Overwatch League creates 1v1 matchups before May Melee, featuring top players

The Overwatch League has announced a fun pre-game 1v1 matchup series, with some top players and caster Josh “Sideshow” Wilkinson involved. After being rumored for a couple of weeks, the league has finally implemented the return of Sideshow challenging top players for a reward. Previously, Sideshow earned a short contract with the Florida Mayhem by doing well against top Pharah player Kim “Yaki” Jun-ki. However, the stakes this time involve a prize pool of $10,000. All of the players taking part will fight for these prizes before the May Melee tournament.

Sideshow faces Yaki once again

As previously mentioned, Sideshow versus Yaki is a matchup nobody expected to see again. But as a former Soldier player in Team Fortress 2, Sideshow felt like he had a chance playing Pharah against a pro. He faced off against Yaki before, betting that he could get five kills before Yaki could get to 20. Somehow, Sideshow managed to do just that, winning a fourteen-day contract with the Mayhem. Many fans expected this to be where the Overwatch career of Sideshow would end, but that seems to be just the beginning.

We are… thrilled… to welcome our newest flex DPS @SideshowGaming to the Florida Mayhem on a 14-day contract. He's ready to #LightItUp and bring his… "talents"… to South Beach. #BringTheMayhem pic.twitter.com/YtPfVvqdQ1

— Florida Mayhem (@FLMayhem) May 29, 2020

Now, Sideshow confidently faces Yaki once again, hoping to perform better than last time. No pity circumstances like before, a true 1v1 is coming to see who gets their share of the prize pool. Viewers might not be on Sideshow’s side, but he has had plenty of time to practice in the off-season.

Other big 1v1s announced

The other two matchups announced so far are also some that fans have been seeking since the start of the league. The best example is two veteran players facing off against each other, Lee “Carpe” Jae-hyeok and recent MVP Kim “Fleta” Byung-sun. These two players have been facing off against each other since the start of the league’s existence. It’ll be interesting to see this matchup again with how Fleta helped eliminate Carpe just last week.

On the other side, it’s the battle of the bloodthirsty supports. Season 1 MVP Bang “JJoNak” Sung-hyeon versus former Rookie of the Year Kim “Alarm” Kyung-bo go. Both are known for how they changed the face of their respective teams, so this matchup will also be a must-see.

These first-ever Overwatch League 1v1 matchups are scheduled to happen on Thursday, May 6 at 9:30 p.m. ET, before the May Melee tournament.