After a disappointing end to their inaugural Overwatch League season, the New York Excelsior are releasing coach Kim “WizardHyeong” Hyeong-seok.
Today we say goodbye to coach @WizardHyeong. We could not be more thankful for all his hard work and leadership throughout the team's inaugural season. This was a mutual decision and simply put, @WizardHyeong you will be missed! pic.twitter.com/VsqjXqfxIV
— NYXL (@NYXL) August 31, 2018
The New York Excelsior would state on Twitter: “We could not be more thankful for all his hard work and leadership throughout the team’s inaugural season. This was a mutual decision and simply put, WizardHyeong, you will be missed.” The former coach would also release a quick statement on Twitter, saying that he is planning to do lots of streams and content creation. Even though the New York Excelsior did not win the Overwatch League’s first season, they would still have a great showing. For example, they would end up finishing first at the end of season one. WizardHyeong would be an integral part of the success.
This is why it is surprising for New York Excelsior to drop WizardHyeong after only one season. Yes, their postseason run was less than desirable. However, they were the best team in the league in stages one and two. Additionally, they were still pretty dominant in stages three and four, even though they weren’t in first. Many people were expecting the New York Excelsior to keep their current roster and learn from their mistakes. This is still a team that can crush it in the regular season. They just need to adapt in the postseason and they would have been fine.
WizardHyeong’s Next Steps
With WizardHyeong’s extensive resume and his ability to speak perfect english, the sky is the limit. He has already proven that he can help any team reach greater heights. Therefore, you can probably expect multiple teams to field offers to the now-teamless coach. Kim did say that he was searching for a team, even though he would be focusing on content creation. Many fans can see WizardHyeong joining a top tier team as an analyst or coach.
One team that could be an option for Hyeong-seok is the Philadelphia Fusion. It would be odd to see him join the team that eliminated the New York Excelsior, but he does fit on the team. The Fusion have a good combination of Korean speaking and English speaking talent. They would be able to maximize his usefulness on that roster. Also, the Fusion could do with a coach of his caliber. The only thing they would need is probably a better support player, but that would be all their needs met.
However, another option could be joining the multiple expansion teams entering the league this year. Toronto, Guangzhou and Atlanta are all reportedly entering the Overwatch League this upcoming season. I could see one of these teams wanting an experienced coach to help settle their new team into the Overwatch scene. This could be especially tantalizing, knowing that Wizardhyeong has the ability to coach a team to a top spot.
Streaming?
However, Wizardhyeong may also have another venue he is eyeing. He is already starting to do some private coaching on the side. He also states that he will be analyzing Contenders and World Cup matches too. Could he be looking for a piece of the streaming pie that many coaches and former pros have taken? Former Dallas Fuel star Brandon “Seagull” Larned has recently returned to his streaming career. Many people consider streaming a much more lucrative option compared to competing professionally. Maybe while waiting for a better offer, Hyeong-seok could start his streaming career.
What do you think of the New York Excelsior dropping WizardHyeong? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! If you want more Overwatch content, check us out here!
Published: Aug 31, 2018 05:35 pm