If you’re looking for further proof that Overwatch League is struggling to maintain interest, here’s a nasty blow that is sure to have both sides of the debate interested; Jay ‘Sinatraa’ Won announced yesterday on Twitch that he is officially quitting the Overwatch League along with the defending champion team, San Francisco Shock, in the middle of the season to go play pro-tier Valorant. Sinatraa has been relatively outspoken that overwatch has begun to bore him in recent months, yet he was collecting a steady and decent paycheck while playing with those that he has grown close to over time.
Jay Won is a very public face for the Overwatch League; he won multiple awards in the 2019 season that has resulted in Blizzard creating a custom skin for the hero Doomfist. The skin hasn’t released yet, and Jay Won is leaving for good.
This will likely make everything slightly awkward when the skin finally releases, as they’re celebrating an amazing pasture that left the game mid-season for greener pastures. There are only so many ways you can look at that, and very few of them look good for Blizzard.
He came, he saw and he conquered.
Thank you and best of luck in your future endeavors @Sinatraa🧡 pic.twitter.com/XCyWSzN4UV
— NRG Shock (@SFShock) April 28, 2020
Jay Won is joining the esport organization Sentinels.
The San Francisco Shock operates under the official banner of NRG Esports, and Overwatch League has an official clause stating that retiring players cannot sign with an organization that is affiliated with a competing Overwatch League team. As is the case when dealing with esoteric legal matters, it could have been fought in court in regards to Jay Won having a right to earn a living, but that’s all well in the past.
Anyone who has been watching Sinatraa stream on Twitch regularly knew that this was incoming well before anyone busted out official announcements and tweets; Sinatraa has been playing custom games of Valorant with a very specific group of professional players, ranging from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to the Overwatch League, and the grind was almost absurd some days where he would spend almost eight hours a day in the new shooter from Riot.
This all likely bodes well for Valorant in regards to cementing its place as a competitive esport. As Overwatch League slowly loses steam with a nonexistent T3 and crumbling T2 scene, many fans are looking for the newest title that will have familiar faces and intense competition. It’s highly likely that many fans who have become tired of Overwatch League will shift over to Valorant as the title inches closer to its full release.
