Shock's sinatraa and moth look forward to Grand Finals with Titans

Olivia Richman Published 16/09/2019

The San Francisco Shock took down the New York Excelsior in a 4-0 slugest in the Overwatch League playoffs, snagging a spot in the Grand Finals in Philadelphia. This was an outcome analysts and fans expected, but nobody could have anticipated the complete rampage that Jay “sinatraa” Won went on with Doomfist.

Despite not playing on the fourth map, sinatraa boasted 54 final blows and 10 Meteor Strike kills.

WIN.gg sat down with the OWL 2019 MVP, as well as support player Grant “moth” Espe, to discuss their win and the upcoming rematch against their biggest rivals, the Vancouver Titans.

The San Francisco Shock take down NYXL

Anubis was your closest map against the NYXL. How were you able to come out on top?

moth: We made late adjustments in how we played our defenses, our aggression, and how we took fights. We’ve gotten good at adapting. We lost some fights early on, but it didn’t phase us.

sinatraa, you were going off in Anubis. What’s the key to being a successful Doomfist player?

sinatraa: Some feel they can just punch and try to carry. But by using your team with your punches, it’s easier to get out and secure a fight. I just do that better. And my mechanics are good. I played Doomfist a ton. He was meta for a bit in [competitive] season six, and I grinded him for two seasons straight, nonstop.

Why do you think NYXL and other teams were not able to punish you on Doomfist?

sinatraa: There was one Doomfist who stopped me, Jun-Ki “Bazzi” Park [of the Hangzhou Spark]. That’s his playstyle, to counter. But I’m not sure. I just punch pretty smartly. I just use my teammates properly.

moth: Doomfist has so much potential in this meta. He’s an excellent leader and controls a ton of plays. He gives our team a lot of confidence.

There was a roster switch and a comp switch going into the fourth map. What was the strategy behind that change?

moth: We always have Architect on the Bastion comps. That’s all we’re saying.

You guys were great on GOATS. But you seemed just as dominant at the start of 2-2-2 and with Sigma. Why do you think your team is able to adapt so quickly?

sinatraa: Our mechanics, for one. And how well we synergize as a team in general in any meta. The ability to adapt.

moth: It’s improved a ton over the course of the season. It’s not something we had in Stage 1. But we were able to adapt to the Titans. We kept improving. Every meta felt the same. We change based on what the enemy is doing.

sinatraa: That’s the key. We can counter any playstyle. Really slow, really aggressive. Anything.

Do you feel that loss to Atlanta Reign in the Play-Ins motivated you as you went through the losers bracket?

sinatraa: Losing that first match made us stronger. It gave us a “we don’t care anymore” vibe. Let’s just be who we are. Let’s not be scared. Let’s play reckless and play our style. Nobody can beat us like that.

moth: If the loss came later, we wouldn’t have had the same ability to find our stride again in the losers bracket. It built up our confidence.

Sinatraa and moth look to Vancouver Titans rematch in the Grand Finals

You said it’d be an easy 4-0 against the Titans. Is that how you think it will go against the Titans in the Grand Finals?

sinatraa: I was doing that for the fans! Since it was so close with them and NYXL, and we 4-0’d the NYXL, I think we can win, 4-0.

moth: There’s two weeks between now and the finals. So it’s hard to predict.

sinatraa: That’s true.

moth: It depends a ton on how practice goes. No other teams are scrimming. It will be pretty unpredictable. But we’ll win.

sinatraa: *knocks on wood*

What has this rivalry meant to you? This will be your fifth match up.

sinatraa: For me personally, all I want to do is beat Vancouver. They’re our biggest rival. I don’t see anyone else as a rival. Only them. We’re 2-2 right now in match score. This would be the cherry on top if we win.

moth: We want to beat them most out of any team. They’re our toughest opponent. Beating them means a lot more than beating any other team for us.

sinatraa: I was messaging their coach on Discord. He was saying we should win against NYXL so it could be us in the Grand Finals.

What would it mean to win the Grand Finals?

sinatraa: For me personally, I had two goals. The biggest was Grand Finals and second was winning MVP. That would literally be a dream come true.

moth: We always say we’re the best team. Winning would be proof of that.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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