Earlier this month, the beleaguered Los Angeles Valiant announced a few of its new management additions, hoping to rebuild after a winless 2021 Overwatch League season.
In 2022, the Valiant will be relying on former Shanghai Dragons hitscan Lu “Diya” Weida to improve its luck. The team announced his signing late on Dec. 13, making Diya the first player added to the Los Angeles roster this offseason.
Longtime Overwatch League fans will likely recognize Diya’s name. He was a part of the inaugural season’s Shanghai Dragons roster that racked up a 0-40 record and a legendary losing streak going into 2019. Diya, however, was one of the few players whose individual performance shined through those overwhelming losses.
Though Diya was signed with the Dragons as the roster racked up wins in 2019, he eventually became a two-way player for the organization’s Overwatch Contenders academy team, Team CC. He was a part of the Team CC’s Contenders Gauntlet: Asia win in late 2020 but slowed down in 2021, seeking another shot in the Overwatch League.
Diya will be the first piece of the Los Angeles Valiant’s rebuild, which includes former Team CC coaches Wang “NoHill” Fuxing and Sung “WooHyaL” Seung-hyun. Though Diya publicly discussed why he refused to join the Los Angeles Valiant for the 2021 season, the addition of two of his trusted coaches seems to have swayed him.
