The Overwatch League has been a wild emotional ride and we’ve only scratched the surface of Season One. Six months ago we ’re sat on our hands waiting for this moment and the subsequent moments to come. To say that they Overwatch League was “long-awaited” almost doesn’t do justice to how anticipated this was, and with the first quarter in the books, it is time to crown a champion. It just so happens that the champions are a team cluttered with familiar faces of veteran Overwatch esports professionals continuing to carve out their path as leaders in the ecosystem.

The London Spitfire are your Overwatch League Stage 1 Champions. Packed within that neat little statement, like a well-organized rucksack, is a myriad of little tales and narratives that make this win immensely more decadent. These narratives sound off like a classic, big jazz band. They're larger than life sound shape the attention of fans and mesmerize them like the roar of a proud brass line. They speak to us as people because they touch on the human condition and things that have been ingrained in us from a young age.

The members of GC Busan are fulfilling their prophecy as “royal roaders.” The term “royal road” accounts for a rookie team or player approaching their first major title and winning it. They have won the last 3 major tournaments (APEX Season 4, APAC 2017, Overwatch League Stage 1) and have done some all the while maintaining an extremely high level and battling outside forces working against them.

During APEX Season 4 GC Busan we’re the forgettable rookies who brought low the giants Lunatic-Hai and Cloud 9 Kongdoo in dominant fashion. Their Grand Final victory over the perennial bridesmaids, RunAway, cemented their place in the stone tablet of esports history as another royal road team destined for glory and success. “Dream the impossible, until you wake up at the top. It’s time to prove everything.” This was a quote from one of OGN’s pre-roll videos for the APEX quarterfinals. Even with the departure of OGN’s APEX league, these fitting quotes succinctly tell the story of six boys from Busan who dared to challenge the notion of what we assumed was set in stone. However, there were no breaks on the train from Busan, the boys in blue continued their success elsewhere.

GC Busan then traveled to China for APAC 2017 where they were given three days to learn a brand new metagame on a new patch. This was the beginning of the rise of Mercy which drastically changed how people view and played the game, and once again, GC Busan managed to find a way to win. Their rematch against RunAway and subsequent victory was applauded worldwide and, at that time, GC Busan was hailed as the best team in the world. This would be the end of “GC Busan.”

Shortly after APAC 2017, the boys from Busan traded their train tickets in for a boarding pass. All of the core members of GC Busan were signed to play and represent the London Spitfire. They would join their once rivals, Cloud 9 KongDoo, as brothers in arms as the 12 South Korean natives traveled across the world to Los Angeles, California to play in the biggest stage in Overwatch esports, the Overwatch League.

The Overwatch League would play battleground to some of the most talented Overwatch players in the world and the London Spitfire we’re no exception to the rule. Made up of two of the most decorated teams in Overwatch, the Spitfire had giant-sized shoes to fill. Their potential was massive and they started on a sour note. However, that tone quickly changed as we slowly progressed through the regular season of Stage 1.

Yes, London had their moments where you questioned things. At times they hit massive peaks, but those peaks were also met with some worrying valleys. With their consistency slightly questionable, London persevered into the playoffs as the 2nd seed. The Stage 1 playoffs were set to be an elegant waltz of talent. London squared off against Houston and the winner would meet the giants of New York in the Grand Final. There was a slight problem though; London had already played New York earlier in the day.

The format of the Stage 1 playoffs had the last three regular-season games be played on the same day of the Stage 1 playoffs and it by serendipitous chance that New York and London had a regular season match scheduled for that day. This, mind you, being one of the most grueling days that any Overwatch professional player had endured. The London Spitfire had a 14-hour slog to reach the top. The playoffs were not only about who was better on that given day, it was about maintaining your stamina to play at a top level for extremely long amounts of time. London’s victory over Houston was a swift and convincing 3-1, but their rematch against New York was one for the ages.

Comeback stories are timeless in a sense. In a way, their a synthesized version of the archetypal “underdog story.” London faced a 0-2 deficit after not only losing to New York earlier in the day, but they also quite literally played all day long, but the train from Busan, with a few new passengers, did not come equipped with breaks. Game after game, London crawled back into the race. First, it was Horizon Lunar Colony where London found their footing and stabilized. Then, they found their rhythm on Numbani in a first point, full hold. Dorado was the 5th and final map. The momentum culminated in an amazing performance from Birdring and Gesture which helped to carry London into an impressive reverse sweep of the New York Excelsior, 3-2.

What’s almost magical about GC Busan is that they’ve always found success running into the wind. Accented with some amazing talent from the members of the Cloud 9 KongDoo core, we have to question ourselves a bit; is it really surprising that the London Spitfire won Stage 1? Gesture didn’t look amazing during the preseason, but the synergy between Gesture and Profit is the largest axiom in their offensive strategies. Where ever Gesture goes, Profit is sure to follow and with their KongDoo accents on the back of that, you’ve got Birdring carving a path of terror with his amazing hitscan play. I have to admit, it did take them a few weeks to find their footing and regain that same momentum, but the amount of talent on this roster coupled with the history on this team,

The train from Busan may have some new additions to its train cars, but the mechanics remain the same. Each and every time, they've faced problem after problem, issue after issue, and GC Busan has vaulted over anything that life has placed in front of them. GC Busan’s unmoving resolve has led them to multiple major championship victories.

You can not stop them.

Joseph “Volamel” Franco has followed esports since the MLG’s of 2006. He started out primarily following Starcraft 2, Halo 3, and Super Smash Bros. Melee. He has transitioned from viewer to journalist and writes freelance primarily about Overwatch and League of Legends. If you would like to know more or follow his thoughts on esports you can follow him at @Volamel.

Images courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.