Everything about Overwatch League 2022 offseason roster changes

The offseason for the 2022 Overwatch League season is already underway with some big roster moves. With the next season starting on Overwatch 2, every team is making tough decisions on who to keep, who to send to free agency and who to sign. Just remember that, as last year’s offseason showed, some organizations like the players they had but let them look around for new teams at the same time.

Firstly, teams must decide which contracts to extend and which players will enter free agency by Oct. 2. Beyond that date, everyone released will be looking for a new team.  Oct. 9 is when free agents become available to sign and Oct. 10 is the first possible signing date. Depending on teams’ strategies for Overwatch 2, some players might get picked up quickly while others might drag on long into the offseason. Teams need to have at least five players signed by Jan. 3, 2022. They must have at least six signed and ready to play by March 1.

Overwatch League roster changes

This post will be updated with every move that happens during the offseason.

• Re-signed refers to players who are confirmed to return for 2022
• Newly signed refers to players who have newly joined a team for 2022
• Team option refers to players who have not officially renewed their contracts and are free to pursue other opportunities
• Released refers to players who have been released from their contracts
• Traded to [new team] refers to players whose contracts have been traded or sold to other teams
• Retired refers to players who have retired from professional play
• Players with no status by their name are as yet undetermined

Atlanta Reign

The Atlanta Reign surprised everyone when they made a miraculous lower bracket run in the 2021 playoffs, defeating the defending champions San Francisco Shock and title favorites Dallas Fuel along the way.

Current

• Blake “Gator” Scott – re-signed
• Xander “Hawk” Domecq – re-signed
• Kai “Kai” Collins – re-signed
• Lee “Venom” Dong-keun – newly signed
• Charlie “nero” Zwarg – newly signed
• Benjamin “UltraViolet” David – newly signed
• Christian “Ojee” Han – newly signed

Former

• Kim “Ir1s” Seung-hyun – released
• Kim “Edison” Tae-hoon – released
• Petja “Masaa” Kantanen – released
• Oh “Pelican” Se-hyun – traded to Houston

Offseason tracker

• Atlanta release Ir1s, Edison and Masaa
• Atlanta trade Pelican to the Houston Outlaws
• Atlanta sign Venom, nero, UltraViolet and Ojee

Boston Uprising

The Boston Uprising had a strong core roster in 2021 but failed to deliver on their promise.

Current

• Leyton “Punk” Gilchrist – re-signed
• Kim “Faith” Hong-gyu – re-signed
• Kim “Valentine” Byeong-ju – re-signed
• Kwon “Striker” Nam-joo – newly signed
• Hwang “Marve1” Min-seo – newly signed
• Lee “MCD” Jeong-ho – newly signed
• Oh “Victoria” Gi-hun – newly signed

Former

• Seo “Stand1” Ji-won – released
• Hong “im37” Jin-ui – released
• Seo “Myunb0ng” Sang-min – released
• Kelsey “Colourhex” Birse – released
• Cameron “Fusions” Bosworth – retired
• Yun “GaeBullSsi” Young-sun – retired

Offseason tracker

• Fusions retires from professional play
• Boston release Colourhex, Myunb0ng, im37 and Stand1
• Boston release GaeBullSsi
• Boston sign Striker
• Boston sign Marve1
• Boston sign MCD
• Boston sign Victoria

Chengdu Hunters

The Chengdu Hunters made it far in several tournaments and were the second-best team in the East Division all year.

Current

• Li “Yveltal” Xianyao
• Yi “JinMu” Hu
• Huang “Leave” Xin
• Tan “Nisha” Li
• Qiu “GA9A” Jiaxin
• Cao “Farway1987” Jiale
• Zhou “Mmonk” Xiang
• Li “Apr1ta” Yuanjinghao – newly signed

Former

• Ding “Ameng” Menghan – released
• Ma “LateYoung” Tianbin – released
• Lei “Jimmy” Yujia – released
• Zhong “TAROCOOK1E” Yunlong – released

Offseason tracker

• Hunters release Ameng; he becomes a free agent
• Hunters release LateYoung; he becomes a free agent
• Hunters release Jimmy and TAROCOOK1E; both are relegated to their academy team
• Hunters sign Apr1ta

Dallas Fuel

Dallas fell short during the 2021 Overwatch League playoffs after falling to Shanghai and then again to Atlanta. The Fuel have kept their core roster intact going into Overwatch 2.

Current

• Kim “Doha” Dong-ha – re-signed
• Kim “SP9RK1E” Yeong-han – re-signed
• Choi “Hanbin” Han-been – re-signed
• Kwon “Fielder” Joon – re-signed
• Lee “Fearless” Eui-seok – re-signed
• Han “ChiYo” Hyeon-seok – newly signed
• Kim “Edison” Tae-hoon – newly signed
• Kang “guriyo” Min-seo – newly signed

Former

• Kim “Pine” Do-hyeon – released
• Lee “Jecse” Seung-soo – released
• Kim “Rapel” Jung-keun – retired

Offseason tracker

• Fuel release assistant coach Kim “Yong” Yong-jin
• Fuel release Pine and Jecse
• Rapel retires from professional play
• Fuel sign ChiYo (formerly of O2 Blast)
• Fuel sign guriyo (formerly of Team Diamond)

Florida Mayhem

After placing third during the May Melee, Florida completely fell off the map for the remainder of the season. Mayhem management has already made some significant changes heading into Overwatch 2.

Current

• Majed “SirMajed” Alrashied – newly signed
• Baek “Checkmate” Seung-hun – re-signed
• Isaiah “Hydron” Rodriguez – newly signed
• Chris “MirroR” Trịnh – newly signed
• Adam “Adam” Soong – newly signed
• Ham “SOMEONE” Jeong-wan – newly signed
• Jung “Anamo” Tae-sung – newly signed

Former

• Kim “SLIME” Sung-jun – released
• Lee “Gargoyle” Beom-jun – released
• Son “OGE” Min-seok – retired
• Lee “BQB” Sang-bum – retired
• Kang “Gangnamjin” Nam-jin – released
• Kim “Yaki” Jun-ki – released
  

Offseason tracker

• Mayhem release Gangnamjin, SLIME, Gargoyle, OGE, Checkmate and BQB
• Mayhem release assistant coaches Oh “INSIGHT” Sang-min and Kim “DOX” Min-seok
• BQB retires from professional play
• OGE retires from professional play, transitions to coaching
• SLIME retires from professional play
• Mayhem sign SirMajed
• Mayhem re-sign Checkmate
• Mayhem release Yaki
• Mayhem sign Hydron
• Mayhem sign MirroR
• Mayhem sign Adam
• Mayhem sign SOMEONE
• Mayhem sign Anamo (formerly of Seoul Dynasty)

Guangzhou Charge

The Guangzhou Charge retained much of their 2020 roster but, barring some excellent individual plays, had a lackluster 2021 season.

Current

• Ou “Eileen” Yiliang
• Oh “Rio” Seung-pyo
• Nam “Cr0ng” Ki-cheol
• Choi “ChoiSehwan” Se-hwan
• Chae “Develop” Rak-hoon – newly signed
• Yoo “Unique” Dong-hyun – newly signed
• He “Molly” Chengzhi – newly signed

Former

• Kim “Mandu” Chan-hee – released
• Park “KariV” Young-seo – released
• Zou “MYKaylee” Zijie – released
• Kim “Jihun” Ji-hun – released

Offseason tracker

• Charge release KariV, Mandu, MYKaylee and Jihun
• Charge sign Develop (previously of Shanghai Dragons)
• Charge sign Unique
• Charge sign Molly (previously of Shanghai Dragons)

Hangzhou Spark

The Hangzhou Spark had a large roster in 2021 but mostly stuck to a core starting roster. They’re cutting down for 2022 as the league moves to Overwatch 2.

Current

• Xu “guxue” Qiulin
• Park “Architect” Min-ho
• Zheng “Shy” Yangjie
• Jia “LiGe” Chengjie
• Se “BERNAR” Won-shin
• Li “Pineapple” Zhuo – newly signed
• Kim “AlphaYi” Jun – newly signed
• Kim “irony” Hyeong-woo – newly signed
• Wu “Superich” Gengtuo – newly signed

Former

• Seo “SeoMinSoo” Min-soo – released
• Tong “ColdesT” Xiaodong – released
• Liu “M1ka” Jiming – released
• Park “iDK” Ho-jin – released

Offseason tracker

• Spark release iDK, M1ka, ColdesT and SeoMinSoo
• Spark sign Pineapple and AlphaYi
• Spark sign irony

Houston Outlaws

Houston had steep expectations in the season with a squad of veteran players, led by player and coach Jake “Jake” Lyon. The Outlaws already made some big changes heading into 2022.

Current

• Dante “Danteh” Cruz – re-signed
• Shin “PIGGY ” Min-jun – re-signed
• Jacob “JAKE” Lyon
• Oh “Pelican” Se-hyun – newly signed
• Kim “Ir1s” Seung-hyun – newly signed
• Mun “Lastro” Jung-won – newly signed
• Choi “MER1T” Tae-min – newly signed

Former

• Enrique “Joobi” Triana – released
• Cho “JJANGGU” Myung-heum – released
• Kyle “KSF” Frandanisa – retired
• Song “Dreamer” Sang-lok – released
• Lee “Happy” Jung-woo – released
• William “Crimzo” Hernandez – released

Offseason tracker

• Houston release Joobi and JJANGGU
• KSF retires from professional play
• Co-head coach Harsha “Harsha” Bandi retires
• Houston release Dreamer, Happy and Crimzo
• Houston acquire Pelican from Atlanta Reign
• Houston sign Ir1s (formerly of Atlanta Reign)
• Houston sign Lastro (formerly of Toronto Defiant)
• Houston sign MER1T

Los Angeles Gladiators

The Los Angeles Gladiators won the Countdown Cup during the 2021 Overwatch League season but just missed out on gold in the season playoffs.

Current

• Indy “SPACE” Halpern
• Kevin “kevster” Persson – re-signed
• Kim “Shu” Jin-seo – re-signed
• Kim “skewed” Min-seok – re-signed
• Daniel “FunnyAstro” Hathaway – newly signed
• Lee “ANS” Seon-chang – newly signed
• Corey “Reiner” Scoda – newly signed
• Patiphan “Patiphan” Chaiwong – newly signed

Former

• Kim “MuZe” Young-hun – released
• Chris “MirroR” Trịnh – released
• Kim “birdring” Ji-hyeok – retired
• Grant “moth” Espe – released

Offseason tracker

• Gladiators release MirroR and MuZe
• Gladiators release assistant coach Tydolla
• Birdring retires from professional play
• Gladiators release moth
• Gladiators sign FunnyAstro
• Gladiators sign ANS
• Gladiators sign Reiner
• Gladiators sign Patiphan

Los Angeles Valiant

The Los Angeles Valiant signed a budget roster for their relocation to China and went winless in the 2021 season.

Current

• Lu “Diya” Weida – newly signed
• Oh “Innovation” Seok-hyun – newly signed
• Kim “Becky” Il-ha – newly signed
• Tong “ColdEst” Xiaodong – newly signed
• Chen “Lengsa” Jingyi – newly signed

Former

• Cai “Krystal” Shilong – released
• Liao “MoLanran” Yang – released
• Han “Silver3” Haibo – released
• Wen “NvM” Yelin – released
• Cheng “ShowCheng” Yu – released
• Zhang “Highbee” Zening – released
• Qi “Wya” Haomiao – released

Offseason tracker

• Valiant part ways with their entire 2021 roster
• Valiant sign Diya
• Valiant sign Innovation
• Valiant sign Becky
• Valiant sign ColdEst
• Valiant sign Lengsa

London Spitfire

The London Spitfire rebuilt their roster to be composed of mostly European talent in 2021, but came up short, only snagging one win all season.

Current

• William “SparkR” Andersson – re-signed
• Johannes “Shax” Nielsen – re-signed
• Jamie “Backbone” O’Neill – newly signed
• Daniel “Hadi” Bleinagel – re-signed
• Gael “Poko” Gouzerch – newly signed
• Owen “prov1de” Warner – newly signed
• Oliver “Admiral” Vahar – newly signed

Former

• Riku “Ripa” Toivanen – released
• Kristian “Kellex” Keller – released
• Mikkel “Molf1g” Djernes – released
• Dom “Hybrid” Grove – released
• Jeffrey “blasé” Tsang – released

Offseason tracker

• Spitfire release Ripa, Kellex, Molf1g, Hadi, Hybrid and blasé
• Spitfire release head coach fischer
• Spitfire sign Backbone
• Spitfire re-sign Hadi
• Spitfire sign Poko (formerly of Philadelphia Fusion)
• Spitfire sign prov1de
• Spitfire sign Admiral

New York Excelsior

The New York Excelsior built a new roster in 2021 out of rookie talent and snagged some good wins, but ultimately just missed out on greatness.

Current

• Lim “Flora” Young-woo
• Kim “Yaki” Jun-ki – newly signed
• Kim “Kellan” Min-jae – newly signed
• Kang “Gangnamjin” Nam-jin – newly signed
• Seo “Myunb0ng” Sang-min – newly signed

Former

• Jo “Yakpung” Gyeong-mu – released
• Lee “FEATH5R” Seung-woo – released
• Shin “Kalios” Woo-yeol – released
• Kim “Gwangboong” Gwang-won – released
• Jo “Friday” Min-jae – retired
• Kim “BiaNcA” Dong-wook – retired
• Bang “JJoNak” Seong-hyun – released

Offseason tracker

• Excelsior relase Yakpung, FEATH5R, Kalios and Gwangboong
• Friday and BiaNcA retire from professional play
• Excelsior release JJoNak; he becomes a free agent
• Excelsior sign Yaki, Kellan, Gangnamjin and Myunb0ng

Paris Eternal

The Eternal missed the 2021 playoffs by a large margin and failed to qualify for any of the season’s international tournaments. Some major changes have hinted that the team is going in a new direction in 2022.

Current

• Nikolai “Naga” Dereli
• Daniël “Daan” Scheltema
• Emir “Kaan” Okumus
• Arthur “dridro” Szanto
• Lim “Glister” Gil-seong – newly signed
• Ilari “Vestola” Vestola – re-signed

Former

• Stefan “Onigod” Fiskerstrand – released
• Samir “Tsuna” Ikram – released

Offseason tracker

• Paris release Naga, Daan, Kaan and dridro
• Paris release head coach Zouheir “GetAmazed” Baba
• Paris sign Glister (formerly of San Francisco Shock)
• Paris sign back Vestola

Philadelphia Fusion

The Fusion were able to make it out of the East division and into the playoffs, but didn’t get much further. The team faced roster issues throughout the season and have made some major changes going into 2022.

Current

• Lee “Carpe” Jae-hyeok – re-signed
• Joon “MN3” Jae-hee – newly signed
• Kim “ZEST” Hyun-woo – newly signed
• Kim “Fury” Jun-ho – newly signed
• Kwon “AimGod” Min-seok – newly signed

Former

• Kim “Mano” Dong-gyu – hiatus
• Gael “Poko” Gouzerch  – released
• Yang “tobi” Jin-mo – retired
• Kim “Rascal” Dong-jun – retired
• Niclas “sHockWave” Jensen – released
• Choi “HOTBA” Hong-joon – released
• Josue “Eqo” Corona – released
• Kim “Alarm” Kyung-bo

Offseason tracker

• Fusion release assistant coach Sim “Mobydik” Seung-bo
• Fusion release Poko and FunnyAstro
• Mano takes a break from competition to fulfill military service in South Korea
• Tobi retires from professional play, transitions to coaching
• Rascal retires from professional play, transitions to coaching
• Fusion re-sign Carpe and Alarm
• Fusion sign MN3
• Fusion sign ZEST
• Fusion sign Fury
• Fusion sign AimGod

Seoul Dynasty

The Seoul Dynasty were able to claw their way to two tournaments in the 2021 season, but failed to recapture the explosiveness that propelled them to grand finals in 2020.

Current

• Kim “FITS” Dong-eon – re-signed
• Park “Profit” Jun-young – re-signed
• Kim “Creative” Young-wan – re-signed
• Jeong “Stalk3r” Hak-yong – newly signed
• Yoo “smurf” Myeong-hwan – newly signed
• Park “Vindaim” Jun-woo – newly signed

Former

• Hwang “Marve1” Min-seo
• Lim “Toyou” Hyun-woo
• Park “Saebyeolbe” Jeong-ryeol
• Jung “Anamo” Tae-sung
• Hong “Gesture” Jae-hui – retired
• Bang “JJoNaK” Seong-hyun – released

Offseason tracker

• Dynasty release Marve1, Toyou, Saebyeolbe and Anamo
• Gesture retires from professional play
• Dynasty sign Stalk3r from their academy team, Gen.G
• Dynasty sign smurf (formerly of San Francisco Shock)
• Dynasty sign JJoNaK (formerly of New York Excelsior)
• Dynasty sign Vindaim (formerly of O2 Blast)
• Dynasty release JJoNaK

San Francisco Shock

San Francisco lost a lot of major pieces going into the 2021 season with the departure of players like Grant “Moth” Espe and Kim “Rascal” Dong-jun, but they still defied expectations by making a deep playoff run.

Current

• Matthew “super” DeLisi – re-signed
• Park “Viol2t” Minki – re-signed
• Oh “FiNN” Se-jin – newly signed
• Jung “Kilo” Jin-woo – newly signed
• Kim “Proper” Dong-hyun – newly signed
• Samuel “s9mm” Santos – newly signed

Former

• Sean Taiyo “ta1yo” Henderson – released
• Brice “FDGod” Monsçavoir – released
• Charlie “nero” Zwarg – released
• Lim “Glister” Gil-seong – released
• Yoo “smurf” Myeong-hwan – released
• Lee “ANS” Seonchang – released
• Lee “Twilight” Ju-seok – released
• Choi “ChoiHyoBin” Hyo-bin – retired

Offseason tracker

• San Francisco release smurf, ANS, Twilight, Ta1yo, Nero, Glister, and FDGod
• ChoiHyoBin retires from professional play
• San Francisco sign FiNN, Kilo and Proper
• San Francisco sign s9mm

Shanghai Dragons

The Shanghai Dragons sit atop the Overwatch League thrown after absolutely stomping the Atlanta Reign in the 2021 grand finals.

Current

• Kim “IZaYaKI” Min-chul – re-signed
• Koo “Fate” Pan-seung – re-signed
• Lee “LIP” Jae-won – re-signed
• Kim “Fleta” Byung-sun – team option
• Kang “Void” Jun-woo – team option
• Lee “LeeJaeGon” Jae-gon – team option
• He “Molly” Chengzhi – team option
• Lee “WhoRU” Seung-jun – team option

Former

• Chae “Develop” Rak-hoon – released

Offseason tracker

• The Dragons release damage player Develop, who becomes a free agent
• Coaches Kim “Jfeel” Jeong-min and Shin “Dongsu” Dong-soo leave the team to pursue head coach opportunities
• The Dragons confirm that the entire roster, barring future retirement or trades, is returning for 2022

Toronto Defiant

Toronto barely missed the playoffs by falling to the Shock in the West region play-ins. They placed third, just below the Justice. Some major changes have already impacted the roster.

Current

• Jeong “Heesu” Hee-su – re-signed
• Lee “Twilight” Ju-seok – newly signed
• Choi “HOTBA” Hong-joon – newly signed
• Seong “CH0R0NG” Yoo-min – newly signed
• Kim “MuZe” Young-hun – newly signed
• Lim “Finale” Jung-woo – newly signed
• Jung “ALTHOUGH” Hyun-wook – newly signed

Former

• Luka “Aspire” Rolovic – released
• Andreas “Logix” Berghmans – released
• Lee “Na1st” Ho-sung – released
• Kim “SADO” Su-min – released
• Choi “Michelle” Min-hyuk – released
• Park “Aztac” Jeong-su – released
• Mun “Lastro” Jung-won – released
• An “ANSOONJAE” Soon-jae – released

Offseason tracker

• Toronto release Aspire, Logix, Na1st, SADO, Michelle, Aztac, Lastro and ANSOONJAE
• Toronto release Assistant coach Lee “HoChiLee” Dong-young
• Toronto sign Twilight (formerly of San Francisco Shock)
• Toronto sign HOTBA (formerly of Philadelphia Fusion)
• Toronto sign CH0R0NG
• Toronto sign MuZe (formerly of Los Angeles Gladiators)
• Toronto sign Finale
• Toronto sign ALTHOUGH

Vancouver Titans

The Titans struggled during the 2021 season, managing to pick up just one win in the West Division.

Current

• Nick “False” Wiseman – newly signed
• Park “Aztac” Jeong-su – newly signed
• Petja “Masaa” Kantanen – newly signed
• Luka “Aspire” Rolovic – newly signed
• Niclas “sHockWave” Jensen – newly signed
• Maximilian “Seicoe” Otter – newly signed
• Robert “Skairipa” Lupsa – newly signed

Former

• Dalton “Dalton” Bennyhoff
• Randal “Roolf” Stark
• Jiri “LiNkzr” Masalin
• Nathan “frdwnr” Goebel
• Anthony “Fire” King
• Kim “Teru” Min-ki
• Moon “ChangSik” Chang-sik

Offseason tracker

• Vancouver part ways with their entire 2021 roster
• Vancouver sign False, Aztac, Masaa, Aspire and sHockWave
• Vancouver sign Seico and Skairipa

Washington Justice

The Washington Justice failed to make a tournament this season but managed to make it to season playoffs, where they exited with a 0-2 record.

Current

• Jang “Decay” Gui-un – re-signed
• Kim “Mag” Tae-sung – re-signed
• Kim “Assassin” Sung-won – re-signed
• Lee “Happy” Jung-woo – newly signed
• Kim “Vigilante” Jun – newly signed
• Jeong “Krillin” Young-hoon – newly signed
• Shin “Kalios” Woo-yeol – newly signed

Former

• Jung “Closer” Won-sik – released
• Lee “TTuba” Ho-sung – released
• Min “Jerry” Tae-hee – released
• Yoon “BeBe” Hui-chang – released
• Kim “Fury” Jun-ho – released

Offseason tracker

• Washington release Closer and TTuba
• Tydolla joins the team as assistant coach
• Washington sign Happy
• Washington release Jerry
• Washington release BeBe
• Washington sign Vigilante
• Washington sign Krillin
• Washington release Fury
• Washington sign Kalios

Bonnie Qu, Michael Czar and Aron Garst contributed to this report