❘ Published: 2023-09-18T22:13:59
❘ Updated: 2023-09-18T22:14:14
The London Spitfire defied the odds in the Overwatch League playoffs by making use of meta-break strategies involving Reinhardt and Symmetra.
The Overwatch 2 meta was heavily dominated by Orisa these last two weeks during the play-in to decide the two remaining teams that would qualify for the playoffs, but London Spitfire turned the meta around.
While most teams stuck to the ultra-powerful Orisa only occasionally running D.Va and Sigma on certain maps, Spitfire decided to play to her strengths with Hadi ‘Hadi’ Bleinagel on the Reinhardt.
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Combined with Jamie ‘Backbone’ O’Neill and William ‘SparkR’ Andersson’s Symmetra Teleporters on the Bastion, the team proved that sometimes going against the grain can be the best strategy.
London Spitfire unleashes Reinhardt’s teleport on Overwatch teams
On the final day of the OWL play-ins, the Spitfire had to fight back from the loser’s bracket, facing the Vancouver Titans and then the Toronto Defiant.
In the first match on Illios, the team demonstrated how effective Sym and Rein can be by teleporting Reinhardt to the enemy backline with Earthshatter to send the Titans onto their backs.
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With the percentage of progress points increasing, Vancouver had no choice but to try to reach the objective, but was instantly blocked by a Baptiste Amplification Array and a Turret-shaped Bastion, melting everyone.
In the next clip, the Titans implemented the exact same strategy, this time at Busan’s MEKA base, teleporting to high ground, landing the Earthshatter, and demolishing the Defiant players.
London could make it look easy. Despite going to map five against the Titans, they were able to absolutely dominate the final map at Watchpoint Gibraltar and only lost one match against the Defiant to qualify for the playoffs.
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The Spitfire now join seven other teams in the Overwatch League playoffs, having denied Toronto the chance to compete in their own city. After a very confusing group reveal, their first round match was confirmed to be against the Boston Uprising on September 28.
Only time will tell if the team sticks with Reinhardt and Symmetra or counters with another meta-breaking composition, as the playoffs are scheduled to take place on a new patch with a host of Zarya buffs.
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