The top dogs of Australian Overwatch, these teams will not want others to relish in their former glory. These teams are looking to build their legacies, their dynasties, and are pulling out all the stops to sit at the helm of Contenders Australia.

Last season’s LAN had an unknown, a tale of triumph and despair, and the formation of one of Overwatch’s most dominant dynasties. Kanga Esports seemingly came from nowhere to take a seat at LAN, while ORDER fell painfully short of a grand finals spot once again.

Dark Sided had their most successful period in Overwatch yet but have left the scene, allowing a new challenger to take their place. Then at the helm is the seemingly-unstoppable Sydney Drop Bears, who have recruited serious firepower heading into Season 3.

Will these teams make it to LAN again this season? They’ll all be aiming for it, but in the meanwhile, here’s a rundown of all four LAN finalists from Season 2 and their hopes for Season 3.

Kanga Esports

Kanga Esports went from barely making playoffs to LAN contenders in one season. Led by Maid, one of the region’s most respected coaches, and American talent ChroNoDotA, they climbed to the top.

With only one player remaining from the team which made Season 2 LAN, Kanga has rebuilt a roster utilising a great selection of talent – as well as giving a certain someone a team.

With Davi flexing into his third role in three seasons, the ever flexible stalwart of Kanga took plenty of notes from his time playing at the Melbourne Esports Open.

“MEO really made all the time put into Overwatch worth it. The most worthwhile experience was just learning to stay calm in match environments since nothing is as nervewracking as being on stage.”

“The team is improving fast, mostly due to our incredible coach TCC.”
Davi, Main Tank

As for the role swap, it’s something that’s been a long time coming.

“I always played main tank during 2016 and early 2017 – I prefer it and have more experience on it. It’s also easily the most difficult role in the game which I take as a challenge and I’m excited to try and conquer it.”

Davi is backed up by the veteran support line of Swilko (Masterminds) and CantuS (Dark Sided) as Kanga looks to march forth into Season 3. LUSH, who played for Blank most recently in Trials, and Render (Dignity) round out Kanga’s DPS, while Sadboy returns after a season’s break.

“I think the team is more open to improvements with a better attitude, so in a way, there’s more potential and just a matter of how much time we put in,” said Davi.

Will they make LAN once again? It’s up in the air for now, but don’t discount Kanga, because they’ll come out swinging.

ORDER

Perennial semi-finalists, ORDER have been without a grand final appearance since their days as Athletico CAMO where they won Season 1 of the ESL ANZ Championship.

In Season 3, they look to put a stop to that. However, casualties have been claimed – the region’s much beloved “children” have split, with only one remaining on the side which has stayed together for so long.

Adam and Unter remain from the Season 2 team who fell one Grav short of making the grand finals last season. They are joined by World Cup member Yuki, ex-Drop Bears Jordation and Quatz and Kanga’s Zenyatta fragger Merit in a team made to show that the third time is the charm.

“With the level of competition increasing, we’re incredibly hungry to prove ourselves as a championship team.”
Adam, Off-Tank/Flex

“Playing with this new roster has been great fun – after such a long time with the old core it’s also been a bit refreshing.” said Adam.

Adam and Quatz also makes for one of the youngest tank lines in Overwatch around the world. The 16 and 15-year olds respectively have already proved so much in their careers, having been at the top for several months. Once foes, the good friends have bonded together once again to make the journey to the top.

“Quatz and I have been good friends for a long time and I’m happy to be able to play with him. As a duo, we’re in sync with our dives and generally read the game the same way so it’s been awesome.”

With one of the strongest rosters in the region, hopefully, this season is the season that ORDER finally makes that elusive grand final.

HEIST Gaming Club

With the disbanding of one of Australia’s consistent top 3 teams in Dark Sided, it has opened up the opportunity for a big shakeup at the top. Their replacement, HEIST, looks to take off right where Dark Sided left off.

Taking the best pickings of the lesser-known top-tier talent, HEIST has built a roster that has a chance of being true LAN contenders.

JungleJazz and Locus were a part of the Kanga team which made MEO in Season 2, while Guzto was a part of the unassuming SereNity roster. With Bus from Bin Chickens, Dalsu from Avant and Dewboy from Freshman Class, the teams they come from might not be big names but the players that make up HEIST are not to be slept on.

“I think we have synergized well during the offseason,” said Dalsu. “We have a good team environment and everyone is working really hard to improve. Nevertheless, we will have a lot to learn since this is our first season as an official roster.”

“I’m confident in our ability to learn from mistakes and every game we will get better.”
Dalsu, Support

Known to be one of Australia’s most proficient Ana’s, Dalsu comes in with a lot of hype surrounding him, but he’s downplaying it.

“I’m not sure how much I’ll be playing Ana since Zen seems to be really valuable. When I do get to play Ana though I’m sure I can make some carry level plays with her kit.”

Arguably the most crucial piece of HEIST’s roster though is coach Choco. Having been at the helm of PIXL’s resurgence late last season, he is highly regarded within Australia and has taken his talents overseas recently with First Generation in NA Contenders.

“Choco is by far the best coach I have ever had. He’s been incredibly helpful and consistently puts in hours on hours to make sure we get the support that we need. I’ve never seen a coach in this region work so hard to improve a team and help them grow.”

Will they slide right back into the space Dark Sided left? Dalsu’s confident that as time goes on, they’ll hit that peak.

“Officials put a lot more pressure and stress on the players [compared to scrims], but I’m confident in our ability to learn from mistakes and every game we will get better.”

Sydney Drop Bears

The overlords of Australian Overwatch, Sydney Drop Bears have won two on the trot and had the first 20-0 season in Contenders history.

Like most others, a drastic shakeup in the offseason has provided the champions with a new horizon to look onto for Season 3. This isn’t any ordinary shakeup though. The once seemingly unstoppable roster has hit a new high and is looking to tear through everyone in their path.

Initially picking up five of the seven players on Australia’s World Cup roster, they recently lost Trill to NA Contenders team Envy with a replacement on the way. However, Hus and Ckm from Blank and Punk from Dark Sided are considered far and wide the best players in their respective roles.

“The World Cup was an incredible experience for all players involved and transformed us into players who are not only significantly better than we were before but now we know how to structure practice to maximise improvement thanks to Gunba.”
Akraken, Support

With Bertlog, Shoyo and Akraken returning from the first iteration of the team which won the first two seasons of Contenders, the bears are looking scarier than ever.

“The meta isn’t hugely different from BlizzCon which gives us an advantage over other teams who maybe haven’t been practicing as hard or at the same level as Team Australia did over the last few months.”

With Trill going into Academy and almost hitting the OWL stage alongside fellow Australian World Cup teammate Custa, Sydney Drop Bears are looking for a replacement, but for now, they are happy for the smasher of good ults.

“Trill is one of the best main tanks not in OWL,” Akraken said. “We are all extremely happy for him and it’s clear he deserves the opportunity after hard grinding since the game released.”

However, looking back to Australia, Akraken is confident Australia’s best team will reign once more.

“We believe we are currently the most experience and the most dedicated team in the competition and as a result, we should be favoured to win the trophy outright this season.”

Contenders Australia is on-going right now, with the Week 1 Group A matches being played out over on the Overwatch Contenders Twitch channel!

You can follow Kanga, ORDER, HEIST and Sydney Drop Bears on Twitter.

You’ve heard the stories of those who have climbed from the bottom to make their mark. Now listen to the people who have been painfully close to success – that breakthrough – before falling short at the final hurdle.

Tainted Minds clawed into playoffs by the skin of their teeth, but with a new look, the same old roster is looking to make waves. On the other end of the scale, Legacy Esports returns with only one of their Season 2 roster but the same fire that drove the team under Straawbella.

Athletico marks their return to Overwatch with a roster full of experience and ready to take a crack at Contenders for old times sake. Then the chronic overachievers, Melbourne Mavericks, look to make their first LAN appearance after being gate-kept by Sydney Drop Bears last season.

All of these teams have a deep history in Australian Overwatch and all of them are looking to finally make their break in Season 3. These are their stories.

Breakaway Esports

Breakaway has an underdog story for the ages. After going 0-19 in the first season of Contenders, they clawed their way back in through Season 2 Trials before holding on by the skin of their teeth in Season 2 to qualify for Season 3.

Now, ditching the brain for the bird, Breakaway is taking the motto “good things take time” into Season 3 and are looking to prove sceptics wrong.

The only changes to this roster over the offseason have been Oxidize renaming to Jervisss and Volonte coming from Surge as the main tank sub. The core of this roster now has three seasons of Contenders experience and are looking to finally make their mark.

“I think the the ANZ scene is far too quick to roster swap”
JJJJ, Captain

“I believe finding people who have the right attitude and committed to improvement is more important than gameplay skill at a certain time,” said team captain JJJJ.

Bringing in Oxidize for Season 2 was seemingly ambitious at the time. The Singaporean player was untested before joining then-Tainted Minds, but heading into Season 3 he is the player to watch.

“With Lucio coming back into the meta, it is really [Jervisss’] time,” said JJJJ, stating that his Lucio is one of the best in the region.

While some of the names of the roster don’t really appear in many people’s tier lists, they are ready to show their talent and hopefully keep the fairy tale alive.

“We are certainly looking to avoid Trials and I’m confident we can. Our group – Group B – is very even across the board in terms of skill so I think we can make Top 4 in the group.”

Legacy Esports

Unlike Breakaway, the trees have been shaken heading into Season 3. With old team captain Straawbella heading back to League of Legends, the rest of the roster split, leaving only Cinderella at the helm.

However, don’t let this dissuade you from Legacy. They’ve taken on some of the best talents from Trials and last season’s Contenders and are looking to make a run this season.

With Mini and SpecialKid coming from Dignity, Addy and SleepEasy coming from Avant and Thunderkitten coming from Exsto Gaming, Legacy’s roster is full of unassuming talent. However, with SleepEasy back home in his DPS slot, as well as Mini and Addy who looked strong in Season 2, they are looking to show their worth.

“I think each and everyone on the team brings out the best in each other and for that, we will get far.”
Mini, Flex/Off tank

“As the roster has only been formed, we have a lot of potential to improve and will get far as everyone is very committed,” said Mini. “Old man Cinderella is guiding the team very well and everyone has an amazing work ethic and is willing to put in the extra time to improve.

“Right now, I want to be the best I can be and improve for myself and everyone on the team, that is my current goal.”

With plenty of time to develop over the season, anything is possible for Legacy. “I can’t guarantee anything but that we’ll try and make everyone proud,” she added.

Athletico

There’s arguably no team more experienced than Athletico this season. The old guard of Australian Overwatch is here to show off that they’ve still got it and with their combined skill and experience they have a very good shot at making some waves.

While they might not be scrimming as hard as the other teams, the same desire to win is still there according to Termo.

“It’s far less of a commitment than teams of the past, and the environment is much more relaxed, but at the same time we’re all good, experienced players and still want to win.”

The ex-Dark Sided DPS – whose greatest Overwatch achievement (in my opinion) was that huge Graviton Surge on Rialto in their semi-final against ORDER last season – has teamed up with old teammate USMC to bring the old gang back for one last hurrah…or not.

“The hardest teams always seem to bring the best out of me and our team so I’m looking forward to playing against Sydney Drop Bears and Blank in our group.”
Termo, DPS

“It’s up in the air [as to whether we will continue for Season 4],” said Termo, “but this season is effectively me taking a break but dabbling in a small way.”

He is joined by xZoL, previously Kiki, who was a part of the 2017 Blank roster who dominated Pacific as well as competed at the World Cup. Gob joins from ORDER, breaking up the core-of-four that has been a mainstay in Australian Overwatch for so long.

With Muni and Eevee bringing up the support line – the former playing for Blank Blue as a sub most recently – the combined competitive experience of this team would be older than some of the players on other rosters.

“I think we can definitely make LAN, but it will depend on how well we can utilize the relatively little time we have in practice.”

Melbourne Mavericks

If you are a Melbournian, you better get ready to #MavUp. Previously SereNity, they were the first team to take a map off Sydney Drop Bears last season and have been improving season-on-season.

From Trials, then to playoffs, the Mavericks only have one goal in their sights this season – LAN.

The core of the roster – with Minny, Fluro, Nox and Forbles – have been together for over a year now. Joined by ex-Avant DPS Winter – the only change to the core roster in the offseason – and Roadhog extraordinare Oily, the Mavericks are building exceptional synergy with one talented roster.

“Keeping four of our members for over a year now has contributed to the synergy, trust, and overall team dynamic and is mainly why we are known to consistently improve over time.”
Minny, Main Tank

Having always flown under the radar and consistently performing against top teams, they are looking to become one themselves in Season 3.

“We’ve been training the hardest we have ever trained over the break. It’s been two seasons in the making but we are hoping to make the grand final and go for gold.

“We are all truly happy to have the support of everyone and hope we can pay that back with a great performance during Season 3.”

As for that inter-city rivalry, the Mavericks are up for the challenge come finals.

“We are in a separate group to the Sydney Drop Bears, but there is still that rivalry between the two cities,” said Minny. “I think it would be amazing if we could bring that to a semi-final or grand final match.”

Contenders Season 3 is on right now with the Maverick’s interstate rivals Sydney Drop Bears going up against Mindfreak live on the Overwatch Contenders Twitch channel.

You can follow Breakaway, Legacy, Athletico and Mavericks on Twitter.

Five days out from Contenders Australia Season 3, we shine the spotlight on the teams who clawed their way in from the bottom – the Trials teams.

Trials Australia Season 3 featured teams from all along the spectrum.

SandBaggers, who transformed from ladder beasts to officials underdogs, now flying under a different flag. Blank Esports had a dramatic fall of grace in Contenders Pacific Season 2, but look to reclaim their glory after almost 18 months abroad.

Kraken Esports Club rose from the ashes of Dignity and claimed some of Australia’s up-and-coming talent. Then Freshman Class – after parting with parent organisation PIXL Esports – fought their way back after falling eerily close to bailing out of the league altogether.

Heading into Contenders Season 3, get to know the stories behind these underdogs as they ready up to make their claim against some of Australia’s most storied Overwatch teams.

Kraken Esports Club

Taking over Dignity’s spot in Trials, Kraken overcame instability as they clawed their way into Contenders. While their rise wasn’t dignified, to say the least, they are here to prove their worth.

The team features some of the best talent left behind by this offseasons chaotic roster shuffles. Avant’s tank duo CrimzonWolf and Legabril have moved back into Contenders, while ex-Legacy DPS CaramelKoala has returned from a brief retirement alongside old teammate Dench to add to the team’s experienced lineup.

Taking on Qvn, who has been on the fringe for a while, as well as importing NA duo AGO and Chogall from Kyaaa Esports – Kraken have built a team looking to rise from the depths.

Team captain and support player Leveret has been in this place before too, having climbed to the top with Bin Chickens before falling right back down after a rocky 0-20 season.

“As individuals, I think we’re looking to prove to ourselves and others that we are capable of competing at a very high level.”
Leveret, Team Captain

“Personally I have been working on expanding my hero pool to accommodate the ever-changing meta and improving on my communication and leadership in game.”

While they’ve been drawn into a tough group alongside big names like Sydney Drop Bears, Blank and Athletico, they aren’t letting the pressure get to them.

“We’re hoping we can prove that we’re able to hold our own against some of the more established teams in the region,” she added.

As for who else you should have on your radar, Leveret’s take is on Freshman Class. “They have prior Contenders experience and overall did not perform too badly in Season 2. Lucky for us they’re not in our group so we won’t be playing against them in the regular season.

“Realistically we’re hoping to make playoffs, but it will be an uphill battle with the quality of the other teams in our group.”

Freshman Class

Out with PIXL – class is back in session. Freshman Class made an impact coming into the end of Contenders Season 2, and with a Rise Up Invitational victory under their belt heading into Season 3, they are ready to turn some heads.

“Change is never a bad thing,” said team manager Nathan, “and moving forward in a fresh direction, opening ourselves to new opportunities will only benefit the players and the team as a whole.”

The team has been completely refreshed from the roster that finished off under Choco at the end of last season. Exirst, Virginya, Badd and Prowlore remain from the competitive underdog at the end of Season 2, with Kaimore (JAM), Qoy (Kraken) and basedgod (Dignity) lining out the roster.

“Our biggest strength to pull us through is our passion and commitment to the game.”
Nathan, Team Manager

While their names might not be as big as some on the top 4 teams, they are all bound together by one thing – passion.

“All the players want to be here and want to improve. With that mindset and motivation we will be only moving forward and will take on any challenge we are faced with.”

Challenges indeed are what they will face, placed in the Group of Death alongside Heist, Kanga, Melbourne Mavericks, Breakaway and top dog ORDER. “We may not be the best,” according to main tank Virginya, “but anything is possible in this group.”

Looking forward into the future though, they are hopeful they can be one of those six teams making it through to Season 4.

“I’m hoping to see a lot more competition for spots [heading into Season 4] and fresh competition from new upcoming teams and talented players. But for now, we are looking to finish in the top 4 in our group and we will go from there.”

Mindfreak

A new entry to Australian Overwatch, Mindfreak signed the enigmatic SandBaggers to fly the white and blue of one of Australia’s most successful esports organisations.

Known for their Call of Duty, Heroes of the Storm and Halo teams, Mindfreak has been a mainstay in Australian esports since 2012. Taking on SandBaggers – a team of Contenders rookies – might seem odd, but according to their coach Joel, it was a no-brainer.

“We were looking for an organisation to represent heading into Season 3, and with Mindfreak interested in joining the scene we were pleased to get them onboard,” he said.

“I’ve been in the Contenders scene since Season 1 and I’ve always wanted to partner with an org who shares the same vision I believe in, and Mindfreak did just that.”

Across all eight players on the roster, they have a total of zero games of Contenders experience. However, don’t discount them for it – their unique aggressive playstyle secured them a 6-1 game record in Trials and second place behind Blank Esports.

“I’m really excited to see what a team full of unknown talent can do this season, and even more keen to see where these players end up by the end of it.”
Joel, Coach

“The players work extremely hard. CoolWhhip is the kind of person who constantly pesters me for 1-on-1 VOD reviews – he eats, sleeps, breathes and thinks Overwatch constantly,” Joel said. The DPS player is the one to watch according to Joel, having been a crucial part of their Open Division and Trials campaign.

CoolWhhip was alongside Goobs, Lazki, Christoph, Fractured and Xyph for Open Division, and were the only team in Season 3 to qualify for Contenders from Open Division.

“We picked up Camskiez after Open Division to bolster up the DPS slot and he’s been a great addition.” Camskiez was most recently on PIXL Esports, joining after DewBoy left PIXL for Heist. Adding on philS, Exsto Gaming’s off tank as a sub, and Mindfreak has formed a solid roster brimming of talent you just haven’t heard of yet.

“Obviously heading into Contenders we have no expectations. We are the underdogs. Playing against Sydney Drop Bears in Week 1 will be good experience for us and we might be able to take a map, but our goal is to just show that we deserve to be here.”

Blank Esports

Arguably Australia’s most successful Overwatch org, Blank Esports have returned home after a year of competing in Pacific.

Never able to grab that elusive victory overseas after two second place finishes in OPC Season 1 and Contenders Season 1, they come into Contenders Australia with a strong roster featuring plenty of international experience – and an ace up their sleeve.

For Kura, who was part of that Contenders Season 1 campaign, the team is relishing in the opportunity to play back on home soil. “After Pacific Season 2, it feels great to come home. The opportunity to play on stage in front of an Aussie crowd is both motivating and exciting, and competing on low ping is a welcome bonus.”

Bringing back Kura and Tongue from Taiwan, Blank also picked up Knellery, who was part of the infamous GOATs roster back in NA. Including Roro, Snowball’s Rookie of the Season in Season 2, Nozz from Masterminds and Tails from Legacy, the mix of talent has given Blank a refreshingly new look according to Kura.

“The team dynamic has been completely reset with four new players joining.”
Kura, Support

“Having both Tongue and myself should help immensely to set the tone and expectations while in a professional environment.”

That ace up their sleeve? That’s their professional environment – they are the first team in Contenders Australia to set up a team house. “The fact that we have only been together as a team for two weeks prior to coming into a house allows us to build the best internal structure possible from the get-go rather than spending time breaking bad habits.”

With this abundance of talent and their ace, anything less than LAN will be a failure. “Realistically, we can at the minimum achieve Top 4, though personally, I am confident we will be in the final.”

Contenders Australia Season 3 starts this Monday at 12pm AEDT with Sydney Drop Bears up against Trials team Mindfreak.

You can follow Kraken, Freshman Class, Mindfreak and Blank on Twitter.

Blank Blue

Although Blank Blue might live in the shadow of their sister team, Blank Esports, they are by no means weak. The team of local young guns will be looking to replicate the main teams Pacific success back home in Australia after falling excruciatingly close last season. A 2nd place finish in their group in Season 1 set them up for a favourable playoffs spot, where they beat JAM Gaming 3-0. However, at LAN, they fell down to Masterminds GC, who had stormed off an almost perfect 19 and 0 regular season on their way to the grand final.

“After restructuring and refocusing we’re looking to take our tournament run deep into Rod Laver Arena”
– Smash, Coach for Blank Blue

The team has only made one change coming into Season 2, with the addition of “Aetar” from JAM Gaming. Casting Season 1 grudges aside after being knocked out by Blank Blue in playoffs, “Aetar” will provide a boost in the hitscan DPS department for Blank Blue. “Micro” will be moving to the bench as a result of the change, but knowing substitutes in Overwatch, we could definitely see a bit of rotation between the two to shake things up.

“Smash”, Blank Blue’s coach told us that the team is positive and they are setting their sights on the finals again, “After restructuring and refocusing we’re looking to take our tournament run deep into Rod Laver Arena.” In a season where there’s so many teams in with a chance of making it to the Melbourne Esports Open LAN, Blank Blue will surely have a few tricks up their sleeves to make it there.

Dark Sided

Dark Sided had a very strong group stage finish, with a map record of 18-2, placing just behind Masterminds. However, they weren’t able to make it to the final as they placed 3rd. They had a very close semi-final with Drop Bears, but fell short with their 2 – 3.

“The team are confident they will get the win in the opening match.”
– Project, Coach for Dark Sided

In a trend that is becoming seemingly common among the teams, they have shaken up their roster with a completely new set of players for Contenders Season 2.

Coach “Project” had a few things to say about matchmaking vs tournament and growth in the Australian region:

“It would’ve been nice for the meta the players are on to stay relevant to their matchmaking experience but with Blizzard’s patching and tournament schedule that will never be the case. I feel this hinders the growth of the game and players as there is no support in this region to learn the multitude of heroes required to participate at the top level.”

On their opening match against Masterminds in week 1, “Project” stated: “The team are confident they will get the win in the opening match.”

Masterminds

Masterminds had an excellent run in the first season of Contenders and were on top after the group stages. However, they were not able to secure the win in the finals, with the Sydney Drop Bears proving too strong.

“We’ve never missed a LAN since the start of Overwatch in this region, and this Contenders season will be no different.”
– Polter, Co-owner of Masterminds

They have featured many roster changes this year such as “Knellery”, “Dalsu”, “Tails” and “Colourhex” all leaving the team.

The Masterminds co-owner “Polter”, spoke with us about these changes: “After finishing 2nd in season 1 a lot has changed for us during the off season with James “Taki” Daskalou being the only remaining player from that roster. To the naked eye it appears we have come off the worst from the latest roster shuffle, but we have some extremely talented players who are out to prove their worth against the best in the region.“

They are no doubt ready to take the title from Drop Bears as “Polter” explains their dedication to practising: “We’ve never missed a LAN since the start of Overwatch in this region, and this contenders season will be no different. We look forward to redeeming ourselves and taking 1st place in Melbourne.”

Masterminds certainly have a lot of motivation to win this season.

Sydney Drop Bears

In the group stages of Season 1 the Sydney Drop Bears were 0-4’d by Masterminds. However they then went on to become the inaugural winners of clean sweeping Masterminds right back with a 4-0 in the grand final.

“The team is extremely confident in our ability to defend our Australia Contenders title”
– Face, Coach for the Sydney Drop Bears

Interestingly, the Drop Bears picked up “Colourhex” from Masterminds in the off-season. Speaking of the roster change, Drop Bears Coach “Face” explained: “We picked up ‘Colourhex’ who has really lent a lot of flexibility and skill to our roster and has been meshing well with the team.”

On their focus for the upcoming season, he said: “Right now, we are primarily focusing on getting a grasp on the new meta and increasing our synergy together as a team. Moving into the new season, the team is extremely confident in our ability to defend our Australia Contenders title and we can only improve from here.”

The Sydney Drop Bears sound confident and are looking to fight tooth and nail to keep their title as the current Contenders Australia champions.

Season 2 of Overwatch Contenders Australia starts tomorrow, Monday 2nd July at 12pm AEST. Tickets are now also available for the grand final at the Melbourne Esports Open – find them here.

You can catch more Overwatch Contenders coverage throughout the season here on Snowball Esports, as well as following the action on the Overwatch Contenders Twitch channel.

Written by Ann “Luna”.

Dignity

Dignity is Contenders biggest unknown this season. “Express”, a top 500 player from Canada, bought the slot taken by Noc Predators and built the team from the ground up. There’s been criticism behind the roster, due to the fact they bought in, but they are looking to prove they can hold their own in Contenders, and take it further.

“The talent on our team is outmatched because of the dedication of each player and vision to improve”
– Express, Owner of Dignity

Taking some of the leftovers from Season 1 roster changes, Dignity lines up “Deo” (Serenity), “Specialkid” (NoC Predators) and Render (JAM Gaming) from Season 1 alongside upcoming talent “Yui”, “Mini” and “Cazzette” for their starting 6. While these names don’t really stand out among the big guns, their talent comes from “the dedication of each player and vision to improve.” Dignity aren’t just looking for short term success. Team owner “Express” said Dignity have “the best available talent and a couple of hidden gems who will be superstars in the future.”

Dignity want to surprise the competition with this line-up, and keep on improving week on week. “Express” expressed that he was “pleased with our results and overall improvement in the buildup to Contenders”, and said that “we are looking to prove that we are not a new team looking to sabotage the OCE scene but to sabotage the results of the other teams in turn of our victory”. While other Contenders teams might know a few things to expect from this lineup, it’ll be a viewers delight on Monday to see what they are truly made of.

Kanga Esports

Kanga Esports dealt some blows to other teams in Season 1. Qualifying for playoffs, they took a map off 1st seed Masterminds before falling in the quarter-finals. During the season, they beat SereNity and Tainted Minds, but overall looked looked shaky in a lot of their matchups, not being able to close out maps.

Heading into Season 2, they’ve overhauled their roster. The departure of “Ziggy” left a hole in their their Flex role, but they are flexible. Main support “Davi” has flexed to Offtank, with the team bringing in “Junglejazz” to fill the support gap. However, the most intriguing signing is “ChroNoDotA” replacing old main tank “pzza”.

“We are grinding harder than ever before to win this season, with the org’s full support to make it happen”
– Haydz, Owner of Kanga Esports

While it’s not uncommon to hear about OCE players using VPNs or groups to play on US West, Singapore or Korean servers for a better matchmaking experience, you hardly hear about the reverse. “ChroNoDotA” hails from Arizona, USA, and from all accounts, has absolutely been tearing it up in scrims even with the ping difference.

Speaking to team owner “Haydz”, he said that “the boys are grinding harder than ever before to win this season, with the org’s full support to make it happen.” Obtaining the services of a US college star, and ex-Team Singularity (from EU Contenders) coach “Maid”, Kanga certainly have the org’s support behind them and the makings of a top 4 team.

Legacy Esports

Legacy are one of the only rosters to keep most of their team intact during the offseason. Last season for Legacy was a case of ‘sweep or be swept’, with all of their series ending in 4-0 either way. While they were a good roster, they didn’t have that extra edge teams like Sydney Drop Bears had, eventually falling victim to them in the first round of playoffs (again in a 3-0 sweep).

“I think we have a lot to show with our new roster this season and am looking forward to playing with the team”
– Poom, DPS for Legacy

However, for Season 2, they’ve made some great changes. The additions of veterans “Kiki” (for “Skull” in Flex) and “tails” (for “Wuvo” in DPS) will help solidify a classy roster. Both players were on Masterminds in their grand final run last season, with “Kiki” having also represented Australia at the Overwatch World Cup. He was also on the very successful Blank Esports roster which has dominated the Oceania and Pacific regions.

In saying this though, “Kiki” is on the way out, having decided to hang up the headset on competitive Overwatch in recent weeks. He will still play on while Legacy try to find a replacement. Even with this setback, spirits are still high in the Legacy camp. DPS player “Poom” (formerly “CaramelKoala”, who made final 16 for World Cup Trials this year) thinks that “[Legacy] have a good chance of making it to the LAN finals this season, as we are training hard and the meta suits our players.” With or without “Kiki”, Legacy will try and find success this season and cement themselves a spot in Melbourne.

Avant Gaming

Along with JAM’s spot, Avant Gaming also acquired their roster from last season, before changing a few things up to really shape the team into potential Top 4 contenders. Last time Avant were involved in Overwatch was 2016, where the team hovered around the Top 8 teams in Australia. The roster back in those days featured players like “Taki” (now on Masterminds) and “Tongue” (now on Blank Esports).

“We think we’ve got a pretty good shot at LAN granted we come top 2 in the group.”
– Whipply, Team Manager for Avant Gaming

Avant kept “Crimsonwolf”, “SleepEasy” and “Legabril” from the old JAM Gaming lineup. The addition of “Dalsu”, who has LAN experience from Masterminds in Season 1, will be crucial in this season. The new talent in “Winter” (from Reflex in Open Division) and “Addy” (formerly on $krylla, who qualified for Contenders Season 1) round out a strong lineup filled with talent and experience.

Team manager “Whipply” mentioned the team were “feeling pretty confident going into the seasons…[with] everyone working really hard and getting good results.” About making the Melbourne Esports Open LAN finals, they think they’ve “got a pretty good shot granted we come Top 2 in the group.”. In a group containing grand finalist Masterminds, Dark Sided, the new look Kanga roster, and Trials teams Serenity and PIXL Esports, Avant are looking to turn some heads and make big impressions on the Contenders scene.

The final edition of our Team Spotlight series will feature the Finalists from Season 1: Blank Blue, Masterminds, Dark Sided and winners Sydney Drop Bears. You can catch more Overwatch Contenders coverage throughout the season here on Snowball Esports, as well as following the action on the Overwatch Contenders Twitch channel.

Tainted Minds

Tainted Minds had a season to forget in Season 1 of Contenders. They failed to pick up a map win the entire tournament, only managing to scramble a draw against Kanga Esports. There was no such disappointment in Trials though, with the team going undefeated in all 5 series with a 14-6 map differential.

“[We will] grow throughout the season and be worthy of our position as a Contenders team”
– Solomon “JJJJ” Spearritt, Tainted Minds Contenders Captain

Tainted have replaced old tank “Fullmetal” with Season 1 sub “Trisimail”, with “Godsworld” also being shown the door for “Oxidize”. This roster proved to be successful in Trials, even taking down Serenity who swept them 4-0 last season. A new and improved roster, plus a new attitude towards preparation will allow the team to “grow throughout the season and be worthy of our position as a Contenders team” according to captain “JJJJ”.

For Tainted, “it’s been a long and bumpy road.” The team is hoping to place Top 8 this season and prove to the community that they have earned their spot. With the issues that plagued them in Season 1 behind them, they can only go up in Season 2.

SereNity

SereNity had it a bit better in Season 1, but not by much. Their only series win was a 4-0 against Tainted Minds. While they took maps off Kanga Esports and grand finalist Dark Sided, they weren’t able to string together enough form for a series win. Another run through trials saw them qualify with ease with a 4-1 record and a 14-7 map differential, only falling to Tainted Minds in a tight 5 map series.

“[Our] biggest strength is that we are constantly adapting and striving to improve.”
– Noxious, SereNity Team Manager

Heading into Season 2, SereNity have a point to prove. They had the makings of a great team last season. They’ve decided to not tinker with the formula too much, bringing in “Oily” from NoC Predators for “Archaius”. Keeping the core of the roster the same could prove to be crucial. With so many teams shuffling players around, having a bit of stability can be the difference when the chaos starts and having faith in your team synergy.

According to team manager “Noxious”, “SereNity’s biggest strength is that we are constantly adapting and striving to improve. This season will be all about displaying their development from last season, with “better put together strategies and strong execution throughout the team.”

Surge Esports Club

Sometimes, a bit of luck is all you need. That motto which perfectly describes Surge ESC’s first 2 seasons in Overwatch Contenders. In Season 1, they qualified off the disbandment of $kyrlla, leaving the 5th spot in Trials open. They were only able to pull out 2 map wins against JAM and NoC in Season 1, failing to win a series. They did manage to scrape through Trials even though they had a negative map differential. However, among all this luck, to qualify in the first place, you still need to hold your own, and that’s exactly what Surge has done.

“[We believe we can] secure our top 8 spot and show the Oceanic region that we can compete.”
– Joshua “Vero” Rolon, Surge ESC Captain

There’s been a little bit of roster volatility in the Surge lineup between seasons. “Fate” is the only returning player from their Season 1 lineup, although “Vero” was part of their earlier Trials campaign. As recently as the final weekend of Trials, Surge have been changing things up in various roles after the departure of recently signed “Qvn” and “WillX”, as well as team captain “breeZy”.

With this roster, new team captain “Vero” believes they can “secure a top 8 spot and show the Oceanic region that we can compete. After our admittedly poor performance in season 1, we’ve restructured our roster and we believe that we can take on some of the top teams in Contenders.”

Bin Chickens

The only team to qualify from Open Division this season, Bin Chickens were also the only team to go undefeated in the Open Division swiss bracket. However, after being knocked down into the losers bracket by Peeps Angels in the first round of playoffs, they were forced to run the gauntlet. They got their revenge in the losers bracket final, and while they lost to Interstella in the grand final, they qualified for Trials. In Trials, they got up over Interstella and PIXL, with which the forfeit of Peeps Angels and Alter Ego was enough to secure their spot in Contenders.

“[Our roster is comprised of] Div 2’s best and brightest”
– CounpoN, Bin Chickens Team Manager

As team manager “CounpoN” puts it, Bin Chickens are comprised of “Div 2’s best and brightest”, with veterans “LUSH”, “Bus”, “Zenasis” and “Leveret” leading rookies “Autumn” and “Styrel” through Australia’s biggest league. Flex player for Bin Chickens “Styrel” joked that we should “expect some swift 0-4’s as we transform into Binned Chickens throughout the season”

The team is looking to carry their dominant Open Division form into Contenders, and while the level of competition has gone up a few notches, the team is confident of possibly causing an upset or two this season.

The next edition of our Team Spotlight series will feature the middle-of-the-pack teams in Avant Gaming, Legacy Esports, Kanga Esports and Dignity. You can catch more Overwatch Contenders coverage throughout the season here on Snowball Esports, as well as following the action on the Overwatch Contenders Twitch channel.