Every year, when the Overwatch League starts, 18 weeks of competition are planned out. At the end of weeks four and eight, special competitions happen that pit the four top performers in the ongoing season against each other for prize money, a special prize cup and plenty of bragging rights. Since these two competitions only allow the top four to compete, however, the pressure to stay in the top is immense.
So far this season the May Melee already happened, with the June Joust yet to happen. However, the participants haven’t been determined yet.
The participants will be determined at the end of the eighth week, which is happening right now. The competition itself is from June 10 to June 12. Currently the teams in first and second place, the Shanghai Dragons and the Houston Outlaws, have no chance of losing their top four spots simply because they have too many points. The real worry has been placed on the teams in position 3-6.
Currently, there are five teams in position 3-6. Among those four places are the Dallas Fuel, the San Francisco Shock, the Florida Mayhem, and the Los Angeles Gladiators tied for sixth place with Seoul Dynasty. While these five teams are fighting for the chance to get into the June Joust, none of them are matched up against one another in the coming week. Their entry will rely entirely on the wins of the teams above them, as well as their own performance.
Currently, the Dallas Fuel must win one match to completely secure their spot in the June Joust, while the San Francisco Shock still must win both of their remaining matches without dropping many rounds to completely secure their spot. The only way that any of the other three teams can get a spot in the June Joust is by the San Francisco Shock losing a game, or some similar issue. However, each of these five teams are matched up against opponents that they are most likely going to win against, according to professional predictions.
No matter who gets into the June Joust, it’s sure to be a great watch especially if both the Dallas Fuel and the San Francisco Shock make it in. Because the Shock are the two year consecutive winners of the Overwatch League in 2019 and 2020, there are big expectations for them. In week three of the season, the Dallas Fuel won against the Shock in a surprisingly dominant win. In week seven, the Shock fired back with a dominant win of their own, leaving analysts wondering which of them would win in a third match.
Thankfully, we may not have to wait long to see who would win. In the June Joust, another match or two between the teams is likely. Even if one of the teams drops out of the top four and doesn’t make it to the June Joust, we may very well get a match between them in the next two or three weeks. So far, the brackets for each week have been determined by standing and region, and since the Shock and the Fuel will still be close in the standings after next week no matter how their next two matches go, they will face off relatively soon, giving a quick answer to the question many fans are asking about the teams.
Regardless of what happens, it’s sure to be great to watch, and you can catch it all live or recorded by looking around the Overwatch League schedule online.
Dylan Shepler can be reached at [email protected]