida Mayhem have announced the release of six of their nine players ahead of season two of the Overwatch League.
Only three of the players from the season one roster remain: DPS players Jeong-Woo “Sayaplayer” Ha and Kevin “TviQ” Linström, and tank player Sung-Hoon “aWesomeGuy” Kim.
The six players to be released were flex players Tim “Manneten” Bylund and Joonas “zappis” Alakurtti, DPS player Andreas “Logix” Berghmans, support players Sebastian “Zebbosai” Olsson and Aleksi “Zuppeh” Kuntsi, and tank player Johan “CWoosH” Klingestedt.
Ben Spoont, founder and CEO of the Florida Mayhem, stated on Twitter that each of the players from season one were trialed throughout the month of August and that players that did not pass were let go from the team.
It was later revealed that Zappis was unable to participate fully in the trials due to his focus on the OWWC. This caused some confusion for fans of the team who thought he may have been unfairly treated, though Spoont clafired that Zappis has been offered an alternative position.
The large roster change for the Mayhem is the second biggest thus far in the transfer season, with the Shanghai Dragons releasing eight players in total. Both are likely attributable to poor performances in season one of the League, with Florida Mayhem finishing eleventh overall with just seven wins to 33 losses. The only team Florida beat were the Dragons, who didn’t win a single match overall.
Each of the players released are available to be signed by other Overwatch League teams after September 9, with each team needing eight players by December 1. Until then, each of the players are considered free agents. With eight expansion teams joining the OWL for season two, it’s possible that these players will return.
