San Francisco Shock

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
San Francisco Shock
San Francisco, California
Colors     
OwnerAndy Miller
Head coachPark "Crusty" Dae-hee
General managerChris "Thugnasty" Chung
Championships2019, 2020
Main sponsorampm
Parent groupNRG Esports
WebsiteOfficial website
Uniforms

The San Francisco Shock are an

San Francisco, California. The Shock compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2017, the San Francisco Shock is one of the twelve founding members of the OWL and is one of three professional Overwatch teams in California. The team is owned by Andy Miller, co-owner of the Sacramento Kings and NRG Esports
. The Shock have won three midseason tournament titles, qualified for three season playoffs, and won back-to-back OWL Grand Finals, making them one of the most accomplished franchises in OWL history.

Franchise history

Beginnings

On July 12, 2017, Overwatch developer Activision Blizzard officially announced that Andy Miller, co-founder and co-owner of the American esports organization NRG Esports, had acquired a San Francisco-based Overwatch League franchise spot for an estimated $20 million.[1][2] "The local aspect of the league was the biggest attraction [for purchasing the spot]," said Miller in an interview. "One of the biggest issues with esports, and also part of its charm, is that you can create a global audience. You can have fans all over the world. But it’s always become a big challenge for fans to actually see their favorite teams. You have to fly to a major event or a finals somewhere in a major city. And there was never a hometown team."[3]

On September 28, 2017, NRG Esports announced its official inaugural roster of eight players and head coach Bradford Rajani.[4][5] A month later, on October 16, the franchise name was revealed as the San Francisco Shock.[6]

2018: Inaugural season

Main article: 2018 San Francisco Shock season

In the lead-up to the

Choi "ChoiHyoBin" Hyo-bin.[9] Following these acquisitions, the Shock's performance witnessed an upturn, with Sinatraa and Super becoming eligible to play. They achieved a commendable 6–4 record in Stage 3, narrowly missing out on the playoffs due to a tiebreaker.[10] Seeking further improvements, the team decided to part ways with head coach Rajani and signed Park "Crusty" Dae-hee, the former head coach of the Boston Uprising, who had led his previous team to a flawless 10–0 record in Stage 3.[11] As the season progressed, the Shock managed to secure victories in half of their remaining matches, finishing the regular season in ninth place with a 17–23 overall record.[12]

2019–2020: Back-to-back championships

Main articles: 2019 San Francisco Shock season and 2020 San Francisco Shock season
The Shock won the 2019 OWL championship.

In the offseason leading up to the

Gwon "Striker" Nam-ju, who had previously played for the Boston Uprising.[15]

During the first stage of the season, the San Francisco Shock performed well, finishing with a 4–3 record and securing the sixth seed in the Stage 1 Playoffs.[16] In the playoffs, they faced the undefeated Vancouver Titans in the Stage 1 finals. Led by standout performances from Super and ChoiHyoBin, the Shock put up a strong fight and even held a 3–2 lead at one point. However, they narrowly lost the match by a score of 3–4.[17] The team found their stride in Stage 2, achieving an unprecedented perfect stage with a flawless 7–0 record and 28–0 map record. This feat made them the first team in Overwatch League history to accomplish a perfect stage.[18] As the top seed in the Stage 2 Playoffs, the Shock once again met the Vancouver Titans in the finals. With key contributions from Super, ChoiHyoBin, and Viol2t, the Shock emerged victorious, defeating the Titans by a score of 4–2.[19] In Stage 3, the Shock reached the playoff finals yet again, this time facing the Shanghai Dragons. However, they were unable to secure the victory, losing the match by a close 3–4 scoreline.[20] Nevertheless, the Shock finished the regular season with a seven consecutive wins, concluding with a 23–5 record, the second-best in the league. This secured them the third seed in the season playoffs.[21] Several players from the Shock received recognition for their performances throughout the season. Sinatraa, Super, ChoiHyoBin, and Moth received Role Star commendations,[22] while Sinatraa and Super were nominated for the league's Most Valuable Player award. Ultimately, Sinatraa claimed the MVP title.[23]

San Francisco faced the sixth-seeded

Watchpoint: Gibraltar.[26][27] ChoiHyoBin's performance earned him the Grand Finals MVP award.[28]

In the 2020 season, the San Francisco Shock introduced a new color scheme, transitioning from their previous orange, grey, and gold colors to black and silver, with orange accents, paying homage to the Oakland Raiders.[29] As they prepared for the 2020 season, the Shock brought in sniper specialist Lee "Ans" Seon-chang.[30]

In the

Paris Eternal in the semifinals of the Summer Showdown,[35] the Shock continued their strong performance and clinched the top seed in the Countdown Cup, ultimately winning the tournament by defeating the Philadelphia Fusion in the finals.[36] With an regular season record of 18 wins, 7 bonus wins from midseason tournaments, and 3 losses, the Shock finished with an effective regular season record of 25–3.[37] Ans, ChoiHyoBin, and Viol2t received Role Star commendations, and ChoiHyoBin and Viol2t were nominated for the league's Most Valuable Player award.[38] while ChoiHyoBin and Viol2t were also nominated for the league's most valuable player award.[39]

In the North America playoffs bracket, the San Francisco Shock emerged victorious against the Washington Justice,[40] the Atlanta Reign,[41] and the Philadelphia Fusion to advance to the Grand Finals bracket.[42] They faced the Seoul Dynasty in the first round, where they took a 2–0 lead but allowed the Dynasty to tie the series. However, the Shock prevailed in the final map to advance.[43] In the upper finals, they faced the Shanghai Dragons, again taking a 2–0 lead before the Dragons equalized. The Shock secured their place in the Grand Finals match by winning the final map.[44] On October 10, they faced the Seoul Dynasty in the Grand Finals, and the Shock claimed a 4–2 victory to win their second consecutive Overwatch League championship. Striker was named the Grand Finals MVP.[45]

2021–present

In the offseason preceding the 2021 season, the Shock made several roster changes, including the departures of Moth and Ans and the signings of support player Brice "FDGoD" Monscavoir and damage player Charlie "nero" Zwarg.[46][47] Through the first half of the season, the Shock had a 7–1 regular season record, but they were unable to make either of the season's first two interregional tournaments, the May Melee and June Joust, falling in the regional knockouts both times.[48][49] Prior to the start of the third tournament cycle, the Summer Showdown, Striker retired from competitive Overwatch.[50] The same day that Striker's retirement was announced, the Shock signed Ans back to the team.[51] San Francisco ended the regular season with a 12–4 record but were unable to make it to any of the four midseason tournaments.[52] The Shock qualified for the season playoffs after taking down the Toronto Defiant on September 5 in the Western play-in tournament.[53] In the first round of the playoffs, the Shock lost to the top-seeded Shanghai Dragons, 0–3, on September 21.[54] Falling to the lower bracket after the loss, San Francisco defeated the Philadelphia Fusion and Chengdu Hunters in the following days.[55][56] Their season came to an end in the following match, as they lost to the Atlanta Reign, 1–3.[57]

After the 2021 Overwatch League season, the San Francisco Shock made significant changes to their roster, retaining only Viol2t while parting ways with the rest of the team. They introduced five rookies to their lineup, including Jung "Kilo" Jin-woo, Kim "Proper" Dong-hyun, Samuel "s9mm" Santos, Colin "Coluge" Arai, and Oh "FiNN" Se-jin.

Alarm Rookie of the Year, and earning the Most Valuable Player award.[71] The Shock lost in their first match in the playoffs against the sixth-seeded Houston Outlaws and were sent to the lower bracket.[72] From there, San Francisco made a run through the lower bracket to reach the 2022 Grand Finals.[73] The Shock faced the Fuel in the Grand Finals match. The match went to seven maps; San Francisco lost by a score of 3–4.[74]

Team identity

On October 16, 2017, the San Francisco brand was officially unveiled. The franchise name was revealed as San Francisco Shock. The team's logo features a seismograph in the shape of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge in the team's colors of orange, grey, and gold. The name "Shock" and the logo were chosen to represent the large amounts of

California Gold Rush that swept the city. "We took great care to choose a logo and identity that would both represent the attributes and traditions of San Francisco, yet at the same time speak to the future of sports and the Shock’s ambitions to take its place as a fixture next to the Bay Area’s championship sports teams," Andy Miller, CEO of NRG Esports, said in a statement.[6][75] Prior to the 2020 season, the colors were changed to black, silver, and orange, with the black and silver paying tribute to the Oakland Raiders.[29]

Personnel

See also: List of San Francisco Shock players

Current roster

San Francisco Shock roster
Players Coaches
Role No. Handle Name Nationality
Head coach
  • Vacant
Legend:
  • (I) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • (2W) Two-way player
  • Substitute player Substitute
  • Injured Injury / Illness
  

Latest roster transaction: October 15, 2023.

Head coaches

Handle Name Seasons Record Notes Ref.
Sephy Bradford Rajani 2018 12–18 (.400) Released after 30 games in 2018. [5][11]
Crusty Park Dae-hee 2018–2023 86–29 (.748) [11]

Awards and records

Seasons overview

Season P W L W% Finish Playoffs
2018 40 17 23 .425 4th, Pacific Did not qualify
2019 28 23 5 .821 2nd, Pacific OWL Champions, 4–0 (Titans)
2020 21 18 3 .857 2nd, North America OWL Champions, 4–2 (Dynasty)
2021 16 12 4 .750 4th, West Lost in Lower Round 3, 1–3 (Reign)
2022 24 20 4 .833 2nd, West Lost in Grand Finals, 3–4 (Fuel)
2023 16 8 8 .500 7th, West Did not qualify

Individual accomplishments

Season MVP
Grand Finals MVP
Rookie of the Year
  • Proper (Kim Dong-hyun) – 2022
Role Star selections
  • Moth (Grant Espe) – 2019
  • sinatraa (Jay Won) – 2019
  • Super (Matthew DeLisi) – 2019
  • ChoiHyoBin (Choi Hyo-bin) – 2019, 2020
  • Ans (Lee Seon-chang) – 2020
  • Viol2t (Park Min-Ki) – 2020
All-Star Game selections
  • Architect (Park Min-ho) – 2018
  • sleepy (Nikola Andrews) – 2018
  • sinatraa (Jay Won) – 2019
  • super (Matthew DeLisi) – 2019, 2020
  • Viol2t (Park Min-Ki) – 2019, 2020
  • Ans (Lee Seon-chang) – 2020
  • ChoiHyoBin (Choi Hyo-bin) – 2020
  • Moth (Grant Espe) – 2020

Academy team

On February 26, 2018, the Shock formally announced their academy team would compete under the "NRG Esports" name for Overwatch Contenders North America. They also revealed the team would live, train, and play in Washington, D.C., operating under a training home provided by partners Events DC.[76]

On May 8, 2019, NRG Esports announced that the organization would no longer field an Overwatch Contenders roster.[77]

Seasons overview

Year Season Region OWC regular season OWC playoffs Interregional
Finish[a] Wins Losses Win %
NRG Esports
2018 1 North America 4th 3 2 .600 Quarterfinals
2 North America 3rd 3 2 .600 Semifinals None held
3 North America 3rd 3 2 .600 Quarterfinals
2019 1 North America West 5th 3 4 .429 Semifinals
Regular season record 12 10 .545
Playoff record 2 4 .333
  1. ^ Placements in 2018 reflect standings in the team's respective group and not the entire region.

References

  1. ^ "Overwatch: Bigger than the Premier League?". BBC News. BBC. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  2. ^ Chouadria, Adel (12 July 2017). "Blizzard announces team owners and locations for Overwatch League". ESPN. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  3. ^ Hall, Charlie (July 12, 2017). "An inside look at the new Overwatch League, with 7 city-based teams". Heroes Never Die. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  4. ^ Wolf, Jacob (September 28, 2017). "Lynch, Strahan, J.Lo part of $15 million investment in NRG Esports". ESPN.
  5. ^ a b "San Francisco Overwatch Roster Reveal". NRG.gg. NRG Esports. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  6. ^ a b Carpenter, Nicole (16 October 2017). "NRG's Overwatch League team will be known as the San Francisco Shock". Dot Esports. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  7. ^
    Dot Esports
    . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  8. ^ Wood, Austin (January 11, 2018). "The Overwatch League Day One Results are in". IGN. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  9. ^ Choi, Soobin; Park, Kyung Yun (April 5, 2018). "San Francisco Shock recruits ChoiHyoBin as a new Flex Tank". Inven Global. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  10. ^ "2019 Team Preview: San Francisco Shock". Overwatch League. January 29, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Myers, Maddy (May 7, 2018). "Coach Crusty Switches Overwatch League Teams After Ten-Match Winning Streak". Kotaku. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  12. ^ Weil, Katrina (November 26, 2019). "Andy Miller is ready to bring home the San Francisco Shock". ESPN. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  13. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  14. ^ Bishop, Sam (October 25, 2018). "San Francisco Shock signs Viol2t". Gamez Publishing. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  15. ^ "Overwatch: Shock acquire Striker from Uprising". ESPN. December 3, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  16. ^ Richardson, Liz (March 19, 2019). "SF Shock defeat Seoul Dynasty, Toronto Defiant win coin toss to finalize Overwatch League playoff bracket". Dot Esports. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  17. ^ Rand, Emily (March 26, 2019). "Overwatch League: Five things we learned in Stage 1". ESPN. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  18. ^ Grayson, Nathan (May 6, 2019). "San Francisco Shock Complete Overwatch League's First-Ever Perfect Stage". Kotaku. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  19. ^ Franco, Joseph (May 13, 2019). "The Shock down the Titans and claim the crown as Stage 2 kings". Heroes Never Die. Polygon. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  20. ^ Rand, Emily (July 14, 2019). "Dragons fend off Shock to win Overwatch League Stage 3 final". ESPN. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  21. ^ Hoskins, Ryan (September 3, 2019). "Overwatch League Season 2 Playoffs Preview". Hotspawn. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  22. ^ Richardson, Liz (August 31, 2019). "Overwatch League reveals Role Stars awards". Dot Esports. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  23. ^ Richardson, Liz (September 5, 2019). "San Francisco Shock's sinatraa wins 2019 Overwatch League MVP award". Dot Esports. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  24. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  25. ^ John, Ian (September 16, 2019). "San Francisco Shock Face Vancouver Titans in Overwatch World League Grand Final". EsportsBets. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  26. ^ D'Anastasio, Cecelia (September 30, 2019). "Overwatch's Bastion Moonlights As Aerial Circus Act". Kotaku. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  27. ^ Scrubasaurus (September 29, 2019). "Map-by-map recap of 2019 OWL Grand Finals". over.gg. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  28. ^ "Shock sweep Titans in Overwatch League final". ESPN. Reuters. September 29, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  29. ^ a b Peres, Pedro (January 9, 2020). "San Francisco Shock shows off new skins for 2020 Overwatch League season". Dot Esports. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  30. ^ Richardson, Liz (December 23, 2019). "San Francisco Shock add ANS". Dot Esports. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  31. ^ Field Level Media (April 28, 2020). "OWL MVP Sinatraa exits Overwatch for Valorant". Reuters. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  32. ^ Erzberger, Tyler; Wolf, Jacob (April 28, 2020). "Sources: Overwatch League MVP Sinatraa to retire, join Sentinels VALORANT team". ESPN. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  33. ^ Ocal, Arda (May 17, 2020). "San Francisco Shock transfer Architect, sign Twilight". ESPN. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  34. ^ Richardson, Liz (May 24, 2020). "Shanghai Dragons, San Francisco Shock win Overwatch League May Melee tournament". Dot Esports. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  35. ^ Richardson, Liz (July 5, 2020). "Guangzhou Charge, Paris Eternal win Overwatch League Summer Showdown". Dot Esports. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  36. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  37. ^ Field Level Media (October 8, 2020). "Shock, Dragons advance in Grand Finals Weekend". Gwinnet Prep Sports. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  38. ^ Richardson, Liz (September 26, 2020). "Overwatch League announces 2020 Role Stars". Dot Esports. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  39. ^ Holt, Kris (August 7, 2020). "Here Are The Overwatch League 2020 MVP Finalists And How To Vote". Forbes. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  40. ^ Sebastian, Richard (September 6, 2020). "OWL – New York Excelsior, San Francisco Shock Advances In Playoffs As The League Nears Its Conclusion". Happy Gamer. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  41. ^ Richardson, Liz (September 6, 2020). "Paris Eternal, Los Angeles Gladiators eliminated from Overwatch League playoffs". Dot Esports. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  42. ^ Richardson, Liz (September 12, 2020). "Shanghai Dragons, San Francisco Shock lock in Overwatch League Grand Finals spots". Dot Esports. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  43. ^ Cruz, Migg Dela (October 9, 2020). "Dynasty get Shocked, Dragons burn Fusion in OWL Winners' Semis". Inquirer. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  44. ^ Richardson, Liz (October 9, 2020). "San Francisco Shock and Seoul Dynasty will face off in 2020 Overwatch League Grand Finals championship". Dot Esports. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  45. ^ Rand, Emily (October 10, 2020). "San Francisco Shock win second consecutive Overwatch League title". ESPN. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  46. ^ "San Francisco Shock DPS ANS retires". Reuters. January 11, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  47. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  48. ^ "Fuel, Reign secure spots in OWL's June Joust". Reuters. June 6, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  49. ^ Collins, Sean (May 2, 2021). "Dallas Fuel smash San Francisco, Houston to qualify for May Melee with best Overwatch in franchise history". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  50. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  51. ^ Czar, Michael (June 23, 2021). "Star hitscan player Ans returns to the San Francisco Shock". Upcomer. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  52. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  53. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  54. ^ Parrish, Ash (September 27, 2021). "The Overwatch League grand finals were a storybook sendoff ahead of Overwatch 2". The Verge. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  55. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  56. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  57. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  58. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  59. Gamereactor UK
    . Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  60. Upcomer
    . Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  61. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  62. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  63. ^ Field Level Media (July 9, 2022). "Shock improve to 12-0 in West at Midseason Madness qualifying". Reuters. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  64. ^ Parrish, Ash (July 25, 2022). "Overwatch League team loses tournament in embarrassingly hilarious way". The Verge. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  65. ^ "San Francisco Shock Wins OWL With Streak Record". San Francisco News. October 29, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  66. Upcomer
    . Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  67. ^ Sacco, Dom (September 5, 2022). "Overwatch League 2022 Summer Showdown teams confirmed as London Spitfire qualify for Toronto event". Esports News UK. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  68. Upcomer
    . Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  69. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  70. Gamereactor UK
    . Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  71. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  72. Scranton Times-Tribune
    . Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  73. ^ Angeles, Zen (November 5, 2022). "Overwatch League 2022 Grand Finals Day Results". ClutchPoints. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  74. Dot Esports
    . Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  75. ^ NRG Esports (October 16, 2017). "Esports Comes to Shake Up Northern California: Meet the San Francisco Shock". Business Wire. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  76. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (26 February 2018). "San Francisco Shock Overwatch Contenders roster gets a team house in Washington, D.C." Dot Esports. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  77. ^ Samples, Rachel (May 8, 2019). "NRG Esports to no longer field Overwatch Contenders team". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 9, 2019.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to San Francisco Shock.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=San_Francisco_Shock&oldid=1186144699"