The day began promptly with time no doubt weighing heavy on the minds of our tournament organisers, but graver matters were hanging in the balance for LDLC and mousesports who had both struck out in their behind-the-scenes Group B opening matches. One best-of-three stands between them and elimination here at the DreamHack Winter Overwatch Championship.

Map Draft

  • LDLC picked Lijiang Tower and banned Ilios, Temple of Anubis, Nepal, Eichenwalde and Route 66.
  • mouz picked Hollywood and banned King's Row, Volskaya Industries, Hanamura, Numbani and Watchpoint: Gibraltar.
  • Dorado remains and will be played first.

Despite mousesports taking a map from Fnatic yesterday, LDLC enter as favourites having beaten mouz 2-0 in the BYOC bracket on Lijiang and Anubis, which they notably chose to ban this time.

Dorado

The action begins with LDLC on attack and we see near identical compositions, KabaL rocking the Ana against BUR1X's Zenyatta the only difference. After the initial scuffles the fight heats up when KabaL spends Nano Boost to unleash Mezamorphis' Reinhardt. The defenders ranks are scattered, but both mouz supports remain standing and refusing to admit defeat pop off Transcendence and Sound Barrier in a fruitless effort. LDLC take Objective A on the first time of asking.

As the payload hits the streets phase LDLC have an ever growing ult advantage. Taking advantage of earlier knock-off's by Mete's D. Va, klanton nimbly skips to the high ground as the spry senior citizen Soldier 76 before wrecking havoc with a Nano Visor. The mousesports defence just melts and as LDLC reach the Power Station the payload has barely stopped rolling.

klanton looks to press his ult advantage again pushing top right with a Nano Boost, but the D. Va of Finnsi is in place this time and LDLC leave empty handed from an engagement for the first time this map.

The defenders have finally gained a foothold and Logix looks to dominate the next fight from the central high ground, popping off his Tactical Visor but quickly entering a blind panic as Mete's Mech sails over his head for an air detonation that delivers huge DPS and support frags, and in one fell swoop the mouz defence has been fatally wounded. LDLC push to completion.

Now attacking, BUR1X opens on Ana and KabaL mirrors his previous Zen pick. Interestingly Clown is on Ana - no Lucio for LDLC - but the static nature of their composition doesn't matter seem to matter as mouz simply evaporate in the face of LDLC's damage output.

The defenders are now playing farther back on the second wave, goading their opponents allowing mouz to make good distance to the fountain, but it's a trap as a Mezamorphis Nano hammer comes swinging through the attackers lines.

Push three and Mete spends his Self Destruct to get a crucial pick on BUR1X's Ana and the attack resets once again. The time is starting to look desperate as a fourth and potentially final engagement gets underway and quickly becomes scrappy. CWoosH is trying to find an angle on the left of the market, but the LDLC defence is so entrenched behind the fountain (on account of not having that Lucio crutch) - he is starved of targets. The desperation Nano Visor just plinks off Mezamorphis' shield and mouz lunge for the payload in overtime, but KabaL is waiting with a timely Transcendence to ensure the cleanup is effortless. LDLC claim first blood in the series with a full hold on Dorado.

Hollywood

Now on their own map pick mousesports open on defence on holding deep at the rear of the capture point. LDLC enter freely and poke from the roof with KabaL on Ana and Clown on Lucio.

It seems like mouz have steadied themselves, swatting off early advances. The second push sees Logix burn Nano Visor to rush down the attackers backline, killing off both supports despite the D. Va in his face. Finnsi's defensive Zarya is soon mirrored by Mete as he lobs in a carefree Self Destruct and switches off the Korean Cyberathlete.

LDLC realise that they had forced mouz to spend big on the previous push and with 45 seconds left they push hard on their ult advantage, blowing Nano Boost, Whole Hog and Sound Barrier to kick down the door and crush the defence. They've gone all in but it's paid off as they manage to take objective A with seconds to spare.

LDLC get crushed initially the dusty streets but once again have baited out the overspend from mouz and push emphatically on their second attempt with a Graviton, Visor and Sound Barrier trifecta. mouz scramble to try and contest outside the studio doors but LDLC shrug off the stragglers to cap with minimal effort.

Inside the studio hangar Finnsi initiates with his Graviton for an aggressive defence at the final corner, CWoosH tries to deal the fatal damage with a Whole Hog, but the shield of Mezamorphis buys LDLC them vital seconds to escape and quickly turn things around to find the first two frags. From there it just snowballs out of control and LDLC push to completion.

mouz have it all to do now, but no sooner has their attack commenced do they find their Reinhardt Aseal hooked in and the first wave quickly peters out amidst the confusion. Mezamorphis is playing a key role in the defenders ruthless forward hold at the main archway, poking forward with hammer swings.

Third wave and LDLC hang back, on account of their immobile Zenyatta / Ana comp and the looming threat of mousesports maturing ultimates. Despite allowing mouz to grab the high ground, the defenders weather another storm.

On the next attempt mouz commit with a Self Destruct but get blindsided by Mete's own kamikaze mech from behind yielding two kills. The defenders are looking dominant as frustrated Finnsi switches off to Zarya - the look of desperation is once again painted on the heroes of mousesports as they scramble against the clock to crack this airtight LDLC defence - but it isn't to be and KabaL & Co. hold fast.

mousesports are out of the tournament and join UnWanted in the bleachers. Superior defensive setups and ultimate management from LDLC just proved too much this time around. Mete seemed to have a strong edge over Finnsi as both D. Va and Zarya, with Aseal paling in comparison to Mezamorphis on the day - this is a tank meta, baby.

Team LDLC now progress to face the loser of Misfits and Fnatic in the Group B Decider Match this afternoon.