Fissure comes out of retirement, signs with the Vancouver Titans

He’s back, out of retirement, and joining a powerhouse. The Vancouver Titans have signed main tank Chan-hyung “Fissure” Baek, formerly of the Seoul Dynasty.

It's official. Please help us welcome Fissure to the Vancouver Titans! We're excited to see some ground breaking plays from this legend. #ForceOfNature pic.twitter.com/KRqzWyI6rC

— Vancouver Titans (@VancouverTitans) November 26, 2019

Straight outta retirement

Fissure has been one of the most controversial players in the Overwatch League since day one. With every team he has played for so far, he has left on unknown-to-unfavorable reasons, from the London Spitfire, to the Los Angeles Gladiators, to the Seoul Dynasty, and now to Vancouver. But it seemed like his career had ended earlier this year, as he announced his retirement. Poor form on the Dynasty and lack of playing time led to a reevaluation of his career, yet the Titans have now signed him to their roster.

Fissure is known for his Winston and Reinhardt play, but more so for his first season than his second. We do know the skill is there for Fissure; it is more a matter of controlling the ego and attitude.

Will Fissure work on the Titans?

One of the key factors for Titan’s success in the first season of the Overwatch League was its cohesion. The clear chemistry between every single player was obvious. However, one obvious issue with the team toward the end of the season was main tank Sang-beom “Bumper” Park, known for his super-aggressive playing style. Opponents studied his playing style and made the Titans easier to play against.

Partway through the season, they signed a main tank to replace him for the playoffs, former teammate from RunAway Jang-hyeon “TiZi” Hwang. Though he played well in the playoffs, it ended with a harsh loss to the San Francisco Shock. He got released not too long after.

Thank you @Overwatch_TiZi for being a #ForceOfNature. Your spirit and fire helped us go far in the playoffs. We wish you the best on your next adventure and hope to see more Winston walkouts! pic.twitter.com/HeS3eM2sHk

— Vancouver Titans (@VancouverTitans) November 13, 2019

Acquiring Fissure comes with the issue that it could completely throw off the chemistry the team has built for so long. At least with acquiring Tizi, it was a player they had all played with before. With Fissure, the Vancouver Titans just have a less aggressive main tank with the same ego and tendency to underperform.