In the Overwatch League, retirement is only a temporary phase. When players emerge from their extended vacation, they often head back to comfortable places to continue their journeys.
Former San Francisco Shock DPS Kwon “Striker” Nam-joo has exited retirement and will join the Boston Uprising in 2022, according to an announcement by the team.
Striker began his career in the Overwatch League on the Boston Uprising, where he was the team’s Tracer specialist and clutch DPS throughout the inaugural season. With Striker and coach Park “Crusty” Dae-hee on board, the Boston Uprising experienced a massive win streak in the latter part of the 2018 season.
As the second season came around, however, both Striker and Crusty headed for the San Francisco Shock. Striker was a huge part of the Shock’s back-to-back championship wins, especially the 2020 run where his Tracer was considered a game-changer against the Seoul Dynasty.
Midway through the 2021 season, Striker retired from the San Francisco Shock and competitive Overwatch as a whole. His exit was sudden and unexpected by most fans. As the offseason rolled around, though, Striker indicated a desire to return to the game—and Boston apparently heeded his call.
Striker joins flex DPS Kim “Valentine” Byeong-ju in the damage lineup. Boston’s support line is also set, with main support Kim “Faith” Hong-gyu confirmed for the 2022 season and former Houston Outlaws flex support William “Crimzo” Hernandez joining the team.
