2021 Hangzhou Spark season

The 2021 Hangzhou Spark season was the third season of Hangzhou Spark's existence in the Overwatch League. After their first two games, the Spark released head coach Hwang "paJion" Ji-sub, who became the head coach in the middle of the 2020 season, and promoted Hwang "Andante" Jae-hong to interim head coach. However, he was also released in the second half of the regular season. The Spark finished the regular season in fifth place in the Eastern region. Their season ended after they were eliminated in the play-in tournament tournament semifinals, losing to the Philadelphia Fusion.

2021 Hangzhou Spark season
Head coach	Hwang "paJion" Ji-sub (Released April 26) Hwang "Andante" Jae-hong (Interim, released July 15)
General manager	Chen Youyou
Owner	Rui Chen
Region	East
Results
Record	7–9 (.438)
Place	East: 5th League: 14th
May Melee	Did not qualify
June Joust	Regional finals
Summer Showdown	Did not qualify
Countdown Cup	Did not qualify
Season Playoffs	Did not qualify
Total Earnings	$0
← 2020 Hangzhou Spark 2022 →

Preceding offseason

Roster changes

The Spark entered free agency with five free agents, all of which became free agents due to the Spark not exercising the option to retain the player for another year.^[1]

Acquisitions

The Spark's first acquisition of the offseason was Zheng "Shy" Yangjie, a rookie damage player promoted from the team's Overwatch Contenders academy team Bilibili Gaming on October 22, 2020.^[2] The team's next acquisition came on November 16 with the signing of Jia "LiGe" Chengjie, a rookie tank player coming off of a second-place finish with Team CC in Contenders China.^[3] The following day, the Spark signed Lee "MCD" Jeong-ho, a rookie support player from Contenders team Element Mystic.^[4] The next day, they signed Lee "Takoyaki" Young-hyun, a rookie tank player coming from Contenders team Team Diamond.^[5] One days later, on November 18, Hangzhou signed Shin "Bernar" Se-won, a second-year tank player coming off of a 6–15 season with the London Spitfire.^[6] The Spark's final acquisition of the offseason came on November 19 with the signing of Seo "SeoMinSoo" Min-soo, a damage player who is considered one of the best flex damage players in the league with a "very deep pool of heroes to draw from," although he did not compete in the 2020 season.^[4]

Departures

Outside of the Spark's free agents, tank player Yu "QoQ" Sung-jun was released from the team on November 12, 2020.^[7] None of the Spark's five free agents returned, three of which signed with other teams, beginning with support player Yoon "Bebe" Hee-chang signing with the Washington Justice on November 19.^[8] Three days later, tank player Park "Ria" Sung-wook also signed with the Justice.^[9] On March 8, 2021, damage player Chon "Ado" Gi-hyeon signed with Overwatch Contenders team RunAway.^[10] Two of the Spark's free agents did not sign with a team in the 2020 offseason: damage player "Adora" Kang Jae-hwan and tank player Song "Sasin" Sang-hyun.

Regular season

After an 0–2 start to the season, the Spark released head coach Hwang "Pajion" Ji-sub and assistant coach Kim "nOrU" Jae-dong on April 26; Hwang "Andante" Jae-hong was promoted to interim head coach and Kim "Mentalist" Chung-in was brought on as an assistant coach.^[11]

In the first week of June, the Spark hosted the first live OWL events of the 2021 season, marking the first time that live OWL events took place in China.^[12] The live event took place during the June Joust qualifiers; the Spark advanced past the qualifiers with a perfect 4–0 record to the regional knockouts.^[13] However, they were defeated by the New York Excelsior in the regional knockouts, 3–1, failing to advance to the interregional tournament.^[14] Following the June Joust, on June 22, the Spark parted ways with damage player Kim "GodsB" Kyeon-bo, who had been with the team since their inaugural season.^[15]

The following week, one day into the Summer Showdown qualifiers, the Spark released tank player Lee "Takoyaki" Young-hyun.^[16] Following a 2–2 record in the qualifiers, the Spark parted ways with interim head coach Hwang "Andante" Jae-hong and assistant coach Kim "Mentalist" Chung-in on July 15, leaving assistant coach assistant coach Chen "U4" Congshan as the only member on the coaching staff.^[17] The Spark finished the regular season in fifth place in the Eastern region.^[18]

Postseason

As the fifth seed in the Eastern region, the Spark qualified for the play-in tournament. Prior to the play-ins, the Spark released starting tank player Lee "MCD" Jeong-ho, after he made xenophobic remarks towards a Chinese Overwatch Contenders player.^[19] Hangzhou's play-in semifinals match took place on September 5, against the Philadelphia Fusion. The Spark lost the match, 1–3, ending their season.^[20]

Final roster

2021 Hangzhou Spark roster
Players	Coaches
Role No. Handle Name Nationality Damage 17 Shy Zheng Yangjie China Damage 21 Architect Park Min-ho South Korea Damage 18 SeoMinSoo Seo Min-soo South Korea Tank 8 guxue Xu Qiulin China Tank 11 BERNAR Shin Se-won South Korea Tank 22 LiGe (2W) Jia Chengjie China Support 37 iDK Park Ho-jin South Korea Support 13 M1ka Liu Jiming China Support 14 ColdEst Tong Xiaodong China	Head coach Vacant
Legend: (I) Inactive (S) Suspended (2W) Two-way player Substitute Injury / Illness	Latest roster transaction: August 24, 2021.

Transactions

Transactions of/for players on the roster during the 2021 regular season:

• On June 22, the Spark released damage player Kim "GodsB" Kyeon-bo.^[15]
• On June 28, the Spark released tank player Lee "Takoyaki" Young-hyun.^[16]
• On August 24, the Spark released support player Lee "MCD" Jeong-ho.^[19]

Standings

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	L	Pts	PCT	MW	ML	MT	MD	Qualification
1	Shanghai Dragons	16	12	4	20	0.750	38	19	2	+19	Advance to season playoffs
2	Chengdu Hunters	16	11	5	15	0.688	38	22	2	+16
3	Seoul Dynasty	16	12	4	12	0.750	40	22	0	+18	Advance to play-ins
4	Philadelphia Fusion	16	10	6	10	0.625	37	24	3	+13
5	Hangzhou Spark	16	7	9	7	0.438	32	31	0	+1
6	New York Excelsior	16	7	9	7	0.438	29	32	0	−3
7	Guangzhou Charge	16	5	11	5	0.313	20	38	4	−18
8	Los Angeles Valiant	16	0	16	0	0.000	2	48	1	−46

Source: The Overwatch League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) winning percentage (including tournaments); 3) regular season wins; 4) regular season map differential

Game log

Regular season

2021 game log
May Melee Qualifier match 1 April 24 Philadelphia Fusion 3 – 1 Hangzhou Spark Online 6:30 pm CST    Details 1 Lijiang Tower 2 3 Watchpoint: Gibraltar 2 2 Hanamura 1 2 Eichenwalde 1 Qualifier match 2 April 25 Hangzhou Spark 1 – 3 New York Excelsior Online 5:00 pm CST    Details 1 Busan 2 2 Havana 3 2 Volskaya Industries 0 1 King's Row 3 Qualifier match 3 April 30 Shanghai Dragons 3 – 2 Hangzhou Spark Online 8:00 pm CST    Details 2 Nepal 0 2 Volskaya Industries 4 0 King's Row 3 1 Havana 0 2 Busan 0 Qualifier match 4 May 01 Guangzhou Charge 0 – 3 Hangzhou Spark Online 6:30 pm CST    Details 1 Oasis 2 1 Temple of Anubis 2 2 Blizzard World 3
June Joust Qualifier match 1 May 22 Guangzhou Charge 1 – 3 Hangzhou Spark Online 5:00 pm CST    Details 2 Lijiang Tower 0 2 Eichenwalde 3 1 Dorado 3 3 Temple of Anubis 4 Qualifier match 2 May 23 Shanghai Dragons 0 – 3 Hangzhou Spark Online 5:00 pm CST    Details 1 Nepal 2 3 Numbani 4 0 Rialto 1 Qualifier match 3 June 04 Los Angeles Valiant 0 – 3 Hangzhou Spark Hangzhou, CN 8:00 pm CST    Details Future Sci-Tech City Hosted by Hangzhou Spark 0 Oasis 2 0 Hanamura 2 1 Hollywood 2 Qualifier match 4 June 05 Chengdu Hunters 1 – 3 Hangzhou Spark Hangzhou, CN 8:00 pm CST    Details Future Sci-Tech City Hosted by Hangzhou Spark 1 Ilios 2 3 Volskaya Industries 2 3 Numbani 5 2 Rialto 3 Regional finals June 06 New York Excelsior 3 – 1 Hangzhou Spark Hangzhou, CN 5:00 pm CST    Details Future Sci-Tech City Hosted by Hangzhou Spark 0 Oasis 2 2 Temple of Anubis 0 3 Numbani 2 1 Dorado 0
Summer Showdown Qualifier match 1 June 26 Hangzhou Spark 3 – 0 Los Angeles Valiant Online 5:00 pm CST    Details 2 Lijiang Tower 1 2 Eichenwalde 1 1 Route 66 0 Qualifier match 2 June 27 Hangzhou Spark 0 – 3 Seoul Dynasty Online 5:00 pm CST    Details 1 Nepal 2 3 King's Row 4 2 Junkertown 3 Qualifier match 3 July 09 Hangzhou Spark 3 – 2 New York Excelsior Shanghai, CN 5:00 pm CST    Details Jing'An Sports Center Hosted by Shanghai Dragons 1 Oasis 2 3 Volskaya Industries 2 3 King's Row 2 2 Junkertown 3 2 Nepal 0 Qualifier match 4 July 10 Hangzhou Spark 1 – 3 Shanghai Dragons Shanghai, CN 8:00 pm CST    Details Jing'An Sports Center Hosted by Shanghai Dragons 0 Ilios 2 1 Hanamura 2 2 Hollywood 1 1 Watchpoint: Gibraltar 2
Countdown Cup Qualifier match 1 July 31 Hangzhou Spark 2 – 3 Seoul Dynasty Online 5:00 pm CST    Details 2 Lijiang Tower 0 3 King's Row 2 0 Rialto 3 2 Volskaya Industries 3 1 Oasis 2 Qualifier match 2 August 01 Hangzhou Spark 1 – 3 Philadelphia Fusion Online 8:00 pm CST    Details 2 Nepal 1 1 Blizzard World 2 0 Route 66 3 1 Temple of Anubis 2 Qualifier match 3 August 13 Hangzhou Spark 1 – 3 Chengdu Hunters Online 5:00 pm CST    Details 0 Busan 2 2 Hanamura 1 3 King's Row 4 1 Havana 2 Qualifier match 4 August 14 Guangzhou Charge 3 – 2 Hangzhou Spark Online 5:00 pm CST    Details 2 Ilios 0 3 Volskaya Industries 4 4 Numbani 5 3 Rialto 2 2 Lijiang Tower 1
2021 season schedule

Postseason

2021 playoff game log
East Play-ins Semifinals September 5 Hangzhou Spark 1 – 3 Philadelphia Fusion Online 5:05 pm CST    Details 2 Oasis 1 2 Volskaya Industries 3 1 King's Row 2 0 Route 66 1

References

1. "2021 Player Contract Status". Overwatch League. October 21, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
2. O'Dwyer, Samuel (October 22, 2020). "Hangzhou Spark promotes Chinese wunderkind Shy to main Overwatch League roster". Dot Esports. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
3. Castelot, Ophelie (November 16, 2020). "Overwatch League: Hangzhou Spark Signs Lige". ESTNN. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
4. Howard, Brandon (November 20, 2020). "Hangzhou Spark Sign SeoMinSoo, MCD". TheGamer. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
5. Alford, Aaron (November 23, 2020). "Hangzhou Spark Bring on Fresh Talent for 2021 Season". Hotspawn. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
6. Field Level Media (November 19, 2020). "Hangzhou Spark sign off tank Bernar". Reuters. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
7. Castelot, Ophelie (November 13, 2020). "Overwatch League: Hangzhou Spark releases QoQ". ESTNN. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
8. Alford, Aaron (November 19, 2020). "Washington Justice signs BeBe". Dot Esports. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
9. Johnson, Xavier (November 22, 2020). "Washington Justice signs off-tank Ria". Dot Esports. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
10. RunAway [@Runaway_OW] (March 8, 2021). "Runaway's new team rosters are on display" (Tweet). Retrieved April 19, 2021 – via Twitter.
11. Johnson, Xavier (April 26, 2021). "Hangzhou Spark parts ways with Pajion, Andante becomes interim head coach". Dot Esports. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
12. Czar, Michael (June 2, 2021). "Hangzhou Spark host the first live Overwatch League games in China". Upcomer. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
13. "Spark, Dynasty lock up June Joust seeds with wins". Reuters. June 5, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
14. Richardson, Liz (June 7, 2021). "Here are the Overwatch League June Joust teams". Dot Esports. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
15. Richardson, Liz (June 22, 2021). "Hangzhou Spark parts ways with GodsB". Dot Esports. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
16. Richardson, Liz (June 28, 2021). "Hangzhou Spark parts ways with Takoyaki". Dot Esports. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
17. Richardson, Liz (July 15, 2021). "Hangzhou Spark parts ways with head coach Andante, assistant coach Mentalist". Dot Esports. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
18. "Hangzhou Spark drop MCD after xenophobic remarks". Reuters. August 24, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
19. Richardson, Liz (August 24, 2021). "Hangzhou Spark drops MCD due to xenophobic 'in-game behavior'". Dot Esports. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
20. Richardson, Liz (September 5, 2021). "San Francisco Shock, Washington Justice advance to Overwatch League playoffs bracket". Dot Esports. Retrieved March 6, 2022.