Shanghai Dragons sign highly-touted prospect WhoRU - Upcomer
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Shanghai Dragons sign WhoRU
Image provided by Shanghai Dragons
Category:
Overwatch

Shanghai Dragons sign highly-touted prospect WhoRU

Moving on up from the NYXL
Image of Michael Czar
Michael Czar
|

Published: May 25, 2021 06:21 am

The Shanghai Dragons sign highly-touted prospect Lee “WhoRU” Seung-jun, formerly of the New York Excelsior. Just off his rookie season, WhoRU surprised many with his plays in 2020. The NYXL team didn’t meet expectations, and when the mass exodus happened, WhoRU was among them. He then announced that he was retiring, on Twitch. However, WhoRU is now back, as the powerful Shanghai Dragons sign him up.

Recommended Videos

WhoRU’s path to Shanghai

Since the old APEX days, WhoRU has always been a highly-touted prospect. His plays on Lunatic-Hai were legendary, being named MVP of the finals in APEX Season 2. Most memorably a Genji and Tracer player, his Overwatch skills brought him to the Philadelphia Fusion academy team. At Fusion University, he helped them win two seasons of North American contenders, followed by a period of inactivity and loan spells. He eventually became of age to play in the Overwatch League, and the New York Excelsior took the chance. Among a very deep roster, he got significant playtime but could progress from semi-finals.

NYXL release 4 players
Image via the New York Excelsior

After most of the NYXL 2020 roster got released for the 2021 season, WhoRU decided to retire from professional play on his Twitch stream. Now, after a very quiet retired off-season, WhoRU looks to try again with a fresh start. Joining the Shanghai Dragons is a bit odd, but it is nice to see another team sign WhoRU and give him get another chance.

Shanghai’s future

After the Dragons’ recent results, it’s fair to say they’re close to being the best team in the league. Their start to the June Joust has left some doubts though. However, they did come out of the May Melee as the best team in the Eastern region. Their core has shown time after time that they are amongst the best in the league. With the recent retirement of Joon “Erster” Jeong, it seems the Dragons wanted to have that additional depth to the roster. Looking for another promising talent in the league, they asked WhoRU to come back.

Now, there is a risk to this signing. WhoRU didn’t look great on the NYXL in 2020, not even on his best heroes. It was his rookie season, and the entire NYXL roster looked mediocre at best. Plus, the heroes he specializes in are ones that are already played by others in the NYXL team.

On the other hand, we know how good WhoRU can be. It’s just a matter of him fitting in well on the heroes and maps that suit him. As opposed to his time on New York, he should be a substitute on Shanghai. With that change, it might put WhoRU in the best position to succeed with the Shanghai Dragons in the Overwatch League.

related content
Author
Image of Michael Czar
Michael Czar
Polish-Canadian game enthusiast. I've been entrenched in gaming for as long as I can remember, with my first game being Pokemon Yellow and my most played games being Borderlands 2 and Overwatch. I have a degree in Film Studies, but writing about esports just makes my job all the better.
twitter