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Atlanta Reign DPS and popular streamer Daniel “Dafran” Francesca is retired from the Overwatch League—a stunning move that comes just before the beginning stage two of the Overwatch League.
In a statement, the Atlanta Reign said Dafran “didn’t want to draw attention to himself” while the team was still playing, so he waited to announce this change after the stage was over. Atlanta Reign was notified of his retirement a week before playoffs started—Dafran said he wanted to “pop off” one last time during the team’s run through stage one playoffs.
While Dafran will no longer be on the Reign as a player, he’ll stay with the team as a partnered streamer. Dafran said that he is “leaving the OWL and going back to comfy streamer life.” He thanked the Atlanta Reign for their leadership and for the opportunity to be a professional competitor. In the Twitter post, he mentions that his streams will now be longer and more consistent.
Dafran has been a popular Overwatch streamer for years, with thousands of monthly subscribers. He previously played for Selfless Gaming, which competed in minor Overwatch competitions as the game was gaining traction as a professional esport. Fans had been concerned about the player’s well-being on account of recent streams in which Dafran displayed erratic behavior, like listening to a dance video for 10 hours and showering with clothing on.
The Atlanta Reign has not commented on its plans for stage two or who will take Dafran’s place as starting DPS. Dafran was a near-constant starter for the team, playing mostly Zarya and Torbjörn. The Atlanta Reign made it to the stage one playoffs but were defeated by the Philadelphia Fusion in the quarterfinals.
