Summary of transfers between Stage 3 and Stage 4:
- Elliot “ELLIVOTE” Vaneryd: Team Envy (Contenders) → Washington Justice
- Lukas “LullSiSH” Wiklund: Team Envy (Contenders) → Washington Justice
- Do-hyung "Stellar" Lee: Toronto Defiant → Boston Uprising
- Hyung-seok "Bischu" Kim: Los Angeles Gladiator → Guangzhou Charge
- Joona "Fragi" Laine: Philadelphia Fusion → Guangzhou Charge
- Finley "Kyb" Adisi: Guangzhou Charge → Philadelphia Fusion
- Min-chul "Izayaki" Kim: Los Angeles Valiant → Shanghai Dragons
- Matthew "Optidox" Sims: Montreal Rebellion (head coach Contenders) → Toronto Defiant assistant coach
- Kwang-bok "Coach815" Kim: leaving
- "Curryshot" : Revival (coach contenders) → Guangzhou Charge strategic coach
- Gao "YinDong" Hang: Hangzhou Spark (coach assistant) → Bilibili Gaming (head coach contenders)
- Seung-Bo "Mobydik" Sim: O2 Blast (coach contenders) → Toronto Defiant (coach assistant)
- Lucas "Mendokusaii" Håkansson: content creator → leaving
- Yoon-ho "Bubbly" Cho: Toronto Defiant assistant coach → leaving
- Beom-joon "Bishop" Lee: Toronto Defiant head coach → leaving
More details on these changes below
Player transfers
Shanghai had not even won the play-offs yet, and Washington Justice had already made the first move of this transfer window. Two Swedish players, former members of the Angry Titans and then the Team Envy. They both won season 1 of the 2019 Contenders, LullSiSiSH with Angry Titans in Europe and ELLIVOTE with Team Envy in North America West.
Boston Uprising adds a Tracer main to its roster for the last Stage. Maybe that's a preparation for the potential 2-2-2. In this context, the former Toronto Defiant player may well have a big role to play in helping the team move up the overall standings.
Bischu, from Los Angeles Gladiator, and Fragi, from Philadelphia Fusion, strengthen the Guangzhou Charge collective. They are there to support Hotba and Rio, the team's tank duo.
In exchange for Fragi, Philadelphia Fusion acquires the British player Kyb. As a flex DPS, he is able to play Genji, Sombra and Hanzo as well as Brigitte. He will be able to support Eqo or Poko, especially with his Roadhog.
He hadn't played for Los Angeles Valiant for a long time, so it was only logical that he was transferred to Shanghai Dragons. The winners of the last stage are strengthening their roster with a new support that will help Luffy and Coma.
On June 18, Florida Mayhem had teased the arrival of a new player for their team. The next day, it was not one player, but 3 who were announced, as well as three new staff members. So DPI, Gargoyle and Karayan, former members of Armament — a team of Korean contenders — were added to the roster. With this reinforcement, they have now 12 players (all Korean) which means that the squad is full. Let's hope these changes finally work for the team, currently last with only one win this season.
After playing for London Spitfire, then for Los Angeles Gladiator, Fissure arrived this season in the korean team Seoul Dynasty. This will be his last Overwatch League team, the talented main tank having announced his departure from the league.
Toronto Defiant is recruiting two players for this final stage. Mangachu and Logix join the Canadian team. Both players were part of the XL2 Academy, and will be supporting the Toronto DPS team. Logix was also part of Florida Mayhem's team during the first season of the OWL.
After Fissure — which recently left Seoul Dynasty — another main tank is leaving the Overwatch League. Kuki leaves Los Angeles Valiant, where he had mainly played Lucio.
Staff movements
After Logix, Gods and sharyk, it's the turn of another Montreal Rebellion member to join the Overwatch League. Optidox becomes Toronto Defiant Assistant Coach. In this period of change, with the appearance of the 2-2-2 and the new hero (Sigma), he will be a precious help to Bishop and Bubbly.
London Spitfire split from their hand coach: Coach815. He will probably be replaced by one of the coaches Jfeel or Agape for Stage 4. For the moment, no recruitment has been made by the team.
Curryshot, previously coach of the North American Revival team, has just been recruited by Guangzhou Charge as a strategic coach.
This was announced in a Chinese video on the bilibili website, Yindong — who was Hangzhou Spark assistant coach — becomes Head Coach of their academy team: Bilibili gaming.
Coming straight from the Korea Contenders in the O2 Blast team, here is mobydick who joins the Toronto Defiant staff as an assistant coach. O2 Blast was second in the last Contenders season, allowing no less than 7 players to make it to the Overwatch League, as well as 3 coaches. He will also meet RoKy, Yakpung and Ivy who had already been integrated into the team.
Houston Outlaws had recruited him during the inaugural season as a player, then decided to keep him as a streamer/content creator. He is now released from his contract and should move on to a career on Apex Legends.
Bubbly, assistant coach of the Toronto Defiant, is leaving the team during Stage 4. Optidox and Mobydik, who arrived this month, will be there to offset this departure.
Bishop and Toronto Defiant split up. The Head Coach has been relieved of his duties by the Canadian franchise: his colleagues Optidox, Mobydik and Barroi will take over the operations.
All these changes will have a major impact on the rest of the competition and on Stage 4 — which started on 26 July.
Season 2 Stage 4 is now almost finished and the last matches will be held in Los Angeles with the Valiant as hosts. Almost all teams qualified for the Playoffs are known, but the final battle will be tough in California.
