Former Defiant tank Numlocked retires from Overwatch

Former Toronto Defiant main tank Seb “Numlocked” Barton retired from Overwatch last night, adding to a growing list of players leaving the esport.

After spending four months with the Overwatch League’s Toronto Defiant, Barton ended his career playing with Young and Beautiful in the Contenders circuit. His final event was “The Gauntlet,” a major event that ended the European Contenders 2020 season.

In his announcement, Numlocked said his “heart isn’t in it anymore.”

“After taking a break just before gauntlet I realized my heart isn’t in it anymore, the fire inside me that pushed me to grind and persevere has died,” he said. “Shoutout to everyone that was on a team I played for or against, you guys made it all worth.”

Numlock’s career as a Reinhardt and Winston main included him playing for a hodgepodge of teams. Starting in 2015, when Overwatch was released, he played for G2 Esports before ending up with Team Dignitas and NRG Esports prior to the inaugural OWL season.

He also earned himself a spot on the U.K. national team in 2016 before being a part of the country’s selection committee in 2017. 

Once the OWL started up, it didn’t take him long to find a team. He played the first season of the league with the Los Angeles Valiant. He was one of four tanks named to the roster. 

At the end of the season, Numlocked was one of a handful of players released by the team. He then began playing for Contenders teams, including the British Hurricane, Team Envy, and Montreal Rebellion, before being called up to play for the Defiant this past season.