At the 12th position of our Overwatch League 2021 power rankings are the New York Excelsior.
While the team consistently placed in the Top Three of the past Overwatch League season, the recent changes to the roster might not be enough to get this result again in 2021.
New York Excelsior 2021 Roster Preview
Tank:
- Gyeong-mu “Yakpung” Jo
- Dong-wook “BiaNcA” Kim
The 2021 tanking duo of NYXL is Gyeong-mu “Yakpung” Jo and Dong-wook “BiaNcA” Kim.
Gyeong-mu “Yakpung” Jo is the New York Excelsior main tank. He played during the Overwatch League 2019 Season with the Toronto Defiant. After a disappointing season, he parted ways with the team to join O2 Blast in Contenders. He won the Overwatch Contenders 2020 Season 1: Korea with his team, as well as many show matches in China and Korea.
Dong-wook “BiaNcA” Kim is the team’s off-tank. BiaNcA is a returning player, as the NYXL parted ways with the player at the end of last season. He gets a second chance in the team and is now guaranteed to get in the starting six as Hong-joon “HOTBA” Choi is no longer part of the team.
Support:
- Sung-hyeon “JJoNak” Bang
- Min-jae “Friday” Jo
Sung-hyeon “JJoNak” Bang is one of the most famous Overwatch League players. He is a reference when it comes to Ana or Zenyatta plays, and even won the MVP Award during the Overwatch League Inaugural Season. JJoNak represents the New York Excelsior since 2017, consistently leading his team to Overwatch League podiums.
Min-jae “Friday” Jo is the new main support of New York Excelsior. He made his first steps in the professional Overwatch scene in the Open Division, before joining OZ Gaming in the Overwatch Contenders. From now on, he will be JJoNak’s support partner within the NYXL.
DPS:
- Seung-woo “FEATH5R” Lee
- Seung-hyun “Ivy” Lee
- Young-woo “Flora” Lim
- Gwang-won “Gwangboong” Kim
The New York Excelsior renewed its entire DPS roster for the Overwatch League 2021 Season. The team is now home to two flex DPS players and two hitscan specialists.
Seung-woo “FEATH5R” Lee joins the NYXL from the Overwatch Contenders. He placed 4th in the Overwatch Contenders 2020 Season 1: Korea with BATTLICA, and third a year later with Talon Esports.
Seung-hyun “Ivy” Lee is back for a new season in the Overwatch League. He joined the League back in 2019, playing with the Toronto Defiant. The team parted ways with its roster after finishing in 17th place, so Ivy moved to a new team. He got a better 2020 run with the Philadelphia Fusion, reaching the second position of the Overwatch League 2020 Regular Season.
Young-woo “Flora” Lim joins the Overwatch League less than a year after winning the Open Division 2020 Season 3 Korea. He also played with various teams in the Overwatch Contenders, such as WGS Armament, O2 Blast, or Meta Athena.
Gwang-won “Gwangboong” Kim is a hitscan specialist who also made his way through the Open Division and Overwatch Contenders. He placed second with Team CC in the Open Division 2020 Season 3 Korea and won Season 4 China with Team Cat.
New York Excelsior 2021 Power Rankings
The New York Excelsior has always been a powerful team within the Overwatch League. The NYXL never missed a podium, winning the Inaugural Season and placing third in both the 2019 and 2020 Playoffs.
However, the 2021 roster seems less powerful than its predecessors. Both tanks are used to play together, which should give the team an edge in engaging team fights. But the team released BiaNcA for a reason, and this second chance with the NYXL could put a lot more pressure on the player’s shoulders.
While JJoNaK is one of the best support players in the League, Friday is still new to the main stage. As the main support player, he will have to stay alive against some of the best players in the world, which is easier said than done.
Finally, the DPS players of NYXL are not the most impressive signings from the off-season. Besides Ivy, who already played two seasons in the Overwatch League, all of NYXL damage dealers come from average Contenders teams.
The New York Excelsior should not perform badly this season, but may not have what it takes to snatch a third podium in the Overwatch League.
