Overwatch, for all its robots and monkeys and hamsters in mech suits, is a mind game. Competitive teams train for months to counter each other’s tactics; each strategy has a counter, at least theoretically. But sometimes a team whips out something so new and unexpected that the only response is slack-jawed awe. That’s the kind of move the Los Angeles Gladiators pulled on London Spitfire last night.
The Gladiators seemed to be following a routine strategy on King’s Row, sticking together in a big group and flanking Spitfire to approach the objective from the back. But upon careful inspection, they only had five in their group– where was the sixth player? Why was he still in the spawn, seemingly unresponsive?
Then in the span of a few seconds, the strategy all came together. Surefour, still in spawn, switched from Brigitte to Widowmaker, zipped up to the high ground and opened fire. In three shots he took out the other team’s Widowmaker and their Mercy, leaving them outnumbered and outgunned. Caught between sniper fire and the rest of the flanking Gladiators, London Spitfire was completely wiped.
One of the best parts of this clip is the commentators’ dawning realization of what’s about to happen, just before it all goes down.
“Where are you goin- oh, the high ground!” Mitch “Uber” Leslie exclaims. The play is genuinely thrilling and completely original. As LlamaCombo points out on Reddit: “This is the definition of ‘you save that s— for nationals.'”
The Gladiators went on to dominate the next two rounds against London Spitfire, progressing to the next round of the championship.
Source: Game Informer Ridiculous Overwatch League Play Wreaks Havoc, But Might Only Work Once