| 2018 Houston Outlaws season |
|---|
| Head coach | Kim Tae-yeong |
|---|
| General manager | Matt Rodriguez |
|---|
| Owner | Hector Rodriguez |
|---|
| Division | Atlantic |
|---|
|
| Record | 22–18 (.550) |
|---|
| Place | |
|---|
| Stage 1 Playoffs | Semifinals |
|---|
| Stage 2 Playoffs | Did not qualify |
|---|
| Stage 3 Playoffs | Did not qualify |
|---|
| Stage 4 Playoffs | Did not qualify |
|---|
| Season Playoffs | Did not qualify |
|---|
| Total Earnings | $75,000 |
|---|
|
The 2018 Houston Outlaws season was the first season of the Houston Outlaws's existence in the Overwatch League. Outlaws qualified for the Stage 1 playoffs but fell to the London Spitfire in the semifinals. The team did not qualify finished with a regular season record of 22–18, missing the season playoffs.
Preceding offseason
On October 31, 2017, Houston Outlaws announced their inaugural season roster, consisting of the following players:[1]
- Matthew "Clockwork" Dias
- Lucas "Mendokusaii" Håkansson
- Jiri "LiNkzr" Masalin
- Jake "Jake" Lyon
- Austin "Muma" Wilmot
- Matt "Coolmatt" Iorio
- Shane "Rawkus" Flaherty
- Christopher "Bani" Benell
- Daniel "Boink" Pence
- Alexandre "SPREE" Vanhomwegen
Regular season
Review
On January 11, the Outlaws played their first regular season Overwatch League match, a 3–2 loss to the Philadelphia Fusion.[2] One week later, on January 17, Houston claimed their first victory after sweeping the Shanghai Dragons 4–0.[3] Houston went on to qualify for the Stage 1 playoffs but fell to the London Spitfire in the semifinals.[4]
Houston entered their last regular season match against the New York Excelsior needing a win to keep their season playoff hopes alive. The Outlaws had a 2–1 lead after three matches, but New York won the next three straight to take the win 3–2.[5] The team finished with a regular season record of 22–18.
Final roster
| 2018 Houston Outlaws roster |
| Players | Coaches |
| Role |
No. |
Handle |
Name |
Nationality |
| Damage |
11 |
Clockwork |
Dias, Matthew |
United States |
| Damage |
12 |
Mendokusaii |
Håkansson, Lucas |
Sweden |
| Damage |
49 |
LiNkzr |
Masalin, Jiri |
Finland |
| Damage |
76 |
JAKE |
Lyon, Jacob |
United States |
| Tank |
2 |
FCTFCTN |
Campbell, Russell |
United States |
| Tank |
17 |
Muma |
Wilmot, Austin |
United States |
| Tank |
69 |
Coolmatt |
Iorio, Matt |
United States |
| Support |
1 |
Rawkus |
Flaherty, Shane |
United States |
| Support |
3 |
Bani |
Benell, Christopher |
Canada |
| Support |
13 |
Boink |
Pence, Daniel |
United States |
| Flex |
7 |
SPREE |
Vanhomwegen, Alexandre |
Belgium |
| Flex |
57 |
ArHaN |
Jung Won-hyeop |
South Korea |
|
- Head coach
|
|
Legend:
- (I) Inactive
- (S) Suspended
- (2W) Two-way player
Substitute
Injury / Illness
|
Latest roster transaction: March 30, 2018. |
Transactions
Transactions of/for players on the roster during the 2018 regular season:
- On February 16, Outlaws signed Russell "FCTFCTN" Campbell.[6]
- On March 30, Outlaws signed Jung "ArHaN" Won-hyeop.[7]
Standings
Record by stage
| Stage | Pld | W | L | Pct | MW | ML | MT | MD | Pos |
|
| 1 | 10 | 7 | 3 | .700 | 30 | 13 | 0 | +17 | 2 |
| 2 | 10 | 5 | 5 | .500 | 22 | 22 | 0 | ±0 | 7 |
| 3 | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | 20 | 24 | 1 | -4 | 9 |
| 4 | 10 | 6 | 4 | .600 | 22 | 18 | 1 | +4 | 8 |
| Overall | 40 | 22 | 18 | .550 | 94 | 77 | 2 | +17 | 7 |
|
| Qualified for playoffs |
Game log
Preseason
| 2018 preseason game log |
| 1 |
December 7 |
Dallas Fuel |
3 |
– |
2 |
Houston Outlaws |
Burbank, CA |
|
|
Regular season
| 2018 game log (Regular season record: 22–18) |
| 4 |
January 18 |
Dallas Fuel |
0 |
– |
4 |
Houston Outlaws |
Burbank, CA |
|
|
|
| 26 |
April 21 |
Houston Outlaws |
3 |
– |
0 |
Dallas Fuel |
Burbank, CA |
|
|
| 37 |
June 06 |
Dallas Fuel |
1 |
– |
3 |
Houston Outlaws |
Burbank, CA |
|
|
References
- "Introducing the Houston Outlaws, the Official Overwatch League Team from OpTic Gaming". Business Wire. October 31, 2017.
- Rosen, Rick (January 11, 2018). "Overwatch League: Philadelphia Fusion vs Houston Outlaws Recap". Heavy. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- Carpenter, Nicole (January 17, 2018). "Massive skill divides plague Overwatch League's last two Jan. 17 matches". Dot Esports. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- "London Spitfire beats Houston, New York to win Overwatch League Stage 1 playoffs". ESPN. February 11, 2018.
- Lingle, Samuel (June 15, 2018). "Houston Outlaws eliminated from OWL playoff race by New York Excelsior". Dot Esports. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- Lingle, Samuel (February 17, 2018). "Houston Outlaws sign FCTFCTN". Dot Esports.
- "Houston Outlaws Confirms the Final Addition to Its Overwatch League Roster". Dexerto. March 30, 2018.