Washington Justice chooses to face Paris Eternal for Overwatch League play-ins

The Overwatch League postseason is finally ready to begin after the Washington Justice selected its first opponent for the high-stakes play-in bracket, which begins on Sept. 4. 

Washington made the surprising decision to face the Paris Eternal, a team of European talent that has steadily improved over the course of the season. On the other side of the West Region bracket, the Toronto Defiant will be left to face the Boston Uprising, Washington’s unselected opponent option. 

This season’s play-ins are set up as single-elimination brackets in both the East and West Regions. West Region teams are competing for two spots in the final double-elimination playoffs bracket, which begins Sept. 16. East Region teams are competing for a single remaining spot. 

Though the Paris Eternal is heading into the postseason with an 8-8 overall season record, the team’s majority-rookie team has proven to be more formidable than most opponents expected. For the 9-7 Justice, which recently underperformed in the Countdown Cup tournament cycle, it’s a confident yet concerning choice. 

Paris and Washington will face off at 2pm on Sept. 4; Toronto and Boston will take each other on immediately after at approximately 3:30pm. Two winning teams will have the chance to be selected by either the San Francisco Shock or the Houston Outlaws, the higher seeds in the West Region play-in bracket.