Shanghai Dragons seek new talent, including Geguri

With a record generously described as awful, it’s no secret the Shanghai Dragons are looking to sign some new talent to their Overwatch League roster as the first trade window opens. Geguri, a South Korean offtank famous for being so good at Zarya she had to prove she wasn’t hacking, looks to be their main pickup according to ESPN. If the trade goes through as rumored, Geguri will make history as the first woman to play in the Overwatch League.

There will be a bit of a language barrier at play as she joins an all-Chinese team. Geguri will be joined by two other Korean teammates — Fearless, who also plays the tank role, and Ado, a dps flex. This makes sense strategically, as the weakest link right now on Shanghai appears to be their tank players, and having two tanks on the same page is crucial. They’ll be learning Mandarin to communicate with their team, but comms tend to be very short bursts of specific speech. “Kill the Mercy” seems to be universally understood no matter what language it’s said in.

Of course, all this is assuming the league approves the contracts. Geguri’s name has been connected inextricably with an ongoing discussion about women in esports and Overwatch League’s lack thereof specifically. Also, although Shanghai has some weakness in their tank lineup, it’s unclear whether they’d be cutting any of their current lineup, and a de facto salary cap may be a concern with that many players.

If you’re not familiar with Geguri’s play, here’s her first video with Inven, made to prove she wasn’t hacking. It’s from a much older meta, but you can still see her awareness, and especially her accuracy, shine through. She’ll make a great addition to the Dragons.