The San Francisco Shock are an American professional Overwatch esports team based in San Francisco, California. The Shock competed in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2017, the San Francisco Shock was one of the twelve founding members of the OWL and was one of three professional Overwatch teams in California. The team is owned by Andy Miller, co-owner of the Sacramento Kings and NRG Esports. In their time with the OWL, the Shock won three midseason tournament titles, qualified for four season playoffs, reached the Grand Finals three times, and won back-to-back Grand Finals, making them one of the most accomplished franchise in Overwatch League history.
On July 12, 2017, Overwatch developer Activision Blizzard officially announced that Andy Miller, co-founder and co-owner of the American esports organization NRG Esports, had acquired a San Francisco-based Overwatch League franchise spot for an estimated $20 million.[1][2] "The local aspect of the league was the biggest attraction [for purchasing the spot]," said Miller in an interview. "One of the biggest issues with esports, and also part of its charm, is that you can create a global audience. You can have fans all over the world. But it’s always become a big challenge for fans to actually see their favorite teams. You have to fly to a major event or a finals somewhere in a major city. And there was never a hometown team."[3]
On September 28, 2017, NRG Esports announced its official inaugural roster of eight players and head coach Bradford Rajani.[4][5] A month later, on October 16, the franchise name was revealed as the San Francisco Shock.[6]
In the lead-up to the 2018 Overwatch League season, the San Francisco Shock assembled a 9-player roster that included two underage players, damage player Jay "Sinatraa" Won and tank player Matthew "Super" DeLisi. However, due to age restrictions, they were unable to participate until March.[7] The team's inaugural match took place on January 10, 2018, resulting in a 0–4 defeat against the Los Angeles Valiant.[8] The Shock encountered early challenges but made key additions to their roster on March 13, signing damage player Park "Architect" Min-ho and support player Grant "Moth" Espe.[7] Later on, they completed their roster by adding tank player Choi "ChoiHyoBin" Hyo-bin.[9] Following these acquisitions, the Shock's performance witnessed an upturn, with Sinatraa and Super becoming eligible to play. They achieved a commendable 6–4 record in Stage 3, narrowly missing out on the playoffs due to a tiebreaker.[10] Seeking further improvements, the team decided to part ways with head coach Rajani and signed Park "Crusty" Dae-hee, the former head coach of the Boston Uprising, who had led his previous team to a flawless 10–0 record in Stage 3.[11] As the season progressed, the Shock managed to secure victories in half of their remaining matches, finishing the regular season in ninth place with a 17–23 overall record.[12]
In the offseason leading up to the 2019 Overwatch League season, the San Francisco Shock made several significant additions to their roster. They acquired tank player Yoo "Smurf" Myeong-hwan through a trade, parting ways with Dante "Danteh" Cruz in the process.[13] The team also bolstered their support role by signing Park "Viol2t" Min-ki.[14] Furthermore, the Shock added damage player Gwon "Striker" Nam-ju, who had previously played for the Boston Uprising.[15]
During the first stage of the season, the San Francisco Shock performed well, finishing with a 4–3 record and securing the sixth seed in the Stage 1 Playoffs.[16] In the playoffs, they faced the undefeated Vancouver Titans in the Stage 1 finals. Led by standout performances from Super and ChoiHyoBin, the Shock put up a strong fight and even held a 3–2 lead at one point. However, they narrowly lost the match by a score of 3–4.[17] The team found their stride in Stage 2, achieving an unprecedented perfect stage with a flawless 7–0 record and 28–0 map record. This feat made them the first team in Overwatch League history to accomplish a perfect stage.[18] As the top seed in the Stage 2 Playoffs, the Shock once again met the Vancouver Titans in the finals. With key contributions from Super, ChoiHyoBin, and Viol2t, the Shock emerged victorious, defeating the Titans by a score of 4–2.[19] In Stage 3, the Shock reached the playoff finals yet again, this time facing the Shanghai Dragons. However, they were unable to secure the victory, losing the match by a close 3–4 scoreline.[20] Nevertheless, the Shock finished the regular season with a seven consecutive wins, concluding with a 23–5 record, the second-best in the league. This secured them the third seed in the season playoffs.[21] Several players from the Shock received recognition for their performances throughout the season. Sinatraa, Super, ChoiHyoBin, and Moth received Role Star commendations,[22] while Sinatraa and Super were nominated for the league's Most Valuable Player award. Ultimately, Sinatraa claimed the MVP title.[23]
San Francisco faced the sixth-seeded Atlanta Reign in the first round of the 2019 season playoffs, which followed a double-elimination format. In a tightly contested match, the Shock suffered a narrow 3–4 loss, dropping them to the lower bracket of the playoffs.[24] The Shock went on a run through the lower bracket. They displayed dominant performances, sweeping the London Spitfire, the Los Angeles Gladiators, the Hangzhou Spark, and the New York Excelsior. With these victories, the Shock secured their spot in the 2019 Grand Finals.[25] he San Francisco Shock swept the Vancouver Titans 4–0, securing the 2019 Overwatch League championship title. Key points in the match included Architect's strategic Bastion positioning on Eichenwalde and ChoiHyoBin's crucial ultimate on Sigma during overtime on Watchpoint: Gibraltar.[26][27] ChoiHyoBin's performance earned him the Grand Finals MVP award.[28]
In the 2020 season, the San Francisco Shock introduced a new color scheme, transitioning from their previous orange, grey, and gold colors to black and silver, with orange accents, paying homage to the Oakland Raiders.[29] As they prepared for the 2020 season, the Shock brought in sniper specialist Lee "Ans" Seon-chang.[30]
In the 2020 season, the San Francisco Shock underwent several roster changes. Following a 5–2 start, Sinatraa retired from competitive Overwatch to pursue a career in Valorant.[31][32] Three weeks later, Architect was transferred to the Hangzhou Spark, and the Shock signed flex support player Lee "Twilight" Joo-seok.[33] The Shock won their franchise's second midseason tournament title on May 24, 2020, after defeating the Florida Mayhem in the North American May Melee finals, 4–2.[34] Despite a loss to the Paris Eternal in the semifinals of the Summer Showdown,[35] the Shock continued their strong performance and clinched the top seed in the Countdown Cup, ultimately winning the tournament by defeating the Philadelphia Fusion in the finals.[36] With an regular season record of 18 wins, 7 bonus wins from midseason tournaments, and 3 losses, the Shock finished with an effective regular season record of 25–3.[37] Ans, ChoiHyoBin, and Viol2t received Role Star commendations, and ChoiHyoBin and Viol2t were nominated for the league's Most Valuable Player award.[38] while ChoiHyoBin and Viol2t were also nominated for the league's most valuable player award.[39]
In the North America playoffs bracket, the San Francisco Shock emerged victorious against the Washington Justice,[40] the Atlanta Reign,[41] and the Philadelphia Fusion to advance to the Grand Finals bracket.[42] They faced the Seoul Dynasty in the first round, where they took a 2–0 lead but allowed the Dynasty to tie the series. However, the Shock prevailed in the final map to advance.[43] In the upper finals, they faced the Shanghai Dragons, again taking a 2–0 lead before the Dragons equalized. The Shock secured their place in the Grand Finals match by winning the final map.[44] On October 10, they faced the Seoul Dynasty in the Grand Finals, and the Shock claimed a 4–2 victory to win their second consecutive Overwatch League championship. Striker was named the Grand Finals MVP.[45]
2021–present
In the offseason preceding the 2021 season, the Shock made several roster changes, including the departures of Moth and Ans and the signings of support player Brice "FDGoD" Monscavoir and damage player Charlie "nero" Zwarg.[46][47] Through the first half of the season, the Shock had a 7–1 regular season record, but they were unable to make either of the season's first two interregional tournaments, the May Melee and June Joust, falling in the regional knockouts both times.[48][49] Prior to the start of the third tournament cycle, the Summer Showdown, Striker retired from competitive Overwatch.[50] The same day that Striker's retirement was announced, the Shock signed Ans back to the team.[51] San Francisco ended the regular season with a 12–4 record but were unable to make it to any of the four midseason tournaments.[52] The Shock qualified for the season playoffs after taking down the Toronto Defiant on September 5 in the Western play-in tournament.[53] In the first round of the playoffs, the Shock lost to the top-seeded Shanghai Dragons, 0–3, on September 21.[54] Falling to the lower bracket after the loss, San Francisco defeated the Philadelphia Fusion and Chengdu Hunters in the following days.[55][56] Their season came to an end in the following match, as they lost to the Atlanta Reign, 1–3.[57]
After the 2021 Overwatch League season, the San Francisco Shock made significant changes to their roster, retaining only Viol2t while parting ways with the rest of the team. They introduced five rookies to their lineup, including Jung "Kilo" Jin-woo, Kim "Proper" Dong-hyun, Samuel "s9mm" Santos, Colin "Coluge" Arai, and Oh "FiNN" Se-jin.[58] The Shock started their 2022 season with a 3–0 victory over the Paris Eternal.Paris Eternal.[59] In the Kickoff Clash tournament, the team went undefeated in the qualifiers and secured the top seed position.[60] However, they lost to the Fuel in the lower bracket.[61] Before the Midseason Madness tournament, the team signed Michael "mikeyy" Konicki.[62] The Shock maintained an unbeaten record in the qualifiers, advancing as the top seed.[63] Although they reached the finals, they fell short against the Los Angeles Gladiators.[64] The team then set a new OWL record for the most consecutive regular season wins during the Summer Showdown, winning 20 matches in a row, spanning back to the 2021 regular season.[65] Their undefeated streak was broken by the Fuel on September 2, 2022, marking their first regular season loss of the season.[66] With a 5–1 record in the qualifiers, the Shock advanced to the Western Summer Showdown tournament as the second seed.[67] However, they lost to the Fuel in the finals.[68] Prior to the end of the regular season, the Shock re-signed Striker, who had been a part of the Shock's championship seasons in 2019 and 2020.[69] The team finished the regular season as the second seed in the Western region.[70] Proper received numerous accolades for his performance in the regular season, being commentated as a Role Star for damage, being named the Alarm Rookie of the Year, and earning the Most Valuable Player award.[71] The Shock lost in their first match in the playoffs against the sixth-seeded Houston Outlaws and were sent to the lower bracket.[72] From there, San Francisco made a run through the lower bracket to reach the 2022 Grand Finals.[73] The Shock faced the Fuel in the Grand Finals match. The match went to seven maps; San Francisco lost by a score of 3–4.[74]
Team identity
On October 16, 2017, the San Francisco brand was officially unveiled. The franchise name was revealed as San Francisco Shock. The team's logo features a seismograph in the shape of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge in the team's colors of orange, grey, and gold. The name "Shock" and the logo were chosen to represent the large amounts of seismic energy that are present in the San Francisco area. The color gold was chosen to honor the 1849 California Gold Rush that swept the city. "We took great care to choose a logo and identity that would both represent the attributes and traditions of San Francisco, yet at the same time speak to the future of sports and the Shock’s ambitions to take its place as a fixture next to the Bay Area’s championship sports teams," Andy Miller, CEO of NRG Esports, said in a statement.[6][75] Prior to the 2020 season, the colors were changed to black, silver, and orange, with the black and silver paying tribute to the Oakland Raiders.[29]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2018)
On February 26, 2018, the Shock formally announced their academy team would compete under the "NRG Esports" name for Overwatch Contenders North America. They also revealed the team would live, train, and play in Washington, D.C., operating under a training home provided by partners Events DC.[76]
On May 8, 2019, NRG Esports announced that the organization would no longer field an Overwatch Contenders roster.[77]
↑ Placements in 2018 reflect standings in the team's respective group and not the entire region.
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The 2018 San Francisco Shock season was the first season of the San Francisco Shock's existence in the Overwatch League. The team finished with a regular season record of 17–23 placing them ninth overall. San Francisco did not qualify for any of the Stage Playoffs and did not qualify for the Season Playoffs.
The 2019 San Francisco Shock season was the second season of the San Francisco Shock's existence in the Overwatch League and their first full season under head coach Park Dae-hee. The team looked to improve from their 17–23 record from 2018 and qualify for their first stage or season playoffs.
The 2019 Vancouver Titans season was the first season of Vancouver Titans's existence in the Overwatch League as one of eight expansion franchises added for the 2019 season.
The 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals was the second championship series of the Overwatch League (OWL), which took place on September 29, 2019. The series was the conclusion of the 2019 Overwatch League playoffs and was played between the Vancouver Titans and San Francisco Shock at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The 2020 San Francisco Shock season was the third season of the San Francisco Shock's existence in the Overwatch League and their second under head coach Park "Crusty" Dae-hee. The team entered the season as the defending Overwatch League champions, after winning the 2019 Grand Finals. The Shock planned to host two homestand weekends in the 2020 season at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley and the San Jose Civic in downtown San Jose, but both were cancelled in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jay Won, professionally known as Sinatraa, is an American esports player and content creator. Won began his career as a player in the game Overwatch. He initially competed for Selfless Gaming and later joined the San Francisco Shock team prior to the Overwatch League's inaugural season in 2018. In the 2019 season, Won's performances led to him being awarded the Most Valuable Player and won the 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals. Won also represented Team USA in the Overwatch World Cup from 2017 to 2019. In the 2019 Overwatch World Cup, Won helped the team to claim the championship title. Due to his performance throughout the tournament, Won received the Most Valuable Player award.
Kim Hyo-jong (Korean: 김효종), better known by Haksal, is a retired professional South Korean Overwatch player. During his career, he was best known for his play on the damage hero Genji and support hero Brigitte. He played in the Overwatch League (OWL) for the Vancouver Titans and New York Excelsior and in Overwatch Apex and Overwatch Contenders for team RunAway.
The 2020 Overwatch League Grand Finals was the third championship match of the Overwatch League (OWL), which took place on October 10, 2020. The series was the conclusion of the 2020 Overwatch League playoffs and was played between the San Francisco Shock and Seoul Dynasty.
Choi Hyo-bin (Korean: 최효빈), better known as ChoiHyoBin, is a South Korean former professional Overwatch player. He began his career playing with team X6-Gaming, where he won the first Overwatch Contenders Korea championship. Choi signed with the San Francisco Shock for the inaugural season of the Overwatch League (OWL). He won two OWL championships with the Shock, in 2019 and 2020, and was named the 2019 Grand Finals most valuable player.
Matthew DeLisi, better known as super or supertf, is a former professional Overwatch player from the United States. He competed in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the San Francisco Shock. Prior to his time in OWL, DeLisi played for teams such as Bird Noises, Hammer Esports, and Luminosity Gaming Evil (LGE).
Kwon Nam-joo (Korean: 권남주), better known by his online alias Striker, is a South Korean professional Overwatch player. He began his Overwatch career playing for South Korean team ROX Orcas in Overwatch Apex. Kwon signed with the Boston Uprising ahead of the Overwatch League (OWL) inaugural season. After one season with the Uprising, Kwon was traded to the San Francisco Shock. In his time with the Shock, he won two Overwatch League championships, in 2019 and 2020, and was named the 2020 Grand Finals' most valuable player. Kwon retired from professional Overwatch in mid-2021; however he came out of retirement a few months later. He signed with the Uprising for the 2022 season but was released after only a few weeks into the season. Later that season, he signed back with the Shock and reached the 2022 Grand Finals with the team. The following year, he again joined the Uprising, and midway through the season, he again left the team and joined the Shock.
The 2022 Overwatch League Grand Finals was the fifth championship match of the Overwatch League (OWL), taking place on November 4, 2022. The series was the conclusion of the 2022 Overwatch League playoffs and was played between the Dallas Fuel and the San Francisco Shock at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.
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