New hope: Boston Uprising 2021 team preview

For the past three years, Boston Uprising fans have worked through the five stages of grief in the Overwatch League.

They’ve been depressed, watching the team fall to the bottom of the leaderboards, but they’ve eventually landed on acceptance of perpetual disappointment. Boston’s 2021 roster may finally cheer them up. 

Under the watchful eye of new head coach Kim “Lori” Seung-hyun from WGS Phoenix, the upgraded Uprising roster has been assembled with care and actual strategy. The team’s last few veterans, motivated to redeem their names and their organization, will now be supported by impressive rookies with carry potential. 

Tank 

All eyes are on former Shanghai Dragons main tank Seo “Stand1” Ji-won, who will be forced to flex to multiple tank heroes during the start of the season. Resident Reinhardt expert Cameron “Fusions” Bosworth, Boston’s other main tank, is currently stuck in Europe due to extensive lockdowns. Stand1 often played second fiddle to other tanks on Shanghai and this is his chance to shine. 

Up until last week, fans assumed Australian off-tank Leyton “Punk” Gilchrist would have a permanent starting spot on the Uprising roster. Looking for more flexibility, the team promoted Yun “GaeBullSsi” Young-sun from Uprising Academy to the big leagues. With two talented off-tanks on board, this might end up being Boston’s most impressive role. 

Support 

Flex support Seo “Myunb0ng” Sang-min was one of the few consistent highlights of Boston’s 2020 roster. His expert Ana play gave the team countless opportunities for a possible win, but no one was ever quite able to capitalize on his talent. This year, the team should know to play around his expertise. 

Hailing from WGS Phoenix in Overwatch Contenders Korea, Kim “Faith” Hong-gyu may finally be a stable main support option for the Uprising. He reunites with former coach Lori, giving the team more built-in cohesion than it’s had in years.  

DPS 

Head coach Lori also worked to acquire a secret weapon in Kim “Valentine” Byeong-ju, a wildly talented flex DPS from WGS Phoenix. Known for his carry potential on multiple heroes, Valentine could be a saving grace for the Uprising, which has often lacked a star DPS player. 

Former Toronto Defiant DPS Hong “im37” Jin-ui and Uprising staple Kelsey “Colourhex” Birse will share hitscan duties over the season. Im37, known for his McCree and Tracer expertise, will likely work to support Valentine’s wild plays. Colourhex has been around for a while, but his Widowmaker is still as crisp as ever. 

2021 outlook 

This roster is, objectively, the best that the Boston Uprising has ever looked. While that’s not a high bar considering the team’s abysmal results in the past, this lineup should give Boston fans a level of optimism they may not have felt in a while. 

Uprising management has finally added players with carry potential, like Valentine and GaeBullSsi, to support and enable veterans who have real talent. For the first time, Boston feels like it has an eclectic mix of players with real motivation instead of a motley crew of the cheapest Contenders talent available. 

While the roster has individual talent, it’ll take a lot of practice and quality coaching to achieve the kind of teamwork and coordination that sets top-tier Overwatch League teams apart. 

The Boston Uprising’s next match is against the Washington Justice at 3:30pm CT on Thursday, April 29.