Overwatch League's London Spitfire Forms New Contenders Team The British Hurricane

The Overwatch Contenders boils down to a minor league version of the Overwatch League. Smaller teams from across Europe and North America compete for a smaller prize pool and the attention of owners, coaches, and other players in the Overwatch League. You'll notice that several players from Florida Mayhem moved on from the Misfits in Contenders, and we might see that in the near future for the London Spitfire with its new Contenders team, the British Hurricane.

Cleverly named after the Hawker Hurricane that flew in the Royal Air Force during World War II (alongside the Submarine Spitfire, no less), the team is entirely comprised of players from around Europe: three are from the United Kingdom with four others representing Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Iceland. You can watch some highlights from the players below.

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Esports consultant Paul Chaloner spoke with Daily Mail and acknowledged how the London Spitfire's all-Korean team has been a concern for European player representation. While victory is the goal (which has paid off thus far in stage one of the Overwatch League), diversity on the team is welcome if the Hurricane has players that prove themselves. "Promotion to the main team is the goal, but we're not restricting our players. If another team in the Overwatch League comes in for one of our Contenders players, then we'll listen to it," Chaloner said.

Season 1 of Overwatch Contenders will continue in March.

[Source: Daily Mail Online]

 

Our Take
It's exciting to see more "official" branches of the OWL teams make their way into the Contenders league. As for the British Hurricane specifically, it did strike me as odd that the Spitfire team consists of Korean players (much like how Florida Mayhem has no North American players, the New York Excelsior is all-Korean as well, etc.). What matters in the end is securing the best talent across the world, but if players have the skills to represent their team's base and namesake, then more power to them. It'll be curious to see if this results in any trades within the Contenders league or across the pond with the OWL.