Since the start of the Overwatch League, New York Excelsior has been at the top, and they have secured the number one spot yet again, defeating Boston Uprising to make it to the top of Stage 3, defending their title as the greatest Overwatch League team in the world.
The Overwatch League Stage 3 finals started with the semifinal games: Boston versus the LA Gladiators, and New York Excelsior versus the LA Valiant. While the LA Gladiators were surely a worthy opponent, Boston ended up being the superior team, proving the predictions from the desk and winning 3-0 against the Gladiators. In that match, Striker, a DPS player from Boston, was declared the Player of the Match for his supreme avoidance of death itself, only dying once on map 2 and map 3.
In the second match of the night, NYXL went up against LA Valiant, and it was a second sweep for the predicted winner, NYXL. They managed to quickly secure three maps against Valiant. In this match, the Play of the Match was Meko, one of the top defensive players in the League, who was awarded the title for his excellent usage of D.Va and her Self-Destruct ultimate ability. While many fans were hoping for some LA representation in the final, it came down to the two top teams in the League, Boston and New York.
The games between Boston and New York were incredibly close, despite the 3-0 final score. Boston managed to get two points on Route 66, but faltered on Nepal, giving up the map 2-0. On Volskaya, the Assault map of the match, NYXL managed to tie with Boston, shutting down the flawless streak Boston had this Stage, having won their previous five matches on Volskaya.
While it is always exciting to watch professional gaming, the Overwatch League sometimes manages to take it to a whole new level. The sheer level of skill showcased by all teams, especially NYXL and Boston, is absolutely incredible, and the players know this all too well. After winning the match that decided the series against Boston, Saebyeoble, NYXL’s top DPS Player, said “I’m the best Tracer in the world.” This was previously in question when Boston defeated NYXL in regular season play earlier in Stage 3, but after tonight there is no doubt in anyone’s mind who the top player is for Overwatch’s poster hero.
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This post was originally written by Tyler Krasnai.
