Overwatch League season four kicked off this weekend, with new players, some fantastic surprises and a perfect game-winning Reinhardt Earthshatter from Houston Outlaws player Myung-heum “Jjanggu” Cho.
Two-time Overwatch League Champions the San Francisco Shock played the no-time Overwatch League-nothings Houston Outlaws on Sunday. Traditionally this is a one-sided match. The last two times these teams met, San Francisco defeated Houston 3-0. But 2021 is a new year, and new rosters, new coaches and a returning veteran have made the Outlaws one of the most exciting teams of the new season. Yes, I am serious.
The Outlaws and Shock tied 2-2 on Havana, the sixth and final map of the game (an early draw forced the teams to play beyond the required five maps). Havana is an escort card that requires teams to push a load as far as possible within the time limit. Before the map started, it looked like the Shock were on their way to complete one of their famous runbacks. After dropping 0-2 at the start of the match, they clawed their way back to even the score and after Houston’s attack on Havana, it looked like the Shock had ended this match. To win, all they had to do was push the charge just a little farther than the Outlaws – an easy task as their defense stopped Houston’s charge at a paltry 85 yards, or just before the first point on Havana. That’s a short distance – if the Shock had won one or two decisive team fights, it would be over for Houston, and it would be almost over for Houston.
Then the most perfect Earthshatter came from god.
Jjanggu’s Earthshatter is the definition of perfection in terms of sneakiness, number of players caught and overall impact. Watch Jjanggu crawl into position, prowling to flank the Shock with their attention focused solely on the rest of the Outlaws. His timing was impeccable, as fellow Outlaws rookie and tank partner Min-jun “Piggy” Shin activated his D.Va’s Self-Destruct at the same time as Jjanggu’s Earthshatter lands. Together, the Earthshatter and the Self-Destruct came together at the perfect time to take out and then kill, ruining the chance for victory. In an instant, everyone on the Shock was dead. The overtime fuse was put out and just like that, the Houston Outlaws planted their flag as the team to look forward to in 2021.
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This is the kind of Earthshatter that gives me goosebumps. Of all the great games to watch in competitive Overwatch, there is nothing more satisfying than a good Earthshatter. Way back when the Overwatch League was still the Apex tournament and everything was good and nothing hurt, Sang-hoon “Kaiser” Ryu, the main tank of the legendary RunAway team, made his reputation on these grueling shatters.
Later, Sang-beom “Bumper” Park of the Vancouver Titan (and Kaiser’s former RunAway teammate) brought his signature “flanking shatter” to the League in all its devastating glory.
Now Jjanngu can take his place among such holy comrades and his “Hammer Down!” to the pinnacle role of the gods.