After a 42-game losing streak that lasted for the entirety of the first season of the Overwatch League and two games into the second season, the Shanghai Dragons have finally secured their first win as a franchise with a 3-1 victory over the Boston Uprising.
IT HAPPENED!!! #OWL2019
THE @ShanghaiDragons SECURE THEIR FIRST WIN!https://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/Nfux0Zvl7H
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) February 23, 2019
That losing streak lasted for 409 days, the longest in both esports and professional sports history. It couldn’t have ended any better for Shanghai, as Young-jin “Gamsu” Noh led the way for the Dragons against his former team.
The Dragons hit the ground running in game 1 on Ilios, where they won 2-0. Boston tried to even it up in game 2 on King’s Row, but Shanghai were able to slug it out and take the map, 4-3, for a 2-0 advantage.
"Remember me?" – @GamsuOW probably. #OWL2019https://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/OVDyjTjCBm
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) February 23, 2019
With that ever-elusive win on the line, both teams came out gunning in game 3 on Horizon Lunar Colony. While Boston did all they could to deny their opponents, it was clear that the Dragons wanted it so bad.
Sign us up for ALL THE BOOPS. Keep 'em coming @CoMa_OW! #OWL2019https://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/AUW1ghG9GA
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) February 23, 2019
And they played like it, taking the map 5-4 to snap the losing streak with a statement win. While the match called for a game 4 on Rialto that Boston won, it didn’t matter. The Shanghai Dragons have finally won a game.
Will they be able to get their first winning streak as well? The Dragons will face the Chengdu Hunters in Day 2 of Week 3, it can happen.
Whatever the case may end up being, it can only go up from here for Shanghai. In the end, winning even just one match after a winless season is a huge victory in itself for them.