As soon as the Overwatch League offseason kicked off, the Houston Outlaws jumped into gear, building on the foundations of a relatively successful 2021 season. Some spots have remained open, however, and now the team is filling in the gaps.
O2 Blast hitscan DPS Choi “MER1T” Tae-min will be joining the Outlaws for the 2022 season, the team announced today.
MER1T has a history in the Overwatch Contenders Korea scene spanning several years. He’s been a part of teams like KongDoo Panthera, LGE.Huya, and RunAway. In 2021, he joined O2 Blast and was part of the team’s championship win over Talon Esports during the second season of Contenders Korea last year.
Houston held on to longtime Outlaws DPS Dante “Danteh” Cruz for 2022 and added 2021 Rookie of the Year Oh “Pelican” Se-hyun in the flex position but was still lacking a dedicated hitscan player. With MER1T’s skill on heroes like Cassidy and Widowmaker, the team’s damage lineup should be complete.
The Outlaws filled out the flex support line with former Atlanta Reign star Kim “Ir1s” Seung-hyun and Mun “Lastro” Jung-won, formerly of the Toronto Defiant. The team is still lacking a dedicated main support but may not opt to fill the spot considering Overwatch 2’s focus on fast-paced damage.
Shin “PIGGY” Mun-jun, Houston’s only other holdover from its 2021 roster, is thus far holding down the tank line on his own.