.svg) | |
| Founded | July 12, 2017 |
|---|---|
| League | Overwatch League |
| Region | West |
| Team history | San Francisco Shock (2017–present) |
| Based in | San Francisco, California |
| Colors | |
| Owner | Andy Miller |
| Head coach | Park "Crusty" Dae-hee |
| General manager | Chris "Thugnasty" Chung |
| Championships | 2019,2020 |
| Main sponsor | ampm |
| Parent group | NRG Esports |
| Website | Official website |
| Uniforms | |
 | |
 | This article'sfactual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. The reason given is: OWL ended and team disbanded. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2025) |
TheSan Francisco Shock are anAmerican professionalOverwatch esports team based inSan Francisco, California. The Shock competed in theOverwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2017, the San Francisco Shock was one of the twelve founding members of the OWL and was one of three professionalOverwatch teams inCalifornia. The team is owned byAndy Miller, co-owner of theSacramento Kings andNRG Esports. In their time with the OWL, the Shock won three midseason tournament titles, qualified for four season playoffs, reached the Grand Finals three times, and won back-to-back Grand Finals, making them one of the most accomplished franchise in Overwatch League history.
On July 12, 2017,Overwatch developerActivision Blizzard officially announced thatAndy Miller, co-founder and co-owner of the Americanesports organizationNRG Esports, had acquired a San Francisco-basedOverwatch League franchise spot for an estimated $20 million.[1][2] "The local aspect of the league was the biggest attraction [for purchasing the spot]," said Miller in an interview. "One of the biggest issues with esports, and also part of its charm, is that you can create a global audience. You can have fans all over the world. But it’s always become a big challenge for fans to actually see their favorite teams. You have to fly to a major event or a finals somewhere in a major city. And there was never a hometown team."[3]
On September 28, 2017, NRG Esports announced its official inaugural roster of eight players and head coach Bradford Rajani.[4][5] A month later, on October 16, the franchise name was revealed as the San Francisco Shock.[6]
In the lead-up to the2018 Overwatch League season, the San Francisco Shock assembled a 9-player roster that included two underage players,damage playerJay "Sinatraa" Won andtank playerMatthew "Super" DeLisi. However, due to age restrictions, they were unable to participate until March.[7] The team's inaugural match took place on January 10, 2018, resulting in a 0–4 defeat against theLos Angeles Valiant.[8] The Shock encountered early challenges but made key additions to their roster on March 13, signing damage player Park "Architect" Min-ho andsupport player Grant "Moth" Espe.[7] Later on, they completed their roster by adding tank playerChoi "ChoiHyoBin" Hyo-bin.[9] Following these acquisitions, the Shock's performance witnessed an upturn, with Sinatraa and Super becoming eligible to play. They achieved a commendable 6–4 record inStage 3, narrowly missing out on the playoffs due to a tiebreaker.[10] Seeking further improvements, the team decided to part ways with head coach Rajani and signed Park "Crusty" Dae-hee, the former head coach of theBoston Uprising, who had led his previous team to a flawless 10–0 record in Stage 3.[11] As the season progressed, the Shock managed to secure victories in half of their remaining matches, finishing the regular season in ninth place with a 17–23 overall record.[12]
In the offseason leading up to the2019 Overwatch League season, the San Francisco Shock made several significant additions to their roster. They acquired tank player Yoo "Smurf" Myeong-hwan through a trade, parting ways with Dante "Danteh" Cruz in the process.[13] The team also bolstered their support role by signing Park "Viol2t" Min-ki.[14] Furthermore, the Shock added damage playerGwon "Striker" Nam-ju, who had previously played for the Boston Uprising.[15]
During thefirst stage of the season, the San Francisco Shock performed well, finishing with a 4–3 record and securing the sixth seed in the Stage 1 Playoffs.[16] In the playoffs, they faced the undefeatedVancouver Titans in the Stage 1 finals. Led by standout performances from Super and ChoiHyoBin, the Shock put up a strong fight and even held a 3–2 lead at one point. However, they narrowly lost the match by a score of 3–4.[17] The team found their stride inStage 2, achieving an unprecedented perfect stage with a flawless 7–0 record and 28–0 map record. This feat made them the first team in Overwatch League history to accomplish a perfect stage.[18] As the top seed in the Stage 2 Playoffs, the Shock once again met the Vancouver Titans in the finals. With key contributions from Super, ChoiHyoBin, and Viol2t, the Shock emerged victorious, defeating the Titans by a score of 4–2.[19] InStage 3, the Shock reached the playoff finals yet again, this time facing theShanghai Dragons. However, they were unable to secure the victory, losing the match by a close 3–4 scoreline.[20] Nevertheless, the Shock finished the regular season with a seven consecutive wins, concluding with a 23–5 record, the second-best in the league. This secured them the third seed in the season playoffs.[21] Several players from the Shock received recognition for their performances throughout the season. Sinatraa, Super, ChoiHyoBin, and Moth received Role Star commendations,[22] while Sinatraa and Super were nominated for the league's Most Valuable Player award. Ultimately, Sinatraa claimed the MVP title.[23]
San Francisco faced the sixth-seededAtlanta Reign in the first round of the2019 season playoffs, which followed adouble-elimination format. In a tightly contested match, the Shock suffered a narrow 3–4 loss, dropping them to the lower bracket of the playoffs.[24] The Shock went on a run through the lower bracket. They displayed dominant performances,sweeping theLondon Spitfire, theLos Angeles Gladiators, theHangzhou Spark, and theNew York Excelsior. With these victories, the Shock secured their spot in the2019 Grand Finals.[25] The San Francisco Shock swept the Vancouver Titans 4–0, securing the 2019 Overwatch League championship title. Key points in the match included Architect's strategicBastion positioning onEichenwalde and ChoiHyoBin's crucial ultimate onSigma during overtime onWatchpoint: Gibraltar.[26][27] ChoiHyoBin's performance earned him the Grand Finals MVP award.[28]
In the 2020 season, the San Francisco Shock introduced a new color scheme, transitioning from their previous orange, grey, and gold colors to black and silver, with orange accents, paying homage to theOakland Raiders.[29] As they prepared for the 2020 season, the Shock brought in sniper specialist Lee "Ans" Seon-chang.[30]
In the2020 season, the San Francisco Shock underwent several roster changes. Following a 5–2 start, Sinatraa retired from competitiveOverwatch to pursue a career inValorant.[31][32] Three weeks later, Architect was transferred to the Hangzhou Spark, and the Shock signed flex support player Lee "Twilight" Joo-seok.[33] The Shock won their franchise's second midseason tournament title on May 24, 2020, after defeating theFlorida Mayhem in the North AmericanMay Melee finals, 4–2.[34] Despite a loss to theParis Eternal in the semifinals of the Summer Showdown,[35] the Shock continued their strong performance and clinched the top seed in theCountdown Cup, ultimately winning the tournament by defeating the Philadelphia Fusion in the finals.[36] With a regular season record of 18 wins, 7 bonus wins from midseason tournaments, and 3 losses, the Shock finished with an effective regular season record of 25–3.[37] Ans, ChoiHyoBin, and Viol2t received Role Star commendations, and ChoiHyoBin and Viol2t were nominated for the league's Most Valuable Player award.[38] while ChoiHyoBin and Viol2t were also nominated for the league's most valuable player award.[39]
In theNorth America playoffs bracket, the San Francisco Shock emerged victorious against theWashington Justice,[40] the Atlanta Reign,[41] and the Philadelphia Fusion to advance to the Grand Finals bracket.[42] They faced theSeoul Dynasty in the first round, where they took a 2–0 lead but allowed the Dynasty to tie the series. However, the Shock prevailed in the final map to advance.[43] In the upper finals, they faced the Shanghai Dragons, again taking a 2–0 lead before the Dragons equalized. The Shock secured their place in theGrand Finals match by winning the final map.[44] On October 10, they faced the Seoul Dynasty in the Grand Finals, and the Shock claimed a 4–2 victory to win their second consecutive Overwatch League championship. Striker was named the Grand Finals MVP.[45]
In the offseason preceding the2021 season, the Shock made several roster changes, including the departures of Moth and Ans and the signings of support player Brice "FDGoD" Monscavoir and damage player Charlie "nero" Zwarg.[46][47] Through the first half of the season, the Shock had a 7–1 regular season record, but they were unable to make either of the season's first two interregional tournaments, theMay Melee andJune Joust, falling in the regional knockouts both times.[48][49] Prior to the start of the third tournament cycle, theSummer Showdown, Striker retired from competitiveOverwatch.[50] The same day that Striker's retirement was announced, the Shock signed Ans back to the team.[51] San Francisco ended the regular season with a 12–4 record but were unable to make it to any of the four midseason tournaments.[52] The Shock qualified for theseason playoffs after taking down theToronto Defiant on September 5 in the Westernplay-in tournament.[53] In the first round of the playoffs, the Shock lost to the top-seeded Shanghai Dragons, 0–3, on September 21.[54] Falling to the lower bracket after the loss, San Francisco defeated the Philadelphia Fusion andChengdu Hunters in the following days.[55][56] Their season came to an end in the following match, as they lost to theAtlanta Reign, 1–3.[57]
After the 2021 Overwatch League season, the San Francisco Shock made significant changes to their roster, retaining only Viol2t while parting ways with the rest of the team. They introduced five rookies to their lineup, including Jung "Kilo" Jin-woo, Kim "Proper" Dong-hyun, Samuel "s9mm" Santos, Colin "Coluge" Arai, and Oh "FiNN" Se-jin.[58] The Shock started their 2022 season with a 3–0 victory over the Paris Eternal.Paris Eternal.[59] In theKickoff Clash tournament, the team went undefeated in the qualifiers and secured the top seed position.[60] However, they lost to the Fuel in the lower bracket.[61] Before theMidseason Madness tournament, the team signed Michael "mikeyy" Konicki.[62] The Shock maintained an unbeaten record in the qualifiers, advancing as the top seed.[63] Although they reached the finals, they fell short against theLos Angeles Gladiators.[64] The team then set a new OWL record for the most consecutive regular season wins during theSummer Showdown, winning 20 matches in a row, spanning back to the 2021 regular season.[65] Their undefeated streak was broken by the Fuel on September 2, 2022, marking their first regular season loss of the season.[66] With a 5–1 record in the qualifiers, the Shock advanced to the Western Summer Showdown tournament as the second seed.[67] However, they lost to the Fuel in the finals.[68] Prior to the end of the regular season, the Shock re-signed Striker, who had been a part of the Shock's championship seasons in 2019 and 2020.[69] The team finished the regular season as the second seed in the Western region.[70] Proper received numerous accolades for his performance in the regular season, being commentated as a Role Star for damage, being named theAlarm Rookie of the Year, and earning the Most Valuable Player award.[71] The Shock lost in their first match in the playoffs against the sixth-seededHouston Outlaws and were sent to the lower bracket.[72] From there, San Francisco made a run through the lower bracket to reach the2022 Grand Finals.[73] The Shock faced the Fuel in the Grand Finals match. The match went to seven maps; San Francisco lost by a score of 3–4.[74]
On October 16, 2017, the San Francisco brand was officially unveiled. The franchise name was revealed as San Francisco Shock. The team's logo features a seismograph in the shape of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge in the team's colors of orange, grey, and gold. The name "Shock" and the logo were chosen to represent the large amounts ofseismic energy that are present in theSan Francisco area. The color gold was chosen to honor the 1849California Gold Rush that swept the city. "We took great care to choose a logo and identity that would both represent the attributes and traditions of San Francisco, yet at the same time speak to the future of sports and the Shock’s ambitions to take its place as a fixture next to the Bay Area’s championship sports teams," Andy Miller, CEO of NRG Esports, said in a statement.[6][75] Prior to the 2020 season, the colors were changed to black, silver, and orange, with the black and silver paying tribute to theOakland Raiders.[29]
| San Francisco Shock roster | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||
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Legend:
| Latestroster transaction: October 15, 2023. | ||||||||
| Handle | Name | Seasons | Record | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sephy | Bradford Rajani | 2018 | 12–18(.400) | Released after 30 games in 2018. | [5][11] |
| Crusty | Park Dae-hee | 2018–2023 | 86–29(.748) | [11] |
| Season | P | W | L | W% | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 40 | 17 | 23 | .425 | 4th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2019 | 28 | 23 | 5 | .821 | 2nd, Pacific | OWL Champions, 4–0 (Titans) |
| 2020 | 21 | 18 | 3 | .857 | 2nd, North America | OWL Champions, 4–2 (Dynasty) |
| 2021 | 16 | 12 | 4 | .750 | 4th, West | Lost inLower Round 3, 1–3 (Reign) |
| 2022 | 24 | 20 | 4 | .833 | 2nd, West | Lost inGrand Finals, 3–4 (Fuel) |
| 2023 | 16 | 8 | 8 | .500 | 7th, West | Did not qualify |
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(July 2018) |
On February 26, 2018, the Shock formally announced their academy team would compete under the "NRG Esports" name forOverwatch Contenders North America. They also revealed the team would live, train, and play inWashington, D.C., operating under a training home provided by partnersEvents DC.[76]
On May 8, 2019,NRG Esports announced that the organization would no longer field an Overwatch Contenders roster.[77]
| Year | Season | Region | OWC regular season | OWC playoffs | Interregional | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish[a] | Wins | Losses | Win % | ||||||
| NRG Esports | |||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | North America | 4th | 3 | 2 | .600 | Quarterfinals | ||
| 2 | North America | 3rd | 3 | 2 | .600 | Semifinals | None held | ||
| 3 | North America | 3rd | 3 | 2 | .600 | Quarterfinals | |||
| 2019 | 1 | North America West | 5th | 3 | 4 | .429 | Semifinals | ||
| Regular season record | 12 | 10 | .545 | ||||||
| Playoff record | 2 | 4 | .333 | ||||||
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