2021 Houston Outlaws season | |
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Head coach | Harsha Bandi Choi "Junkbuck" Jaewon |
General manager | Matt Iorio |
Owner | Beasley Media Group |
Region | West |
Results | |
Record | 11–5 (.688) |
Place | |
May Melee | Regional finals |
June Joust | Regional semifinals |
Summer Showdown | Did not qualify |
Countdown Cup | Did not qualify |
Season Playoffs | Did not qualify |
Total Earnings | $0 |
The 2021 Houston Outlaws season was the Houston Outlaws's fourth season in the Overwatch League (OWL). Harsha Bandi, who served as the team's head coach in the 2020 season, and Choi "Junkbuck" Jaewon served as the team's co-head coaches. The Outlaws underwent major roster changes in the offseason, with six of their eight players from 2020 leaving the team. The Outlaws failed to qualify for any of the four midseason tournaments. Houston finished the regular season with an 11–5 record and a fifth-place finish in the Western region. The Outlaws qualified for the West play-in tournament; however, they lost to the Washington Justice in the play-ins and did not qualify for the season playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
In October 2020, assistant coach Chris "Dream" Myrick left the organization. [1] Additionally, the Outlaws signed former San Francisco Shock assistant coach Jae "Junkbuck" Choi to be a co-head coach along with their current head coach Harsha Bandi and promoted Matt "coolmatt" Iorio as the organization's new general manager. [2]
Position | Handle | Name | 2021 team | Date signed | Notes |
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Damage | Blasé | Jeffrey Tsang | London Spitfire | December 26 [3] | Option declined |
Support | Boink | Daniel Pence | – | – | Option declined |
Damage | Danteh | Dante Cruz | Houston Outlaws | October 27 [4] | – |
Support | Jecse | Lee Seung-soo | Dallas Fuel | November 10 [5] | Option declined |
Damage | Linkzr | Jiri Masalin | Vancouver Titans | December 1 [6] | Option declined |
Tank | Meko | Kim Tae-hong | – | – | Option declined |
Tank | Muma | Austin Wilmot | – | – | Option declined |
Support | Rapel | Kim Jun-keun | Dallas Fuel | October 27 [7] | Option declined |
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The Outlaws entered free agency with eight free agents, seven of which became free agents due to the Outlaws not exercising the option to retain the player for another year. [8]
The Outlaws' first offseason acquisition was William "Crimzo" Hernandez, a support player coming off a season with the Dallas Fuel placing in the top three among all Overwatch League flex supports in healing, damage, and eliminations per 10 minutes, who was signed on November 24, 2020. [9] The next day, they signed Lee "Happy" Jung-woo, a damage player and sniper specialist who played with the Guangzhou Charge for two seasons. [10] Houston signed two rookie tank players on December 4, Shin "PIGGY" Min-jun and Cho "JJANGGU" Myung-heum, both of whom played for Talon Esports in Overwatch Contenders the previous season. [11] Three days later, they acquired damage player Kyle "KSF" Frandanisa from the Los Angeles Valiant. [12] The Outlaws' next acquisition was on December 11; the Outlaws signed support player Enrique "Joobi" Triana, who had been playing for Harrisburg University Storm. The signing marked the first time that a college player had been signed directly to an Overwatch League roster. [13] Houston's final signing of the offseason was on January 21, 2021, with the signing of damage player Jacob "Jake" Lyon, a former member of the Outlaws who retired to pursue a career in casting prior in the 2020 season. [14]
Seven of the Outlaws' eight free agents did not return, four of which signing with other teams, beginning with support player Kim "Rapel" Jun-keun signing with the Dallas Fuel on October 27, 2020. [7] On November 10, support player Lee "Jecse" Seung-soo also signed with the Fuel. [5] The team lost damage player Jiri "Linkzr" Masalin, who signed with the Vancouver Titans on December 1. [6] Several weeks later, on December 26, damage player Jeffrey "Blasé" Tsang signed with the London Spitfire. [3] Three of the Outlaws' free agents, tank player Kim "Meko" Tae-hong, tank player Austin "Muma" Wilmot, and support player Daniel "Boink" Pence did not sign with a team in the offseason.
The Outlaws began their 2021 season on April 16 in the May Melee qualifiers, playing against in-state rival Dallas Fuel in the May Melee qualifiers. After trading wins throughout the first four maps, the Outlaws won the match after taking map five. [15] They won their next game against the defending OWL champions San Francisco Shock in a six-map series, thanks in part to a game-winning Earthshatter, Reinhardt 's ultimate ability, by Myung-heum "Jjanggu" Cho to close out the series. [16] The following week, the Outlaws faced the Paris Eternal and London Spitfire; Houston defeated both teams to finish the qualifiers with a 4–0 record. [17] With a first-round bye, the team advanced to the finals of the regional knockouts. [18] Facing the Fuel in the regional finals, the Outlaws were swept 0–3, ending their May Melee run. [19]
Lacking depth in tank players, the Outlaws signed Song "Dreamer" Sanglok, a tank player who had played for the Los Angeles Valiant in the 2020 season, prior to the beginning of the June Joust qualifiers. [20] In the following tournament cycle, the June Joust, the Outlaws finished with a 3–1 record in the qualifiers and the advanced to the regional knockouts. For the third time in the season, and the second in a regional knockout, Houston faced the Fuel in the semifinals of the regional knockouts; they were swept 0–3 and eliminated from contention. [21]
Prior to the beginning of the Summer Showdown, the third tournament cycle of the season, the Outlaws released veteran damage player João Pedro "Hydration" Goes Telles. [22] Houston failed to advance to the regional knockouts of the Summer Showdown after losing to the Fuel in the final qualifying match of the tournament cycle. [23] The Outlaws found similar results in the final tournament cycle, the Countdown Cup, as they were unable to make it past the qualifiers. [24]
With an 11–5 regular season record and 11 league points, the Outlaws finished the season in fifth place in the West region standings, [25] qualifying them to advance directly to the finals of the West region play-in tournament. [26] Houston faced the Washington Justice in the finals. In the first-to-three series, the match was tied 2–2 after four maps; however, the Outlaws lost the final map and were eliminated from postseason contention. [27]
2021 Houston Outlaws roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Legend:
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Transactions of/for players on the roster during the 2021 regular season:
# | Team | PTS | W | L | PCT | P | MR | MD | ||
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Playoffs | ||||||||||
1 | Dallas Fuel | 17 | 11 | 5 | .688 | 16 | 40–26–3 | +14 | ||
2 | Los Angeles Gladiators | 14 | 11 | 5 | .688 | 16 | 41–21–0 | +20 | ||
3 | Atlanta Reign | 13 | 11 | 5 | .688 | 16 | 41–21–0 | +20 | ||
Play-ins | ||||||||||
4 | San Francisco Shock | 12 | 12 | 4 | .750 | 16 | 43–24–2 | +19 | ||
5 | Houston Outlaws | 11 | 11 | 5 | .688 | 16 | 34–24–3 | +10 | ||
6 [lower-alpha 1] | Washington Justice | 9 | 9 | 7 | .563 | 16 | 29–26–2 | +3 | ||
7 [lower-alpha 1] | Toronto Defiant | 9 | 9 | 7 | .563 | 16 | 31–31–0 | ±0 | ||
8 | Paris Eternal | 8 | 8 | 8 | .500 | 16 | 32–32–2 | ±0 | ||
9 | Boston Uprising | 7 | 7 | 9 | .438 | 16 | 27–31–1 | -4 | ||
Did not qualify for postseason | ||||||||||
10 | Florida Mayhem | 6 | 5 | 11 | .313 | 16 | 26–38–2 | -12 | ||
11 [lower-alpha 2] | London Spitfire | 1 | 1 | 15 | .063 | 16 | 12–47–1 | -35 | ||
12 [lower-alpha 2] | Vancouver Titans | 1 | 1 | 15 | .063 | 16 | 10–45–0 | -35 | ||
Tiebreakers | ||||||||||
2021 game log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May Melee
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June Joust
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Summer Showdown
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Countdown Cup
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2021 season schedule |
2021 playoff game log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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West Play-ins
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Dallas Fuel is an American professional Overwatch team based in Dallas, Texas. The Fuel compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region.
The San Francisco Shock are an American professional Overwatch esports team based in San Francisco, California. The Shock compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2017, the San Francisco Shock is one of the twelve founding members of the OWL and is one of three professional Overwatch teams in California. The team is owned by Andy Miller, co-owner of the Sacramento Kings and NRG Esports. The Shock have won three midseason tournament titles, qualified for three season playoffs, won two back-to-back OWL Grand Finals, making them one of the most accomplished franchises in OWL history.
The Houston Outlaws are an American professional Overwatch esports team based in Houston, Texas. The Outlaws compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region.
Atlanta Reign is an American professional Overwatch esports team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Reign compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2018, Atlanta Reign began play as one of eight OWL expansion teams in 2019 and became the first esports team to officially represent the city of Atlanta. The team is owned by Atlanta Esports Ventures, a joint venture between Cox Enterprises and Province, Inc., who also own ATL Academy, a former academy team for the Reign that competed in Overwatch Contenders.
Washington Justice is an American professional Overwatch esports team based in Washington, D.C. The Justice compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as member of the league's West region. Founded in 2018, Washington Justice began play as one of eight expansion teams in 2019. The team is owned by Washington Kastles owner Mark Ein, who founded Washington Esports Ventures to purchase the franchise. The team has reached the season playoffs two times.
The 2020 Houston Outlaws season is the third season of the Houston Outlaws's existence in the Overwatch League (OWL). The Outlaws planned to host two homestand weekends at the Revention Music Center in Houston's downtown Theater District. While their first homestand took place, all other homestand matches were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 Atlanta Reign season was the Atlanta Reign's third season in the Overwatch League and the team's third under head coach Brad "Sephy" Rajani. The team qualified for three of the four midseason tournaments but fell short of reaching the finals each time. For the third consecutive season, the team qualified for the season playoffs. The Reign appeared in the 2021 Grand Finals, the franchise's first Grand Finals appearance, but lost to the Shanghai Dragons, 0–4. Rookie damage player Oh "Pelican" Se-hyun was named the league's Rookie of the Year.
The 2021 Boston Uprising season was the Boston Uprising's fourth season in the Overwatch League and their first under head coach Kim "Lori" Seung-hyun. Boston failed to qualify for any of the four midseason tournaments and missed out on the season playoffs for the third consecutive season.
The 2021 Chengdu Hunters season was be the third season of Chengdu Hunters's existence in the Overwatch League and the team's second season under head coach Wang "RUI" Xingrui, after he was the head coach of the team in 2019. The team qualified for three of the four midseason tournaments, reaching the finals twice, but failed to secure a title in any of them. For the first time in franchise history, the team qualified for the season playoffs. However, a loss to the San Francisco Shock in the lower bracket ended their playoff run. Damage player Huang "Leave" Xin won the season's Most Valuable Player award.
The 2021 Dallas Fuel season was the Dallas Fuel's fourth season in the Overwatch League and the team's first under head coach Yun "RUSH" Hee-won. The team qualified for three of the four midseason tournaments throughout the regular season and won the franchise's first Overwatch League title after defeating the Shanghai Dragons in the May Melee finals. Finishing the regular season atop the West region, the Fuel reached the season playoffs for the first time in the franchise's history; however, they were defeated by the Atlanta Reign in the lower bracket finals. Head coach Yun "RUSH" Hee-won won the league's Coach of the Year award, damage player Kim "Sp9rk1e" Yeong-han was awarded the league's Dennis Hawelka Award, and four players were awarded Role Star commendations, tied for the most players in the league.
The 2021 Florida Mayhem season was the Florida Mayhem's fourth season in the Overwatch League and the team's second season under head coach Kim "KuKi" Dae-kuk. After starting the regular season with a promising 4–1 record, as well as a midseason tournament appearance, the Mayhem went 1–10 in their final 11 games. The team failed to qualify for any other midseason tournaments and did not qualify for the season playoffs.
The 2021 Guangzhou Charge season was the third season of Guangzhou Charge's existence in the Overwatch League and was their first season under head coach Lee "Arachne" Ji-won. After a poor start to the season, the Charge released head coach Lee "Arachne" Ji-won on May 6 and signed Sung-woo "Sungwoo" Hong as their new head coach on June 17. They finished the season with a 5–11 record and did not qualify any postseason matches for the first time in franchise history.
The 2021 Los Angeles Gladiators season will be the fourth season of Los Angeles Gladiators's existence in the Overwatch League and their fourth season under head coach David "dpei" Pei.
The 2021 Los Angeles Valiant season was the fourth season of Los Angeles Valiant's existence in the Overwatch League.
The 2021 Philadelphia Fusion season will be the fourth season of the Philadelphia Fusion's existence in the Overwatch League and their first under head coach Kim "NineK" Bum-hoon.
The 2021 San Francisco Shock season will be the fourth season of the San Francisco Shock's existence in the Overwatch League and their third under head coach Park "Crusty" Dae-hee. The team enters the season as the defending back-to-back Overwatch League champions after winning the 2019 and 2020 Grand Finals.
The 2021 Shanghai Dragons season was the fourth season of the Shanghai Dragons's existence in the Overwatch League and their second under head coach Moon Byung-chul.
The 2021 Toronto Defiant season will be the third season of Toronto Defiant's existence in the Overwatch League and the team's first under head coach Kim "KDG" Dong-gun.
The 2021 Vancouver Titans season will be the third season of Vancouver Titans's existence in the Overwatch League and the team's first full season under head coach Steven "Flubby" Coronel, after he took over the position midway through their 2020 season.
The 2021 Overwatch League Grand Finals was the fourth championship match of the Overwatch League (OWL), taking place on September 25, 2021. The series was the conclusion of the 2021 Overwatch League playoffs and was played between the Shanghai Dragons and the Atlanta Reign. The final was originally planned to be played at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California; however, due to increasing threat of COVID-19 and the delta variant, the match was shifted to be played online.