Overwatch League side London Spitfire have let go of their player roster and coaching staff.
Spitfire said in a Twitter announcement yesterday: “It is with heavy hearts that we must announce that we must bid farewell to our players.
“We have offered free agency to most of our players to ensure that they can find a new team to thrive in with the least amount of resistance.
“We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all Spitfire players and coaches that have displayed incredible resilience throughout all of our difficulties this season.”
Players Although, Babel, Schwi, Jihun, Clestyn, Highly and Krillin are now all free agents. Coaching staff Agape, Pavane, Twinkl and Sqix left earlier this month.
Hours later, Spitfire announced that academy team manager Ysabel “Noukky” Müller was to be promoted to general manager of London Spitfire.
In the video posted below, Noukky thanked the outgoing players and coaches and spoke about some of the aims for Spitfire moving forward into 2021.
She said they will build a team ‘that is representative of EU and will develop the best talent in the region’, and that although she couldn’t promise fans they will be a top 5 Overwatch League team, they will aim to produce a side that ‘EU can be proud of’.
It’s been a tough time for Spitfire – and the Overwatch League – this year.
Spitfire finished 17th out of 20 in the 2020 regular season. The Spitfire Homestand events in the UK were cancelled in light of Covid, and the Overwatch League has seen a drop in viewership.
All-Korean side London Spitfire won the inaugural Overwatch League back in summer 2018 but have seen a number of roster changes since.
Spitfire also have an academy team – the British Hurricane.
Spitfire also recently announced The Mustangs, a home for Spitfire fans based in the US.
Cloud9 secured the London Overwatch League spot back in August 2017, much to Fnatic’s disappointment. Orgs like Cloud9 were required by Blizzard Entertainment to give their teams names unique to the Overwatch League, like London Spitfire and LA Gladiators.
Activision Blizzard has since employed a similar franchise model for its Call of Duty League, of which the London Royal Ravens team reside.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
