Rivalries between competitors are some of the most compelling narratives in any sort of event whose purpose is to figure who's better at a certain activity. Even the most entertaining spectacles can become extra-engaging when spiced up by the history between the adversaries. With sixteen teams of at least six players entering each season of OGN's tournament, traditional grudge matches and intriguing clashes on individual level aren't lacking. This article, though, explores the less conventional rivalry narratives, which one can follow for the remainder of APEX's third season.

LuxuryWatch Blue vs. the world

The public ostracization of Hwang "Fl0w3R" Yeon Oh and co. within the Korean Overwatch community may have ran its course, but pundits, analyst and hardcore fans alike have very much kept their gaze onto the IEM Gyeonggi champions for reasons unrelated to it. The one-time losses to Lunatic-Hai, RunAway and Panthera they suffered during APEX S2 would have likely marked a conclusion to the praising of any other would-be champion; yet, in part thanks to their group lacking other top teams, LW Blue entered the third iteration of OGN's tournament widely considered the biggest favorites to win it.

However, this is not the extent to which the team's rivalry with the rest of the field goes. Since their debut in APEX S1, LW Blue has managed to trade series back and forth with many of the top teams. The cores of the APEX S2's champion and runner up, Lunatic-Hai and RunAway, as well as the the star-studded KongDoo Panthera, have all bested and given way to Jang "Luna" Gyeong-ho's boys. Additionally, both Meta Athena and Afreeca Freecs Blue will be looking to take revenge for their losses to the team, respectively during third-place and Ro8 elimination matches. Undoubtedly, the Rogue would have liked to take a second shot at the them in an attempt make up for the borderline-humiliation they experienced at their hand during IEM Gyeonggi.

With the team having top or elite performers in most of the positions, interesting matchups between individuals contesting for the best within their niche won't be lacking either in LW Blue's games. The silly furor over Fl0w3R's distant past may no longer be reason for some fans to cheer against the team, but many others -- much more relevant to Overwatch -- continue existing if one is fan of another team.

Taimou vs. OGN's PR department

Within the Overwatch community, EnVyUs' Finnish star-player is famous for two things. The first, his impeccable skills. He has shown the ability to carry on many heroes, but his proficiency with Roadhog, McCree and Widowmaker is so great that the three have become synonymous with Timo Kettunen's ID. On those characters, even more than on others, he is ofttimes the best player on the server, regardless of the outcome for EnVyUs as a unit. Additionally, both of the team's tournament wins are on the back of MVP performances by the Finn.

“A man’s character is his fate.” — Heraclitus

The second thing Taimou is known for is his remarkable personality, and by extension, the memes and ridiculous situations that follow in his wake, regardless of what he's up to. The adventure he underwent to get to Vegas for MLG's tournament and missteps in each of the previous APEX seasons are all well documented. The general public found them more so entertaining, rather than a matter of reproach. OGN on the other hand, wasn't as amused and fined him during both of the attendances in their tournament. With EnVyUs being one foot in the Ro8, the likelihood of the next comic chapter of the Taimou saga occurring before the team's potential exit from APEX S3 has doubled. Some might think the Finn will be paying more attention in an attempt to prevent something of the sort from coming to be in future, but escaping the prison of one's own self is not that easy as suggested by Heraclitus. As a result, the author finds it highly unlikely that we've seen the last amusing accident involving Taimou.

In the meantime, while waiting, Western fans can chuckle over the equally absurd situation that transpired when Korean fans learned about Dylan "aKm" Bignet's lack of appreciation for kimchi. Fortunately for Rogue, this transgression wasn't enough for the squad to get fined.

The perfect storm vs. the perfectly adaptable

During Overwatch's brief existence as an esport, one of the quirks it has showcased is the propensity for champions being elected by the metagame more often than the opposite. In games like CS:GO and Dota 2, the best teams are usually the ones who are adaptable, ahead of the curve, or have a playstyle unique to themselves, which no one else can replicate. In Blizzard's hit FPS, however, as the metagame has been repeatedly shaped directly by patches, the ones who pick up the trophies have often been those who are simply the finest at executing the style most deem as best.

Exceptions exist, but they are few and far between. Notable ones like Misfits' win at DreamHack Winter and LW Blue's at IEM Gyeonggi can be dismissed as flukes or as a result of some of the finest teams at the time not attending the events.

And if those two were exceptions, the winner of APEX's past seasons very much fit the rule. EnVyUs won as a direct result of recruiting a player who turned out to be the perfect sixth for the upcoming patch. That's after one of their key players, Ronnie "Talespin" DuPree left in the middle of the tournament. Along the same vein, Lunatic-Hai were forced to use a lineup they didn't start the tournament with, but pundits, analyst and fans alike deemed as superior to the one of their preference. Additionally, as the tournament progressed, the metagame was nudged in their favor by a patch.

So far this season, teams have demonstrated preferences for a multitude of playstyles and even though three DPS characters is often recognized as the way to go, different teams are finding success with other types of compositions. Whether or not this will remain the case in the Ro8 and further is yet to be seen, as a patch might very well upset the balance. For now though, teams of different approaches to the game seem to be on a relatively even footing for the first time in APEX and the familiar phrase “versatility is king” might become true in its most literal sense.

ArHaN vs. himself

Following Weon-hyeop "ArHaN" Jeong's Overwatch career has been something of a roller coaster as he’s shown two distinct versions of himself in tournament play. From one of the best at what he does, during BlizzCon and APEX S1, his performances plummeted down to a level that even his most dedicated supporters couldn’t justify, during APEX S2. Despite receiving the majority of Afreeca Freecs Blue's resources and the metagame favoring his signature hero, the event saw him continuously failing to produce sufficient results. His decision-making was found equally lacking with regularity, as he'd often attempt overly aggressive or straight up mind-boggling plays. The team's lacking supports and tanks definitely didn't help his performances, but none of those can be blamed for the Genji specialist engaging from the flank with bad timings, pushing payloads solo against six and using his ultimate when the rest of his team is either dead or using the fight only to charge their own.

Circumstances for ArHaN certainly weren't perfect, but it was obvious that the famous proverb holds true for him - he was his own worst enemy.

For this season, the Genji specialist's circumstances have improved and seemingly so has his level. The poor habits from last season are yet to show themselves, but so is a higher level of competition that can bring out and exploit them. Last season's runner-up, RunAway, has lost their best player and have been unable to find the same form that allowed them to best KongDoo Uncia, Lunatic-Hai and LW Blue. At the same time, the successful-in-Challenger X6-Gaming has failed to meet the expectations some had for them and KD Uncia -- who AF Blue is yet to face -- haven't shown any signs of life after losing Lucid and birdring, while DNCE moved to the support position.

He has definitely looked improved recently, but the true test of whether or not ArHaN has overcome his shortcomings will be the Ro8. And if he can keep his lower nature down under that pressure, the reward will be putting AF Blue in position of contention for the APEX S3 title.

Photo credits: OGN

About the author: Hello readers, I go by the ID RadoN! I’ve been following different games within the esports industry ever since finding out about it in 2009. The titles that I follow closely for the time being are Overwatch, CS:GO and Quake Live, while occasionally dabbling in SFV, Dota 2 and LoL. If you wish to reach out, follow future content, or simply know more about my thoughts on esports, you can find me on twitter at @RadoNonfire.