Overwatch League 2019 Stage 1 playoff preview: Who will advance?

With Stage 1 in the books, which Overwatch League team will take home $200,000 in prize money?

It has been an interesting second season in the Overwatch League thus far. The league has had its fair share of both on and off-field drama, with multiple teams suffering from various degrees of scandal. The stage also saw many of the expansion teams soar, with three making it into the stage 1 playoffs. The Shanghai Dragons won a match for the first time, ending the longest streak in the history of North American sports.

Several teams also faltered; the London Spitfire and Los Angeles Valiant have gone a combined 3-11, a poor showing for last year’s overall runner up and a semifinalist. The Washington Justice didn’t win a match until week five against fellow bottom feeder Florida Mayhem.

The suspense even lasted after the last games were officially played. There were two ties in the playoff bracket; the Toronto Defiant and Philadelphia Fusion for the 3rd seed while the Seoul Dynasty and San Francisco Shock tied for the 6th seed. The Dynasty and Shock decided to settle it on the field of battle with the Shock coming out on top, but the Defiant and Fusion decided for a more old-fashioned route: a coin flip. The  Defiant won the toss and will face the Shock in the quarterfinal.

Eight teams made the cut for the Overwatch League 2019 Stage 1 playoffs. However, only one team can come away with the top prize of $200,000. Which will walk away victorious on March 24?