by Dallas Fuel have won their first championship in the Overwatch League
Photo by Ben Pursell via Blizzard Entertainment
Two days before the start of the 2021 Overwatch League season, Dallas Fuel received a gut punch. Hitscan specialist and key player Ki-hyo “Xzi” Jung left the team to focus on his recovery from health issues. Although many observers were bullish on the Fuels chances before the season, the general consensus was that the Fuel might not achieve what was expected of them after all.
MORE FROM FORBESThe Overwatch League Is The Best It’s Been In YearsBy Kris HoltHowever, against the odds, Dallas have shown that theyre the best team in the Overwatch League right now. Even without a dedicated hitscan player, they put together an astonishing string of results to win the May Melee tournament title. Along with the championship, they claimed three bonus league points (which will help them qualify for the season playoffs) and $100,000.
After going 2-2 in qualifiers and squeaking through to the knockouts, Dallas have barely stopped for breath. They eliminated San Francisco Shock and Houston Outlaws with 3-0 sweeps on one of the finest single-day pro Overwatch performances in memory. In Hawaii, the Fuel kept their composure against chaos causers Chengdu Hunters before beating Shanghai Dragons in two straight matches. Thats a hell of a run, and to do so without a dedicated hitscan player is a remarkable achievement.
In the final, Dallas drew first blood on Lijang Tower, coming out on top in a tight first round on Garden, before Shanghai reset the days since the last OWL C9 counter to zero on Control Tower. The Dragons came roaring back on Temple of Anubis, though. They full held the Fuel on point A before quickly claiming enough capture percentage on their own attack to even things up.
Dallas then opted for Kings Row as map 3. They pumped the brakes on Shanghais attack just before the final checkpoint. It took a few fights before Dallas were able to pull the payload out of the garage, but they escorted it all the way to the golden box of victory. It was a similar story on Watchpoint: Gibraltar. Dallas were up first and pushed the payload all the way to the end. After a tense overtime fight right at the finish line, the Fuel stopped Shanghai from completing the map too. That gave the Fuel a 3-1 lead in the first-to-four series.
Shanghai werent done yet, though. They reduced the deficit with a strong 2-0 map win on Ilios. But then Dallas opted for Blizzard World. They stopped Shanghai just short of the second point, and won out the map and the tournament. Huge plays like a leaping Earthshatter from Eui-Seok “Fearless” Lees Reinhardt (against his former team, no less) helped the Fuel sealed the May Melee title.
Shanghai Dragons walk away with $70,000 and two bonus points after a valiant effort. Third-place Florida Mayhem claim $35,000 and a bonus point, while fourth-place squad Chengdu snagged $20,000.
If you missed the match as it happened, you can check it out above. You can also catch an encore on Sunday at 12:30PM ET and get Overwatch League tokens just for watching.
MORE FROM FORBESHere’s How To Get Overwatch League Tokens And An Ana Skin During May MeleeBy Kris HoltItll be fascinating to see if the Fuel can keep up the momentum when June Joust qualifiers start on May 21. Therell be a different patch that might not play to the teams strengths, but they at least have a little time to practice and bring in a hitscan player if they feel the need to. Right now, though, Dallas Fuel reign supreme over the Overwatch League, and their win is thoroughly, thoroughly deserved.
