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The coolest of off-tanks is leaving the pro life behind. The Houston Outlaws announced today that Matt “Coolmatt” Iorio will be retiring from professional play within the Overwatch League. The team said he will move into a yet-unknown role within the organization.
Coolmatt has been a part of the Houston Outlaws roster since the team was created in 2017. He was initially recruited to the team after an impressive showing at the 2017 Overwatch World Cup, where he helped represent the United States. Coolmatt is a veteran player within the competitive Overwatch scene, playing for Fnatic as the game developed a hold within the esports world. He also played for FNRGFE after Fnatic disbanded.
He also had a cheeky name for the Overwatch League to deal with. In the first season of the league, numbers were not allowed in player tags, likely in part because of his chosen name. Coolmatt, originally known as “Coolmatt69,” had to settle for a simplified tag and jersey number 69 after he joined the Houston Outlaws.
Coolmatt was widely known as one of the best D.Va players in the Overwatch League. As metas shifted, he took a backseat role on the Houston Outlaws, especially during the second season. The team announcement stated that he’ll be taking a “new role within the Outlaws organization” but did not expand on what his role would be.
It’s obvious Coolmatt will remain close to the team if several of his teammates’ Tweets are to be believed. Head coach Harsha Bandi said he’d “always remember [Coolmatt] as one of the best off-tanks in the league” and is eager to work with him “moving forwards.” Houston Outlaws flex support Shane “Rawkus” Flaherty commended his friend’s teamwork and said he’s happy he is “still able to work with” Coolmatt.
After Coolmatt’s retirement announcement, Outlaws general manager Matt “Flame” Rodriguez informed fans of the sacrifice the off-tank made for the team. According to Flame, Coolmatt “decided he would take a large pay cut” so the team could sign main support Lee “Jecse” Seong-soo. “Matt didn’t want to play, but the selflessness and passion to see the team succeed even if it meant him losing out is admirable and why he’s now staff,” Flame said on Twitter.
Season three of the Overwatch League begins on Feb. 8. The Houston Outlaws will play their first game of the season in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Feb. 15.
