The 2021 New York Excelsior season will be the fourth season of New York Excelsior's (NYXL) existence in the Overwatch League and their first under head coach Lee "WhyNot" Ju-hyeop.
Preceding offseason
Roster changes
Free agents
| Position
|
Handle
|
Name
|
2021 team
|
Date signed
|
Notes
|
| Support
|
Anamo
|
Jung Tae-sung
|
Seoul Dynasty
|
November 29[1]
|
Option declined
|
| Tank
|
Bianca
|
Kim Dong-wook
|
New York Excelsior
|
December 11[2]
|
Option declined
|
| Damage
|
Haksal
|
Kim Hyo-jong
|
–
|
–
|
Option declined
|
| Damage
|
Libero
|
Kim Hae-seong
|
–
|
–
|
Option declined
|
| Tank
|
Mano
|
Kim Dong-gyu
|
Philadelphia Fusion
|
November 2[3]
|
Option declined
|
| Damage
|
Saebyeolbe
|
Park Jong-ryeol
|
Seoul Dynasty
|
November 29[1]
|
Option declined
|
| Damage
|
WhoRU
|
Lee Seung-jun
|
–
|
–
|
Option declined
|
- Legend
- Light green background indicates a player was re-signed by the Excelsior.
- Light red background indicates a player departed from the Excelsior.
|
The NYXL entered free agency with seven free agents, all of which became free agents due to the team not exercising the option to retain the player for another year.[4]
Acquisitions
The Excelsior's first offseason acquisition was Jo "Yakpung" Gyeong-mu, a tank player coming off of an Overwatch Contenders Korea championship with O2 Blast who signed on December 11, 2020.[2] Six days later, they signed rookie Lee "Friday" Seung-woo, a "skilled and flexible" support player coming from Contenders team OZ Gaming.[5] On December 22, the team announced the signing of four damage players: Jo "FEATH5R" Min-jae, a rookie coming from OZ Gaming, Lim "Flora" Young-woo, a rookie hitscan player coming from Contenders team Team Diamond, Kim "Gwangboong" Gwang-won, another rookie hitscan player coming from Contenders team Team Cat, and Lee "Ivy" Seung-hyun, a veteran who was "one of the most flexible and deadly" damage players with the Philadelphia Fusion in 2020.[5]
Departures
The Excelsior released two of their contracted players on October 22, 2020: damage player Jeong "Nenne" Yeon-gwan and tank player Choi "Hotba" Hong-jun.[6] Six of the NYXL's seven free agents did not return, three of which signed with other teams, beginning with tank player Kim "Mano" Dong-gyu signing with the Philadelphia Fusion on November 2.[3] On November 29, support player Jung "Anamo" Tae-sung and tank player Park "Saebyeolbe" Jong-ryeol signed with the Seoul Dynasty.[1] Damage players Kim "Haksal" Hyo-jong and Lee "WhoRU" Seung-jun both announced their retirements in the offseason.[7][8] The team's final free agent, damage player Kim "Libero" Hae-seong did not sign with a team in the offseason.
Final roster
| 2021 New York Excelsior roster
|
| Players |
Coaches
|
| Role
|
No.
|
Handle
|
Name
|
Nationality
|
| Damage
|
14
|
FEATH5R
|
Jo Min-jae
|
South Korea
|
| Damage
|
12
|
Flora
|
Lim Young-woo
|
South Korea
|
| Damage
|
83
|
Gwangboong
|
Kim Gwang-won
|
South Korea
|
| Tank
|
29
|
Yakpung
|
Jo Gyeong-mu
|
South Korea
|
| Tank
|
13
|
BiaNcA
|
Kim Dong-wook
|
South Korea
|
| Tank
|
5
|
Kalios
|
Wooyeol Shin
|
South Korea
|
| Support
|
1
|
Friday
|
Jo Min-jae
|
South Korea
|
| Support
|
44
|
JJonak
|
Bang Seong-hyun
|
South Korea
|
|
- Head coach
|
|
Legend:
- (I) Inactive
- (S) Suspended
- (2W) Two-way player
- Substitute
- Injury / Illness
|
Latest roster transaction: July 16, 2021.
|
Transactions
Transactions of/for players on the roster during the 2021 regular season:
- On June 30, the Excelsior signed tank player Shin "Kalios" Woo-yeol.[9]
- On July 16, damage player Lee "Ivy" Seung-hyun retired.[10]
Standings
Game log
Regular season
References
- ^ a b c Richardson, Liz (November 29, 2020). "Saebyeolbe and Anamo join Seoul Dynasty". Dot Esports. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Richardson, Liz (December 11, 2020). "NYXL adds Yakpung and BiaNcA". Dot Esports. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Czar, Michael (November 3, 2020). "Mano moves to the Philadelphia Fusion". Daily Esports. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ "2021 Player Contract Status". Overwatch League. October 21, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Alford, Aaron (December 23, 2020). "NYXL Complete 2021 Lineup". Hotspawn. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ Duwe, Scott (October 21, 2020). "NYXL parts ways with Nenne, Hotba, Bianca, and WhoRU". Dot Esports. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ Richardson, Liz (October 20, 2020). "Haksal retires from professional Overwatch". Dot Esports. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
- ^ Field Level Media (January 18, 2021). "Seoul's Bdosin, New York's WhoRu retire from OWL". Reuters. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ Castelot, Ophelie (June 30, 2021). "Overwatch League: NYXL Signs Kalios". ESTNN: Esports News Network. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ Biazzi, Leonardo (July 16, 2021). "Ivy parts ways with NYXL, retires from pro Overwatch". Dot Esports. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
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