The OWLs Nest Podcast: Recent Episodes
The OWLs Nest
Enter the weekend with everything you need to know about the Overwatch League. The OWLs Nest is an Overwatch and Overwatch League podcast that puts emphasis on the hosts' accessibility and credibility within their space. Robbie is a host on CheckpointXP, Beasley Media’s esports lifestyle show, a fan and player of Overwatch since its inception. He brings a wide array of opinions and perspectives to the audience. Jake is a former pro and current caster for the Overwatch League; insider knowledge and professional testimony with clear and concise authority. Together, Robbie and Jake have the talent and expertise to appeal to fans of all types. One of the pillars of The OWL’s Nest is competition that exists on and off the field of play. It’s the host’s job to challenge each other to bring you the coverage you want and expect about the teams, the players and the stories that affect them throughout the season. The action doesn’t stop when the payload reaches its destination as The OWL’s Nest aims to ask the tough questions, highlight the hottest rivalries and showcase the most passionate personalities in the league.
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast for the Overwatch League. Every episode Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. This episode, Robbie and Jake take a look at the final four remaining teams in the Overwatch 2020 Grand Finals.
The 2020 season has been a long, hard road for everyone in the league. Two teams from each side of the world have climbed to the top. Now they'll battle it out to be crowned the Grand Champions of 2020. Will the San Francisco Shock cement their legacy as back to back champions? Can the Seoul Dynasty put a glorious endcap on a shaky season? Does the Philadelphia Fusion have what it takes to reclaim glory? Or will the Shanghai Dragons finish their epic anime arc and stand on top of the world? Who will be the team to take it all at the Overwatch League 2020 Grand Finals?
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast for the Overwatch League. Every episode Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. This week on the show Robbie and Jake welcome a very special guest from the Houston Outlaws, Danteh. Danteh talks with them about his 2020 season and the state of Overwatch.
Robbie and Jake talk with Danteh about the 2020 season, how he thinks the Houston Outlaws have performed compared to last year. He talks about the improvements he's made as a player and how the team has improved as well despite the record not reflecting as much. He also mentions how meditating has helped him personally navigate some of the stress and challenges that 2020 has provided. From the traveling to home stands in the first half of the year to online matches amid the pandemic. He also explains why hero pools are good for the game and Overwatch is one of the best places it has been for a while.
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast for the Overwatch League. Every episode Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. With the Countdown Cup qualifiers done and the tournament underway, Robbie and Jake look back to that fateful match of the Summer Showdown. If the San Francisco Shock and the Paris Eternal go up against each other again, who comes out the victor this time?
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast for the Overwatch League. Every episode Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. This episode Robbie and Jake talk about the one glorious week of Overwatch League where the Chengdu Hunters off-meta playstyle became meta.
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast for the Overwatch League. Every episode Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. This episode Robbie and Jake take a look at the first week of the Overwatch League Countdown Cup and talk about the three biggest surprises.
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast for the Overwatch League. Every episode Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. This episode Robbie and Jake are joined by a special guest. YouTuber Content Creator and Florida Mayhem Steamer, SamitoFPS joins the OWLs Nest to talk about content creation for Overwatch.
This episode Robbie and Jake take a look at the road to the Overwatch League Grand Finals. They talk about what teams have a chance to actually make it all the way.
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast for the Overwatch League. Every episode Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. This episode Robbie and Jake breakdown how they think Hero Pools will affect the Countdown Cup for the Overwatch League.
This episode Robbie and Jake discuss the match between the San Francisco Shock and the Philadelphia Fusion. What led to the Shocks decisive win over the team at the top of the leader board.
Part 2: Robbie and Jake break down three DPS performances from the Overwatch League Summer Showdown qualifier matches that stand above the rest.
Part 3: Robbie and Jake talk about why Baptiste and Brigitte are so popular in the Overwatch League Summer Showdown.
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast dedicated to the Overwatch League. Every episode Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. This episode Robbie and Jake discuss the prevalence of the Widowmaker and Tracer Meta in the Asian Pacific division for the Overwatch League. What makes this duo of damage dealers so effective and who does it the best?
Snipers and Flanks Dominate
Widowmaker and Tracer have always been high impact heroes with a very high skill ceiling. Some of the best players and the most memorable plays have been executed by players who excel on these two. Why are some Asian teams using these more than the North American teams? Jake explains what makes the sniper and flanking heroes so deadly and necessary in the current meta. Plus, which teams are benefiting the most? Jake talks about the Guangzhou Charge have stepped up their play with a Widowmaker and Tracer reliant composition. He explains how the DPS trio of Ou "Eileen" Yiliang, Jung-woo "Happy" Lee and Charlie "Nero" Zwarg give the Charge the edge they need over the other teams utilizing the same composition.
Will the Widowmaker and Tracer meta stay as relevant for these teams now that the hero pools are gone? Jake doesn't think so. Anything can happen in the Overwatch League, but with Brigette and D.va back in the rotation, this provides a bit more protection for teams against these two heroes and offers more danger for those playing the sniper and flanker.
Remember to subscribe to the CheckpointXP Channel on YouTube, so you never miss an episode of the OWLs Nest. You can also find it in podcast form on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find your podcasts.
The Houston Outlaws started the 2020 season with an uphill battle. With most of the roster suffering from an illness, they took some heavy losses. That in turn put them at the bottom of most analysis's power rankings. Since then they've shown moments of brilliance and begun a steady climb towards the middle of the pack. Dream explains where the team's mental state is and the coaches and players keep their motivation. He also talks about the importance of staying positive and focused during the Covid-19 pandemic with league play. Dream also explains the story behind some of the main roster changes. Why long-time main tank Austin "Muma" Wilmot has been sitting the bench. And why João Pedro "Hydration" Goes Telles has been taking over for him.
Since the introduction of Hero Pools, the Overwatch League has gone through many rules and format changes. From Hero Pools to the Tournament format, it's all been in the service of a better final product and keeping players and coaches healthy. Dream explains his thoughts on the weekly hero pools and why changing to a two-week hero pool will contribute to better games and better health and focus for players and coaches alike.
This week on the OWLs Nest, RobbieLandis and Jake Lyon kick off the episode answering questions from the fans. Then it's all about the new upcoming Overwatch League tournament the Summer Showdown.
The Fan Experience
This week's episode starts off with a fan Q and A segment. Robbie and Jake put the call out on social media for any fans who wanted to be a part of the show. Anyone who had a specific question they wanted to answer. Or anyone who wanted to hear Jake and Robbie's take on something current in the Overwatch scene. This isn't the last time that fans will have a hand in helping make the show. If you want to submit a question of your own for future shows, make sure you're following CheckpointXP, Robbie, and Jake on Twitter.
Summer Showdown
After the success and hype that the May Melee garnered, it's no surprise that the Overwatch League is continuing with the Tournament format. The next month of the Overwatch League will be dubbed the Summer Showdown. It'll follow the same path that the May Melee did with one big difference. Hero Pools are changing slightly. Instead of a new hero pool every week, there will be one pool for the first two weeks of qualifiers. For the third and final week of the qualifiers and for the tournament itself all heroes will be on the board.
Robbie and Jake also take a moment to discuss both the Los Angeles teams, the Valiant and Gladiators. Where are they currently in the standing and what does their future look like. Do they have what it takes to make play-offs and shoot for finals? If not, what do they need to change if they want to improve their chances?
This week Robbie and Jake are joined by Aaron "Aero" Atkins, Head Coach of the Dallas Fuel. They also talk about how well the May Melee went and the future of two top teams in the league.
Dallas' Head Coach, Aero
Aaron "Aero" Atkins, Head Coach of the Dallas Fuel joined the OWLs Nest to chat with Robbie and Jake. He shared his opinions of what makes the rivalry between the Dallas Fuel and the Houston Outlaws so engaging. We also talk to him about Gui-un "Decay" Jang's amazing Widowmaker performance Rialto where the Fuel set a new fastest attack time. Aero also discussed the challenges that both coaches and players face on a week to week basis under the Hero Pools\Bans.
May Melee Tournament
Robbie and Jake also discuss the May Melee Tournament format and how it compares to the regular season format that's been used for the majority of the season. Viewership was up across platforms and among the social media response, many fans were highly engaged. Even from the perspective of the teams, many performed at a higher standard than they have weeks prior. Has Blizzard and the Overwatch League found a new format in the Tournament style? With over half of the 2020 season behind us, they also take a look at two teams and their future in the league. Between the Shanghai Dragons and the San Francisco Shock, Jake says this is the match-up everyone wants to see. Based on their performances thus far, it's a likely bet that the eventual grand finals will be between these two teams.
The month of May played host to the Overwatch League's return to a tournament format with the May Melee. The NA region and the Asian region competed in a single elimination tournament with seeding decided through regular season matches the three weeks prior. Robbie and Jake break down all the results. Plus, Robbie puts Jake's Lore knowledge to the test with a quiz. You can play along as you listen or with friends!
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast dedicated to the Overwatch League. Every week Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. This week they breakdown the match-up between the Dallas Fuel and the Paris Eternal. They also talk about the Toronto Defiant taking the Los Angeles Valiant to a game five. The Seoul Dynasty also found themselves losing in another 3 - 0 sweep. The Lonestar Challenge concluded with the Houston Outlaws coming out on top over the Dallas Fuel. Finally, Robbie and Jake set the stage for the May Melee Tournament.
Week 15 Recap: Last week was full of a lot of clean sweep, including the match between the Dallas Fuel and the Paris Eternal. Given how much Dallas has improved recently, a lot of people thought this match would be closer than it was. Jake walks us through how and why the Paris Eternal were able to burn the Fuel. The Toronto Defiant and the Los Angeles Valiant are both sitting lower in the standings than either would like. That didn't stop them from putting on a hell of a match in Overwatch. The series went the distance in a game five before the Valiant walked away with the win. Finally, what happened to the Seoul Dynasty to make them backslide from a game 5 win over the Shanghai Dragons to a full sweep at the hands of the Chengdu Hunters?
Lonestar Challenge: Over the past three weeks the Houston Outlaws have been playing the Dallas Fuel in a series of challenge matches in the Lonestar Challenge. This past Monday those matches culminated in the true Battle for Texas as they duked it out in a 6 v 6 first to four wins. Even though the Fuel has won the last two times they've met the Outlaws in battle, it was Houston who came out on top. Jake tells us how they managed to do it despite Dallas winning three out of four of the challenges. There is also a three-part docu-series recapping the rivalry and the action that can be found on the Outlaws and Fuels Youtube channels.
The May Melee: This week kicks off the tournament format for the May Melee in the Overwatch League. In North America and the Asian Region, teams will be competing for a nice chunk of a cash prize as well as some bonus wins to add to their final regular-season score. Robbie and Jake break down what the meta might look like with no hero bans on the table. They discuss why Shanghai will likely walk away with the Asian region title and who has the best change in North America.
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast dedicated to the Overwatch League. Every week Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. This week they break down the epic match-up between the Seoul Dynasty and the Shanghai Dragons. Discuss how the Charge took a win over a top team. Plus, they take a look at the new Vancouver Titans and what their future looks like.
Week 14 Recap: This week Robbie and Jake break down the biggest games of week 14. After three straight clean sweeps, what did the Dynasty do to take a win off the Dragons in game 5? The Guangzhou Charge has had a lot of promise and it finally started to shine through as they took a win from the New York Excelsior. Plus, even though Dallas lost 3 to 1 against the Philadelphia Fusion, what do their results say about the future of the team?
The New Vancouver Titans: In shocking news to the entire league, the Vancouver Titans, 2019 Pacific Division winners were mutually parted ways with the team. The split comes amid a plethora of issues stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic. The esports world waits for no one and the Vancouver Titans were quickly reformed with a group of T2 Contender's talent. Half of the new players come from Second Wind with the others all having experienced on Academy teams. Jake explains what we should expect of the new blood and how long we should give them to acclimatize to the league before making judgments. One thing is for certain, their debut weekend against the Justice and Mayhem did not look good.
Coming Up: Finally Jake talks us through what to expect with this weeks hero bans. The heroes bans were Orisa for the tanks, Moira for the supports and Mei and Tracer for the damage dealers. With this week being the last week to determine seeding for the May Tournament, every single match will matter regardless of regular season standing. Robbie and Jake walk us through a few matches to keep an eye on.
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast dedicated to the Overwatch League. Every week Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. This week they break down the epic match-up between the New York Excelsior and the Shanghai Dragons. Discuss why the Seoul Dynasty continues to flounder. They also take a look at how the Paris Eternal almost upset the Philadelphia Fusion. In response to an ESPN article, Robbie and Jake give their own address on the state of the Overwatch League.
The Lone Star Showdown has begun between the Houston Outlaws and Dallas Fuel. Robbie and Jake discuss the first week of competition and how it was for Jake to cast. Jake details all the reasons the Seoul Dynasty may be struggling and how they can overcome it. The New York Excelsior and the Shanghai dragons go to a game five in one of the best matches of the season. This game cements a cut-throat rivalry going forward. The Philadelphia Fusion goes to a game five with the Paris Eternal again. Jake talks about what it's going to take for the Eternal to one day pull the win out over the Fusion.
ESPN released an article asking each of its esports analysts and writers to give their take on the current state of the Overwatch League. Robbie and Jake have decided to answer in kind, detailing their own responses to the same questions asked of the ESPN staff.
Finally, Robbie and Jake take a look at this week's hero bans and some of their matches of the week. The London Spitfire is finally back in action against the Guangzhou Charge. But London's usual preference for the Reaper and Reinhardt is locked behind hero bans. Dallas will be going up against up the Fusion, can they continue their upward trend and use their momentum against the best in the league?
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast dedicated to the Overwatch League. Every week Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. This week they break down Philadelphia's dominant performance against the Atlanta Reign. Shanghai's match against Seoul and the epic Battle of Texas. They also discuss the new Overwatch League May tournament format, Sinatraa's retirement, and more.
A few weeks ago the Philadelphia Fusion was put to the test and taken to a game five twice in one weekend. One of the teams to take them to the edge was the Atlanta Reign, but this time around the Fusion made quick work of the Reign with a clean sweep. What changed and does it a good sign for Philly or a bad omen for Atlanta? The Shanghai Dragons continue to dominate the west as they took on the Seoul Dynasty. This was Seoul's first match in weeks since the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted play. Many were expecting a much closer game, but the Dragons delivered a clean sweep to the Dynasty. Plus, the Battle of Texas returned and proved to be the most interesting match of the week between the Houston Outlaws and the Dallas Fuel.
The Overwatch League announced for May a tournament format shift. Instead of regular-season matches, a single-elimination tournament will be held throughout the month. One will be held in North America while another will be held in the Asian region. A surprise retirement announcement shook the Overwatch scene as Jay "Sinatraa" Won announced he would be retiring from Overwatch to pursue a career in Riot's new tactical shooter, Valorant. Finally, the Outlaws and the Fuel are partnering up to take the Battle of Texas to the next level. The Lone Star Showdown will feature three weeks of competition and skill challenges and a three-part docu-series following the behind the scenes drama.
Finally, Robbie and Jake prepare you for what to expect going into the weekend. The Hero Bans this week shouldn't impact disrupt the usual meta compositions too much. Can the Philadelphia Fusion stomp out the Paris Eternal as easily as they did the Reign. Will the Seoul Dynasty bounce back after their 3-0 loss to the Shanghai Dragons? Listen to our matches of the week and what to expect.
This week they break down the recent Battle of Los Angeles, talk about the surprise upset caused by the Florida Mayhem, and discuss how the Fuel almost beat the Shock. Plus, what does the rest of the season have in store of the Paris Eternal and Washington Justice?
The Battle of LA is always one for the books and never fails to disappoint. The Gladiators and the Valiant duked it out for five straight games with the boys in purple emerging the victors. But could the Valiant have won had they just made one simple change? Plus, the Paris Eternal has been on the cusp of greatness but something keeps holding them back. What did the Florida Mayhem have that cost the Eternal a clean sweep? The Dallas Fuel has been on the rise despite a losing record and they nearly added a win over the Shock. Are the former champs slipping or are the Fuel starting to really burn blue?
As we near the halfway point of the 2020 season, Robbie and Jake are taking two teams a week and talking about what has been and what might come to be. This week they talk about the Paris Eternal and Washington Justice. The Eternal continues to struggle to find their way among the top teams in the league. While the Justice is one of the biggest disappointments of the season? What happened to the Justice of Stage 4 in 2019?
Finally, these must-see matches of this weekend are in. The Atlanta Reign take on the Philadelphia Fusion again, can the Reign finally finish this without the Fusion taking back the win in a game five? The Seoul Dynasty returns to the action and their opponent is the Shanghai Dragons. Both teams have amazing line-ups, but only one can continue to rise towards the top. Plus, the battle of Texas is back with the Dallas Fuel v the Houston Outlaws. Who did Jake and Robbie call to win the match?
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast dedicated to the Overwatch League. Every week Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches and more. This week break down the return of the Vancouver Titans and their 0 and 2 weekend. They also discuss the continued success of the Philadelphia Fusion and the Shocks revenge tour. Plus, with week 10 behind us we're more than a third of the way through the season.
What does the future hold for some teams? Robbie and Jake break down what we've seen of the Houston Outlaws and the Philadelphia Fusion so far this season. Last week gave us the return of the Vancouver Titans who hadn't played since the beginning of the season. Runner-ups for the 2019 Championship game and first seed for the 2019 season. They dropped both of their matches to the Guangzhou Charge and Chengdu Hunters, taking only a single map of the Hunters. The Philadelphia Fusion continued their winning stream but the Paris Eternal and Atlanta Reign did not let them off easy. Plus, the San Francisco Shock completed their revenge against the Los Angeles Teams that handed them two consecutive loses in week 9.
With one-third of the season behind us and closing in on the halfway point, Robbie and Jake are going to start taking a deep dive into each team's rosters. This week they focus on the Houston Outlaws and the Philadelphia Fusion. What have we seen so far and what could it mean for the future of each one? The Houston Outlaws faced some early hardships but have started to course correct. Do they have what it takes to be playoff material? The Philadelphia Fusion has the best record in the league and shows signs of slowing down. Do they have what it takes to become champions?
Finally, hero pools and bans have had their rules altered again. Now both Overwatch League usage and competitive ladder usage will affect the hero pools each week. Overall is this a positive change for the world of Overwatch or does it fall in between good and bad?
This week they're joined by the head coach of the Atlanta Reign, Brad "Sephy" Rajani. They walk about the challenges of the Overwatch League and how the Atlanta Reign are faring so far this season.
The Overwatch League continues its online play into week 9. Robbie and Jake discuss the further performances of the Dragons, Spark, Charge and Hunters. With Shanghai going 3 - 1, the Charge and Spark 2 - 2 and the Hunters 1 - 3 their predictions on standings came true. They also talk about the Shock reclaiming victory over the Los Angeles Valiant. Dallas managed to secure their first victory of the season. The Paris Eternal also took revenge on the Houston Outlaws with a 3 - 1 victory.
Plus, they're joined by the head coach from the Atlanta Reign, Coach Brad. He talks about overcoming several challenges with the Atlanta Reign so far this season in the Overwatch League. Including how the deal has been fairing with online matches amid the pandemic. Coach Brad and Jake also geek out about Echo and her potential in professional play.
Finally, Robbie and Jake talk about the upcoming matches this week in the Overwatch League. The match of the week includes the return of the Vancouver Titans against the Guangzhou Charge. The San Francisco Shock also gets a grudge match against the Los Angeles Valiant.
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast dedicated to the Overwatch League. Every week Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches and more. This week they talk about the debut games of the Chinese Teams and how evenly matched they are. Plus, Robbie gets to talk with Jake "Spackle" Connell, an analyst from the Boston Uprising. Finally, the 2019 Champions the San Francisco Shock suffered defeat twice, Robbie and Jake dig into the why.
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in early February the Overwatch League suspended league play in China and shortly thereafter, South Korea. As a result the Hangzhou Spark, Shanghai Dragons, Chengdu Hunters, Guangzhou Charge and Seoul Dynasty had yet to play their first match. Week 8's online matches were the first look fans had at the teams on stage during regular play. Robbie and Jake break down what it means for the four Chinese teams to go 1-1 each.
Robbie is joined by Jake "Spackle" Connell, analyst for the Boston Uprising. They talk about what an analyst's job is in a team dynamic. As well as how preparation for professional play has changed since the introduction of hero pools and bans. Spackle also gives his initial thoughts on the newest hero, Echo and talks about some of the challenges Boston has faced this year.
Finally, the 2019 Grand Champions the San Francisco Shock played their 2nd and 3rd matches of the season. Both the Los Angeles Valiant and Gladiators took a win over the Champs in 3-1 series games. How did the Shock drop both of these matchups and what does it mean for the rest of their season? Finally, with more matches coming this weekend the OWLs Nest details their matches of the week.
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast dedicated to the Overwatch League. Every week Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches and more. This week they talk about the release of Overwatch's newest DPS hero, Echo. Plus, with matches moving to an online format the Chinese teams finally get a chance to play. Robbie and Jake break down the best of the east Overwatch.
The newest hero to join the Overwatch cast is 'an evolutionary robot programmed with a rapidly adapting artificial intelligence' according to PlayOverwatch. Echo is a DPS class that is unlike any other hero currently in the game. She is up on the PTR for testing and is very powerful. Her Ultimate allows her to duplicate any hero on the enemy team, using their abilities and their ultimate. Jake and Robbie discuss the impact Echo could have on the competitive scene. How will she fit into compositions and is she over-powered and in need of an adjustment?
Plus, with the Overwatch League switching to online play amid the crisis, the Chinese teams and the Souel Dynasty make their debut. The Hangzhou Spark, Chengdu Hunters, Guangzhou Charge and Seoul Dynasty have yet to play a single game this season. Jake and Robbie evaluate each of these teams and try to predict where they may fall in relation to one another. In addition, due to the cancellations this season and the switch to online play, this weekend will feature 16 matches. Due to the high volume of matches this week, there are two matches of the week.
This was recorded before the recent announcement that the first of the online matches to be held in California would be canceled. Due to the mandatory state-wide quarantine in effect the matches have been postponed.
The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast dedicated to the Overwatch League. Every week Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches and more. This week they talk about the cancellation of all remaining March and April homestand events. Covid-19 (also known as the Coronavirus) has been shutting down events and scenes all across the globe.
The Overwatch League was one of the first organizations to suspend play and cancel an event due to the concerns of Covid-19. When the season started early February all home stand events that were to take place in China were postponed. As of these most recent cancellations over concerns of Covid-19, 100+ matches have been affected. This has led the Overwatch League to condense the four conferences into three regions to play matches online. All matches should be played by May 1st which will catch the league up with where it would've been in the season originally. The Overwatch League canceled the Mid-Season Tournament and moved the All-Star Tournament to the end of the season.
Robbie and Jake discuss how these changes affect pro-play from the introduction of ping into a professional setting and how the league works to minimize it to playing with no crowds. Teams who are in the Pacific Conference will have to play more frequently than their Atlantic counter-parts. With the addition of the hero pools and hero bans this makes preparation for matches much different that it has been in the past. Robbie and Jake also discuss the changes to the hero pool selection lottery.
Finally, they break down the first four of the online matches and select their match of the week.
This week Jake & Robbie talk about the Houston Outlaw's dominant win over the Paris Eternal. Plus, how Paris came back the very next day to give the Philadelphia Fusion their first loss of the season.
The Washington Justice hosted their second homestand last weekend. They were finally able to bring home a win in front of the home crowd, it wasn't the highlight moment of the weekend. The Houston Outlaws managed to snagged their second win of the season from the Paris Eternal who have been looking very good in recent matches. It was a clean sweep on behalf of the Outlaws and an upset for most predictions in the league. The Paris Eternal came back on the second day to face the undefeated Philadelphia Fusion and won in a game 5.
This was also the first week of the hero pool bans with Reinhardt, Mcree, Widowmaker and Moira all unavailable for play. Robbie and Jake talk about the compositions we saw including a lot of Tracer and Soldier 76, as well as a few Pharahmercy's and even an Ashe. How will hero pools continue to to affect the league? The next set of heroes banned out are Winston, Soldier 76, Sombra and Lucio.
Finally, Robbie and Jake preview the Florida homestand coming up this week. However, the Overwatch League announced that all the events through the remainder of March and April would be canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus. According to the League the matches will still be played, but exactly when has yet to be announced. The statement said that when it's safe and makes sense logistically for the teams, the games would be played.
This week Jake Lyon and Robbie Landis talk about the first wave of Hero Pools and Bans.
The Houston Outlaws were finally able to secure their first win of the 2020 season against the Toronto Defiant. Does this mean they've found the momentum they need to keep it going or will they remain at the bottom of the standings? The Atlanta Reign also made their 2020 season debut with a clean sweep over the Defiant but fell to the Paris Eternal. What do these outcomes mean for the overall hierarchy of t he league standings? Robbie and Jake break down the potential possibilities.
Plus, Hero Pools and Bans are finally in effect and we should see a dramatic shift in the meta this weekend. Each week a new set of heroes consisting of one tank, two DPS and one support will be banned from play. These heroes will be chosen at random from a pool of heroes that saw at least 10% usage throughout the week. For the first set of bans Reinhardt, Mcree, Widowmaker and Moira were selected. Jake explains how much of an impact one of these bans will have on the meta and cascading effect it could have on other hero picks as well.
Finally, the Overwatch League heads back to Washington for another Justice homestand. Will Corey and the crew be able to redeem their 0-2 loss two weeks ago in front of the home crowd? One of their matches is against the indomitable New York Excelsior and with Reinhardt banned, there's a very good chance we could see dive compositions which means Saebyeolbe could be back on his signature hero, Tracer.
Last weekend's homestand in Washington was filled with a few surprises and a lot of exciting action. Plus, the Outlaws GM, Flame, joins Robbie and Jake to talk about some of the top teams in the league and how they stay there. For the match of the week, the guys couldn't quite decide on just one so they give you two matches to check out if you want to make sure you're catching the hottest action this weekend.
Four more teams made their 2020 Overwatch League debut last week at the Philadelphia homestand. Not everyone's performance was as stand out as the others. Robbie and Jake also do their own Overwatch fantasy draft, but with a twist. You can vote over at @CheckpointXP on Twitter and help decide the winner of the OWLs Nest Overwatch fantasy draft.
The opening week of the Overwatch League went down in New York and Dallas last weekend. From the veterans to the rookies, the meta to the casters, the opening matches did not disappoint. Jake talks in-depth about the nature of the meta and the diverse roster of heroes we've seen so far. Robbie and Jake take a closer look at the two power house teams from last season, the San Francisco Shock and the Vancouver Titans.
For the inaugural episode of the OWLs Nest Robbie and Jake give short introductions and explain what they hope to bring fans of the show. Expect in-depth analysis of the Overwatch League as the season unfolds. Coverage of the most developing narratives and how changes like Hero Pools will affect it all. With the 2020 season cutting down the number of weekly matches from four days to two, fans are going to need more Overwatch and the OWLs Nest has it.