Taking a look at the biggest winners and losers of the June Joust qualifiers so far.
West
Having completed all four of their regular season matches, the Atlanta Reign and Houston Outlaws look poised to make the play-ins with 3:1 records. While they’ve both shown glimpses of dominance, most of their wins came against clearly weaker teams, so they may struggle to make it deep in the play-ins.
Among the Western teams who look strong but have yet to finish their qualifying matches are the San Francisco Shock, Los Angeles Gladiators, and Dallas Fuel. The two-time Overwatch League champion San Francisco Shock look like they’ve returned to form in the June Joust, beating two competent teams in the Toronto Defiant and Fuel. The Gladiators failed to make the May Melee play-ins, but with their win over the Reign, they look capable of succeeding in the upcoming bracket. Although the Fuel fell to the Shock, they gave the reigning champs a run for their money and still look quite lethal.
The most disappointing Western squads of the June Joust qualifiers have been the London Spitfire, Vancouver Titans, and Washington Justice. The Spitfire and Titans continue to struggle to find their first wins, and with their lackluster play, it could be a while before either team tastes victory. The Justice have been surprisingly impotent, falling 3-0 to the Boston Uprising and Paris Eternal. What looked like a super team heading into 2021 has floundered with the current hero pool, and they have a lot of work to do if they hope to make the play-ins.
East
In the Eastern region, the Shanghai Dragons and Hangzhou Spark look like the apex predators in the June Joust. The Dragons continued where they left off in the May Melee with their 3:1 match record. The team continues to look mortal but nevertheless maintains their position at the top of the standings. The Spark have been a surprise standout. Following coaching and roster changes, the team looks much more lethal and cohesive in the June Joust qualifiers. If they can secure one or two more wins in the last week, they will be a fearsome opponent in the play-ins.
At the bottom of the Eastern region are the Los Angeles Valiant and Philadelphia Fusion. The Valiant still haven’t won a match this season, and this could easily be another winless stage. The Fusion surprisingly dropped their first two matches. Although they faced component adversaries in the Chengdu Hunters and New York Excelsior, they seem to lack an understanding of the current meta. Still, if they pull off two convincing wins in the last week of qualifiers, they could find themselves in the play-ins.
The final matches of the June Joust qualifiers will take place Thursday, June 3rd through Saturday, June 5th with the regional play-ins occurring on Sunday, June 6th.
