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5 Reasons Why the San Francisco Shock is the Favorite to Win the Overwatch League Grand Finals

By Noam Radcliffe

The Shock is poised for the first back-to-back championship win in Overwatch League history.
The Shock is poised for the first back-to-back championship win in Overwatch League history. / Photo by Robert Paul/Blizzard

The San Francisco Shock stormed its way to the winner's podium in the Overwatch League Grand Finals last year, and in the crucible of a second consecutive playoff, they're poised to do it again. The competition is anything but soft, but the Shock has every advantage a team could want. Here are the five reasons why San Francisco is the favorite to win the Overwatch League Grand Finals in 2020.

1. Comfort on the Big Stage

One major advantage the Shock has is purely mental. This team knows the pressure of taking to the biggest stage in Overwatch, having won Grand Finals last year in a crushing victory over the Vancouver Titans. With one Grand Finals under their belt, the Shock's players know the jitters that accompany this level of competition and the rush that comes with victory. They're uniquely prepared to face it again.

2. Something to Prove

Two of the major factors leading to last year's Grand Finals win — Jay "sinatraa" Won and Minho "Architect" Park — are no longer on the Shock's roster. This season has seen the team scrap to prove it still has what it takes to bring it all home, and they're going to have to do it again in the Grand Finals this year.

3. Viol2t's Limitless Bloodlust

With Sung-hyeon "JJoNak" Bang out of the competition, Minki "Viol2t" Park stands as the heir apparent to the murder-support throne. Viol2t's Baptiste leads the league in final blows per 10 minutes and solo kills per 10 minutes, while holding second place in eliminations per 10 and damage per 10. His Zenyatta leads in final blows and eliminations per 10, and holds second in damage and solo kills. Even his Moira is deadly, leading in eliminations and solo kills per 10 minutes. The violence in this man's heart powers a deadly engine set to earn the Shock its second trophy.

4. ChoiHyoBin's Space-Making Excellence

In place of hard stats, Hyo-bin "ChoiHyoBin" Choi brings playmaking and unspoken connection to the Shock. Teammates and analysts alike rave at Choi's unparalleled ability to empower his fellow Shock fighters. The off-tank master is also utterly unflappable. Narrowly missing the T-Mobile MVP award seems unlikely to knock him off his rhythm — if anything, that empty space in his ever-growing trophy cabinet will push him harder to bring the Grand Finals home for San Francisco.

5. Crusty Has the Answers

The greatest ace up the Shock's sleeve is not any one of its players — it's the coaching staff, led by Dae-hee "Crusty" Park. The mastermind behind the Shock's biggest successes and most striking strategic coups, Crusty's ability to read the meta and mold his team to exploit it is unparalleled. Supported by two assistant coaches and three analysts, Crusty is the key to San Francisco's Grand Finals chances.

The Overwatch League Grand Finals Weekend runs Oct. 8-10, culminating with the Grand Finals championship match Oct. 10. Make sure to catch all the action at YouTube.com/OverwatchLeague!

This article is the result of a partnership between DBLTAP and Activision Blizzard.