Looking for a boost, last-place team adds Overwatch League’s first female player

By Steven Petite February 15, 2018

Overwatch is known for its diverse cast of male and female characters with rich backstories. The Overwatch League, however, kicked off its first season earlier this year with 12 all-male teams. The Shanghai Dragons, China’s team of Overwatch pros, has changed that by signing 19-year-old Kim Se-Yeon.

Better known by her username “Geguri” in Overwatch circles, Se-Yeon is best known for playing as Zarya, but also spends time playing as D.Va and Roadhog. Geguri has also earned the nicknames “World’s Best Zarya” and “God Zarya” for achieving a remarkable 80 percent win-rate on the Korean Overwatch server while playing as the popular tank character. Geguri is expected to play as both Zarya and D.Va in competition. Previously, she reached the group stages in APEX season four, a separate Overwatch professional tournament.

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Geguri will join a team that could certainly use her skills. Through the first stage, the Shanghai Dragons remain the only team in the league without a win. Currently, the team has an 0-10 record, putting the club at the bottom of the 12-team standings. If the Dragons have any hope of making the six-team final at the end of the year, a substantial turnaround needs to happen. Shanghai added four new players, including Geguri, who will try to help turn the tide.

Now that Geguri is the first female player in the Overwatch League, her inclusion could lead other teams to add female competitors as well. Only three of the 12 teams have filled out their 12-player roster for the first season: The London Spitfire, Philadelphia Fusion, and now, the Shanghai Dragons. Since Overwatch is only played with six players on each side, the remaining six slots on a roster serve as the reserves, and it seems as if some teams aren’t in a rush to fill those remaining spots.

Shanghai’s next match is February 21, but it doesn’t seem likely that Geguri will be available to play. The team is currently in the process of securing visas to bring Geguri and the three other new teammates to the United States.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Overwatch League, but it sounds cool (trust us, it is), check out our handy-dandy explainer.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…

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