[2018] Overwatch World Cup Group Stage Preview: Los Angeles

Last month we traveled to Incheon, where the home team of South Korea and Finland emerged as the first two representatives in the Overwatch World Cup Top 8. Now, after a wild All-Star Weekend, we land at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles for the second Group Stage.

What you need to know

When: September 7-9, 10 a.m. PDT, 7 p.m. CEST // September 8-10, 2 a.m. KST
Where: Blizzard Arena, Los Angeles (Buy Tickets)
Live Streams:
- English (Twitch and MLG)
- Korean
- Chinese Mandarin (Zhanqi, Panda.tv, 163)
- Traditional Chinese
- French
- Russian
- Castilian Spanish
- Latin-American Spanish
- Portuguese
- Italian
- Thai
Broadcast: All Overwatch World Cup matches will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Check your local listings for select broadcasts on Disney XD
Patch: 1.27
Match Schedule: Check out the official OWWC site.
Map Pool: All! Each match will begin on a predetermined control map: Nepal, Lijiang Tower, Ilios, or Oasis. Starting with the second map, the loser of the previous map gets to pick the next map from the following types:
- Second map: Hybrid
- Third map: Assault
- Fourth map: Escort
- Fifth map (tiebreaker): Control, but must be different than the first map

National Team Rosters

USA

Indy “Space” Halpern (LA Valiant)
Shane “Rawkus” Flaherty (Houston Outlaws)
Jay “Sinatraa” Won (SF Shock)
Austin “Muma” Wilmot (Houston Outlaws)
Zachary “ZachaREEE” Lombardo (Contenders NA: Fusion University)
Grant “Moth” Espe (SF Shock)
Sub: João Pedro "Hydration" Goes Telles (LA Gladiators)

Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Last year’s Team USA was the stuff of legend, and the 2017 Overwatch World Cup semifinal between USA and South Korea was some of the best Overwatch anyone had ever seen up until that point. From last year’s roster, Rawkus and Sinatraa return with some new teammates—including, perhaps surprisingly to some, Fusion University’s ZachaREEE. As luck would have it, this almost-18-year-old will be playing in two tournaments on day one of the Los Angeles Group Stage: his matches for Team USA, then the Contenders North America Season 2 finals against the XL2 Academy at the end of the day, in the same venue, in front of the same audience.

IN OUR PLAYERS WE TRUST

Meet your starting 7 players for Team USA!

@Muma - @OutlawsOW
@spaceOW - @LAValiant

@Hydration - @LAGladiators
@sinatraa - @SFShock
@ZackLombardo_ - @FusionUni

@Rawkus - @OutlawsOW
@moth_ow - @SFShock pic.twitter.com/LCjQrfM9qq
- Team USA Overwatch (@USAOWWC) July 10, 2018

Canada

Lane “Surefour” Roberts (LA Gladiators)
Brady “Agilities” Girardi (LA Valiant)
Liam “Mangachu” Campbell (Contenders NA: XL2 Academy)
Chris “Bani” Benell (Houston Outlaws)
Felix “xQc” Lengyel
William “Crimzo” Hernandez (Contenders NA: Team EnVy)
Sub: Lucas “NotE” Meissner (Boston Uprising)

Team Canada also has a player participating in the Contenders North America finals—Mangachu from XL2 Academy. You know, the team with Yeon-Oh “Nanohana” Hwang—formerly Fl0w3R—from South Korea’s 2017 World Cup roster. Mangachu is also a former teammate of ZachaREEE’s, having played on Renegades together in 2017. It’s all a bit of a tangled web, really, a crisscross of teammates now split between USA and Canada. All this alongside the DPS duo of Surefour and Agilities, plus the return of xQc—last year’s Overwatch World Cup MVP—to Blizzard Arena, is going to make you want to set alerts for all of Canada’s matches.

Here are the 7 players representing Team Canada for the OWWC group stages!

#NorthStrong

Stay connected: https://t.co/ggC7U73L34 pic.twitter.com/ZzhCwoEXoL
— Team Canada OW (@TeamCanadaOW) July 9, 2018

Brazil

Eduardo “dudu” Macedo (Contenders SA: Brasil Gaming House)
Maurício "honorato" Honorato (Contenders SA: Brasil Gaming House)
Felipe “liko” Lebrao (Contenders SA: Brasil Gaming House)
Mateus “neil” Kroeber (Contenders SA: Brasil Gaming House)
Renan “alemao” Moretto (Contenders SA: Brasil Gaming House)
Pedro “ole” Orlandini (Contenders SA: Black Dragons e-Sports)
Sub: Marcello “Wetter” Floriani (Contenders SA: Black Dragons e-Sports)

Brasil Gaming House, which makes up most of this roster, has made it to the playoffs in Contenders South America Season 2. Black Dragons e-Sports didn’t make it, but also aren’t facing relegation in Contenders Trials, so that’s a plus. Dudu, Liko, Neil, and Alamao played on the Brazilian Overwatch World Cup team in 2017, where they were swept by USA and Chinese Taipei in the Santa Monica Group Stage, keeping them out of BlizzCon Top 8 contention. This year, if they manage to win against USA or Canada, it would be a foot in the door towards improving upon last year’s result.

Nossos heróis já estão prontos para representar o Brasil...
...e vocês, estão conosco? #TeamBrazilOW:

@neilzinhow

@likeraow
@duduzeraow

@honorato_ow
@wetterfl

@oleziin
@alemao182

Comitê
@pOkizGames
@tmatteiow
@Oficial_Central pic.twitter.com/Skr4ZYPjZE
— Team Brazil Overwatch (@TeamBrazilOW) July 24, 2018

Austria

Patrick “Wat7” Marwal
Patrick “Sensotix” Thonhauser
Raphael “Stvn” Baier
Michael “McDragonlol” Jörg (Contenders EU: We Have Org)
Oliver “Eclipse” Nguyen
Bernhard “Minimi” Hartl
Sub: Roman “Heroray” Hungersberger

Only one Contenders players here, ladies and gentlemen, and that’s McDragonlol—one of the more entertaining handles of this Group Stage, without a doubt. We Have Org finished in the bottom four of Contenders Europe this season and will be heading to Contenders Trials. As for the rest of these players, they’ve been tearing up the ladder—between them, they’re averaging around 4,300-4,400 SR in Competitive Play. It must be a dream for these guys, so they’ll have nothing to lose here in Los Angeles.

Here you go, the 7 Austrian Players for our Group-Stage in LA. Its been a tough Month for all of us, now the in-depth training/coaching starts! There will be a short player introduction video soon, some really cool and more frequent content is on the way! #TeamAustria pic.twitter.com/nQkb5u3O8M
— Overwatch Team Austria (@TeamAustriaOW) July 6, 2018

Switzerland

Esteban “Helv” Fernandez
Adrien “Kiba” Zürcher
Luca “Luux” Locher
Sandro “Shinoda” Zahner
Alex “R3M1X” Badertscher
Matteo “Sk0rpi0n” Palermo
Sub: Marco “Mimi7” Badertscher

Luux, Mimi7, R3M1X, and Sk0rpi0n are part of a Swiss organization called Silent Gaming. Founded in 2006, the team is the oldest active esports organization in the country, with teams participating across many esports titles. Switzerland is also the homeland of Overwatch League host Soe Gschwind-Penski, who is sure to be cheering for her homeland despite their underdog status!

Ladies and gentlemen.

Meet Switzerlands athletes who'll be competing in the USA group stage during September 7th – 9th.

@Helv_OW
@Mimi7_OW
@Kiba1K
@Luux_OW
@SPGShinoda
@R3M1XOW
@Sk0rpi0n_OW #NoMercy

Committee
@Sharper_TV
@eLS_sHN
@BeFroz3n pic.twitter.com/fWkL5UJIAU
- Overwatch Team Switzerland (@SwitzerlandOWWC) July 6, 2018

Norway

Kristian “Tricky” Kovacs
Jørgen “Decod” Myrlund (Contenders EU: Last Night’s Leftovers)
Usman “Track” Mohammad (Contenders EU: Young and Beautiful)
Kha “iPN” Nguyen (Contenders EU: Angry Titans)
Stefan “ONIGOD” Fiskerstrand (Contenders EU: Angry Titans)
Christer “Iko” Ringelien
Sub: Erik “Frost” Hinderson (Contenders EU: One.PoinT)

Norway, which shares part of its border with Overwatch World Cup Top 8 team Finland, has a team made up of a mish-mash of Contenders Europe teams. Something about the Nords, man. Little countries with big Overwatch hearts. Of the two unsigned players, Iko is a support main who enjoys steak and co-founded his own esports team, and Tricky is an off-tank who loves Zarya, spare ribs, and fries. Relatable. They’ll be going up against some stiff competition, but we’ll see if these guys can become the next kings of the Nord.

WE PROUDLY PRESENT
OUR 7 VIKINGS@PlayOverwatch World Cup 2018
Los Angeles, 7-9th September

ARE YOU HYPED YET?#WinterIsComing pic.twitter.com/di4kgq3lTj
- Team Norway Overwatch (@TeamNorwayOW) July 6, 2018