Despite the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) allowing for a maximum of two non-resident players, the North American region has continued its storied history of bringing players from other regions. In this article, we detail each one of these non-resident players participating in the NA OWCS Main Event, including their history, current team, mixed-roster experience, and hero pools.
SOMEONE 🇰🇷
Role: Tank
Team: Toronto Defiant
Past Teams: Gen.G (2020) Team CC (2021), Florida Mayhem (2022-23)
Best Heroes: Winston, Ramattra, Reinhardt, Sigma
SOMEONE won everything a player could win in the Overwatch League's last season. MVP, Role Star, Pro-Am Champion, and Overwatch League champion, he's arguably the best player in the world and the current tank hyperflex king. If you held a draft for Overwatch teams, SOMEONE's unparalleled flexibility and infectiously positive demeanor would make him the number one pick.
MER1T 🇰🇷
Role: Damage
Team: Toronto Defiant
Past Teams: LGE.Huya (2019), RunAway (2020-2021), O2 Blast (2021), Houston Outlaws (2022), Florida Mayhem (2023)
Best Heroes: Sojourn, Bastion, Ashe, Widowmaker
MER1T is yet another member of the Florida Mayhem squad who won the Overwatch League last year. His game-changing Sojourn and Bastion earned him a Grand Finals MVP. In addition to his insane mechanical skill, he's also a clutch player, rising to the occasion in numerous big matches throughout his career.
TOPDRAGON 🇰🇷
Role: Damage
Team: WD40
Past Teams: Gen.A (2020), Gen.G (2020-2022), First Fabulous Fighter (2021), Talon Esports (2022), Sin Prisa Gaming (2022), O2 Blast (2023), Dreamers (2023)
Best Heroes: Genji, Pharah, Echo, Hanzo
TOPDRAGON is a Korean flex DPS player who specializes in the classic projectile characters. He came up through the Gen.G academy system alongside players like SOMEONE and OPENER and burst onto the scene playing for First Fabulous Fighter in Contenders China. His Chinese Contenders experience has rubbed off on his play, giving him a flair for flashy plays not unlike Jinmu. He was supposed to be on YFP before ending up on the hastily assembled WD40 after Rostermania.
MCD 🇰🇷
Role: Support
Team: WD40
Past Teams: Element Mystic (2019-2020), Hangzhou Spark (2021), Boston Uprising (2022), Dallas Fuel (2023)
Best Heroes: Moira, Ana, Zenyatta
While there are conversations worth having about some of MCD's past discriminatory remarks against Chinese players, this article focuses on in-game attributes. He's a capable and experienced flex support who particularly excels on Moira, perhaps owing to his time in Rush's coaching system. MCD recently filled in for Ryujehong on Team Hasbeen in the OWCS Korea Open Qualifiers after the latter got into an accident, and, like TOPDRAGON, was supposed to be on YFP before Rostermania scuttled that team.
SeonJun 🇰🇷
Role: Damage
Team: Timeless
Past Teams: Talon Esports (2022), Team Seoul Dynasty (2023, 30-day contract), WISP (2023), Euphoria (2023), Susanoo (2024)
Best Heroes: Tracer, Genji, Sojourn, Illari, Hanzo, Torbjörn
SeonJun was a relative unknown to most fans until he joined the Seoul Dynasty on a short-term contract to relieve a burnt-out Profit. North American viewers quickly learned his name when he joined WISP and won Contenders Summer Series playing multiple roles. Now, he reunites with most of that same WISP roster on Timeless.
OPENER 🇰🇷
Role: Support
Team: Timeless
Past Teams: Gen.A (2019-2020), Gen.G (2021), Ground Zero Gaming (2021), Washington Justice (2022), O2 Blast (2023), Toronto Defiant (2023)
Best Heroes: Lúcio, Mercy, Brigitte
OPENER impressed me a lot during his time on Washington Justice, often securing opening kills with timely aggression on Lúcio. This year, OPENER was sought after by many North American teams due to his fluent English, making him an ideal pickup for any mixed roster.
Spectra 🇰🇷
Role: Damage
Team: M80
Past Teams: Paradigm Shift (2020), Team CC (2020)-2021, Panthera (2022), Dreamers (2023), Toronto Defiant (2023), Poker Face (2024) Hu
Best Heroes: Mei, Echo, Genji, Hanzo, Sojourn
Spectra may have the most mixed roster experience of any Korean player on this list. He's played in Australia, China, and Canada, and is fluent in English. Now, he joins his Defiant teammate and friend Hydron on M80. Spectra is in the process of relocating to the United States, and his deadly Echo will be an asset in this meta.
Pelican 🇰🇷
Role: Damage
Team: M80
Past Teams: WGS Armament (2018-2019), O2 Blast (2019-2020), Atlanta Reign (2021), Houston Outlaws (2022-2023)
Best Heroes: Echo, Hanzo, Mei, Genji, Sombra
The 2021 Alarm Rookie of the Year, Pelican has consistently been a top flex DPS player. On M80, he reunites with former teammates Hawk, Gator, and Lep. Unlike Spectra, it is currently unknown if or when Pelican will relocate to North America, but even on high ping, he's a force to be reckoned with.
Taejong 🇰🇷
Role: Damage
Team: Atlanta Phoenix Guard x Pirates in Pyjamas
Past Teams: MDY (2023), Strix (2023), Euphoria (2023), Starburst (2024)
Best Heroes: Echo, Hanzo, Mei, Genji, Sombra
Taejong arrived on the scene this year, and the seventeen-year-old DPS has bounced from team to team with mixed results. He played on MDY, a mostly Chinese roster that competed in Contenders Korea Summer Series, but left before the OWL Summer Stage Opens (due to being only 16) to join Strix in North America. Strix beat Spring Stage runners-up Timeless and eventual champions WISP in the group stage, but also gave lowly Dragon Dance their only win. Taejong will be competing for playtime in a crowded Pirates in Pyjamas DPS line. Will this be the team that unlocks Taejong's full potential?
PSYCH0 🇳🇴
Role: Damage
Team: STUDENTS OF THE GAME
Past Teams: Munich Esports (2022), Shu's Money Crew (2022), Ex Oblivione (2023), Team Norway (2023)
Best Heroes: Genji, Tracer, Echo
PSYCH0 has a Contenders championship under his belt. He won Summer Series Europe: A-Sides with Munich Esports. Since then, he found success on Team Norway and Ex Oblivione, though largely as a substitute for the latter. He'll likely be continuing that rotational role on his new team, as PGE and Scissors, while both reasonably flexible, are not true projectile players.
Between Korean superstars, ping warlords, and international students, it's nice to know that North America has retained its status as a melting pot of talent and culture.
BONUS! Import Players in EMEA OWCS
Checkmate 🇰🇷
Role: Damage
Team: ROC Esports
Past Teams: OZ Gaming (2020), Florida Mayhem (2021-2023), Geekay Esports (2023)
Best Heroes: Echo, Mei, Genji, Tracer
Korean players in EMEA are rare, but this is Checkmate's third time playing on a Saudi Arabian team. The Overwatch League champion is paired with up-and-coming Saudi hitscan player roho to form a deadly DPS line. While it took some time for ROC to gel, they seem to now be firing on all cylinders.
IZaYaKI 🇰🇷
Role: Support
Team: ROC Esports
Past Teams: Los Angeles Valiant (2018-2019), Shanghai Dragons (2019-2022), Boston Uprising (2023)
Best Heroes: Zenyatta, Ana, Brigitte, Baptiste
IZaYaKI has two Role Star awards, six OWL stage titles, and one OWL championship. Very few players have a greater resume, and there's an argument that he is the best Zenyatta of all time. There isn't much IZaYaKI can't do, and his team is set up to go deep in this tournament.
Landon 🇺🇸
Role: Support
Team: Spacestation Gaming
Past Teams: Scion Esports (2020), Susanoo (2020, 2024), Northwood University (2020-2022, 2023-), Solaris (2021), London Spitfire (2022-2023), Geekay Esports (2023)
Best Heroes: Baptiste, Kiriko, Brigitte, Ana
Landon reunites with his former London Spitfire teammates (sans Admiral) on Spacestation Gaming, becoming the only American in the EMEA OWCS Main Event. Since the end of OWL, Landon's done a lot of winning. He went back to Northwood and immediately won Overwatch Collegiate Homecoming, went to Saudi Arabia and got second in Saudi eLeague, and most recently dominated Jay3's Community Clash.
Overwatch Champions Series Stage 1 Main Event kicks off Thursday, March 21st.
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