2019 Houston Outlaws season
# 2019 Houston Outlaws season

The 2019 Houston Outlaws season was the second season of the Houston Outlaws's existence in the Overwatch League (OWL) and their second under head coach Tae-yeong Kim. After finishing 22–18 the previous season, the Outlaws were looking to improve on their record and qualify for the season playoffs for the first time.

The Outlaws began the season winning three of their matches in Stage 1. The stage was capped off by a 1–3 loss to the Atlanta Reign that prevented Houston from qualifying for the Stage 1 Playoffs. Houston performed poorly in Stage 2, as the team did not claim a single victory in their seven matches of the stage. After the All-Star break, the Outlaws hit their stride, posting a 5–2 record in Stage 3 and qualifying for the Stage 3 Playoffs. However, lost to the Vancouver Titans 0–3 in the quarterfinals. A 1–3 loss to the London Spitfire in Week 3 of Stage 4 officially eliminated the Outlaws from season playoff contention. Houston ended the season on a 5-game losing streak to finish the season with a disappointing 9–19 record.

## Preceding offseason

### Player re-signings

From August 1 to September 9, 2018, all Overwatch League teams that competed in the 2018 season could choose to extend their team's players' contracts. Outlaws elected to release three of its players, Russell "FCTFCTN" Campbell, Lucas "Mendokusaii" Håkansson, and Matthew "Clockwork" Dias; Mendokusaii and Clockwork were moved to non-player roles with the team.

### Free agency

All non-expansion teams could not enter the free agency period until October 8; they were able to sign members from their respective academy team and make trades until then. On September 18, Outlaws traded GG Esports Academy player Yoo "Smurf" Myeong-hwan to San Francisco Shock in exchange for Dante "Danteh" Cruz.

## Regular season

The Outlaws opened their 2019 season with a match against the new expansion franchise Toronto Defiant on February 15; the Outlaws lost 2–3. Houston finished Stage 1 with a 3–4 record and did not qualify for the stage playoffs.

In Stage 2, the Outlaws faced their in-state rivals, the Dallas Fuel. Houston, who had never lost to Dallas, lost the match 1–3. The Outlaws ended the stage with a winless 0–7 record.

In Stage 3, Houston found themselves in an eight-game losing streak; however, a win over the San Francisco Shock snapped both Houston's losing streak and San Francisco's eleven-game winning streak. The Outlaws, who had a winless Stage 2, finished Stage 3 with a 5–2 record and secured a spot in the Stage 3 Playoffs. The Outlaws faced the second-seeded Vancouver Titans in the Stage 3 Quarterfinals on July 11; Houston was unable secure a map win and lost the match 0–3.

The Outlaws were officially eliminated from playoff contention after a loss to the London Spitfire on August 10.

## Sale of the franchise

On June 12, Immortals Gaming Club (IGC), the parent company of Immortals and Los Angeles Valiant, acquired Infinite Esports, the parent company of Houston Outlaws and OpTic Gaming, marking the first major sale of any Overwatch League franchise. By OWL rules, one company may not own more than one OWL franchise. Both Riot Games and Activision Blizzard approved the sale, but IGC must operate Valiant and Outlaws as entirely separate entities, with oversight by OWL representatives, until IGC sell the Outlaws.

## Standings

### Record by stage

* ↑ No stage playoffs were held for Stage 4.

### League

| Pos | Div | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | PCT | MW | ML | MT | MD | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | PAC | Vancouver Titans | 28 | 25 | 3 | 0.89 | 89 | 28 | 0 | +61 | Advance to season playoffs (division leaders) |
| 2 | ATL | New York Excelsior | 28 | 22 | 6 | 0.79 | 78 | 38 | 3 | +40 | Advance to season playoffs (division leaders) |
| 3 | PAC | San Francisco Shock | 28 | 23 | 5 | 0.82 | 92 | 26 | 0 | +66 | Advance to season playoffs |
| 4 | PAC | Hangzhou Spark | 28 | 18 | 10 | 0.64 | 64 | 52 | 4 | +12 | Advance to season playoffs |
| 5 | PAC | Los Angeles Gladiators | 28 | 17 | 11 | 0.61 | 67 | 48 | 3 | +19 | Advance to season playoffs |
| 6 | ATL | Atlanta Reign | 28 | 16 | 12 | 0.57 | 69 | 50 | 1 | +19 | Advance to season playoffs |
| 7 | ATL | London Spitfire | 28 | 16 | 12 | 0.57 | 58 | 52 | 6 | +6 | Advance to play-ins |
| 8 | PAC | Seoul Dynasty | 28 | 15 | 13 | 0.54 | 64 | 50 | 3 | +14 | Advance to play-ins |
| 9 | PAC | Guangzhou Charge | 28 | 15 | 13 | 0.54 | 61 | 57 | 1 | +4 | Advance to play-ins |
| 10 | ATL | Philadelphia Fusion | 28 | 15 | 13 | 0.54 | 57 | 60 | 3 | −3 | Advance to play-ins |
| 11 | PAC | Shanghai Dragons | 28 | 13 | 15 | 0.46 | 51 | 61 | 3 | −10 | Advance to play-ins |
| 12 | PAC | Chengdu Hunters | 28 | 13 | 15 | 0.46 | 55 | 66 | 1 | −11 | Advance to play-ins |
| 13 | PAC | Los Angeles Valiant | 28 | 12 | 16 | 0.43 | 56 | 61 | 4 | −5 | |
| 14 | ATL | Paris Eternal | 28 | 11 | 17 | 0.39 | 46 | 67 | 3 | −21 | |
| 15 | PAC | Dallas Fuel | 28 | 10 | 18 | 0.36 | 43 | 70 | 3 | −27 | |
| 16 | ATL | Houston Outlaws | 28 | 9 | 19 | 0.32 | 47 | 69 | 3 | −22 | |
| 17 | ATL | Toronto Defiant | 28 | 8 | 20 | 0.29 | 39 | 72 | 4 | −33 | |
| 18 | ATL | Washington Justice | 28 | 8 | 20 | 0.29 | 39 | 72 | 6 | −33 | |
| 19 | ATL | Boston Uprising | 28 | 8 | 20 | 0.29 | 41 | 78 | 2 | −37 | |
| 20 | ATL | Florida Mayhem | 28 | 6 | 22 | 0.21 | 36 | 75 | 5 | −39 | |

## Game log

### Regular season

2019 game log (Regular season record: 9–19) :

Stage 1 (3–4)

1

February 15

Toronto Defiant

3

2

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

1

Nepal

2

4

Numbani

5

1

Volskaya Industries

0

2

Route 66

1

2

Busan

1

2

February 17

Houston Outlaws

2

3

Boston Uprising

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

2

Nepal

0

2

Hollywood

3

3

Volskaya Industries

4

4

Dorado

3

1

Ilios

2

3

February 23

Houston Outlaws

3

1

Hangzhou Spark

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

2

Busan

0

5

King's Row

4

4

Temple of Anubis

3

0

Dorado

1

4

February 24

New York Excelsior

4

0

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

2

Nepal

0

3

Hollywood

0

2

Temple of Anubis

0

2

Route 66

1

5

March 02

Florida Mayhem

1

3

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

1

Ilios

2

3

King's Row

5

3

Horizon Lunar Colony

4

2

Rialto

1

6

March 09

Los Angeles Valiant

1

2

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

1

Busan

2

3

Numbani

2

3

Volskaya Industries

3

0

Route 66

2

7

March 17

Houston Outlaws

1

3

Atlanta Reign

Burbank, CA

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

1

Ilios

2

2

King's Row

1

0

Horizon Lunar Colony

1

2

Rialto

3 :

Stage 2 (0–7)

8

April 13

Vancouver Titans

3

1

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

1:30 pm PST

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

0

Busan

2

1

Paris

0

2

Eichenwalde

1

1

Rialto

0

9

April 19

Philadelphia Fusion

4

0

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

5:30 pm PST

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

2

Busan

1

3

Temple of Anubis

2

2

Eichenwalde

0

3

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

0

10

April 21

Houston Outlaws

0

3

Shanghai Dragons

Burbank, CA

1:30 pm PST

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

0

Oasis

2

0

Temple of Anubis

0

0

Blizzard World

1

2

Junkertown

3

11

April 27

Houston Outlaws

0

4

Seoul Dynasty

Allen, TX

1:10 pm PST

   Recap

Allen Event Center

1

Oasis

2

3

Paris

4

0

Blizzard World

3

3

Rialto

4

12

April 28

Houston Outlaws

1

3

Dallas Fuel

Allen, TX

4:15 pm PST

   Recap

Allen Event Center

0

Lijiang Tower

2

2

Temple of Anubis

1

2

King's Row

3

3

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

4

13

May 02

Guangzhou Charge

3

2

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

8:30 pm PST

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

2

Lijiang Tower

1

2

Hanamura

0

1

King's Row

2

2

Rialto

3

2

Busan

0

14

May 04

London Spitfire

4

0

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

12:00 noon PST

   Recap

Blizzard Arena

2

Lijiang Tower

0

2

Hanamura

0

3

King's Row

2

2

Junkertown

0 :

Stage 3 (5–2)

15

June 07

Houston Outlaws

2

3

New York Excelsior

Burbank, CA

7:30 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Ilios

1

0

Horizon Lunar Colony

1

4

Numbani

3

3

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

4

0

Oasis

2

16

June 13

Houston Outlaws

3

2

San Francisco Shock

Burbank, CA

4:00 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Nepal

1

0

Horizon Lunar Colony

1

0

Eichenwalde

3

1

Havana

0

2

Ilios

0

17

June 14

Boston Uprising

0

4

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

7:30 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

0

Nepal

2

1

Volskaya Industries

2

1

Numbani

2

0

Havana

1

18

June 20

Paris Eternal

1

3

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

5:45 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

0

Oasis

2

2

Paris

4

2

Hollywood

1

1

Dorado

2

19

June 23

Houston Outlaws

1

3

Florida Mayhem

Burbank, CA

3:30 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Ilios

0

2

Paris

3

2

Hollywood

3

2

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

3

20

June 28

Houston Outlaws

3

0

Washington Justice

Burbank, CA

9:00 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Oasis

0

4

Volskaya Industries

4

3

Eichenwalde

2

1

Dorado

0

21

June 30

Houston Outlaws

3

1

Toronto Defiant

Burbank, CA

3:30 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

0

Oasis

2

3

Horizon Lunar Colony

2

2

Eichenwalde

1

3

Dorado

1 :

Stage 3 Playoffs

Quarterfinals

July 11

Houston Outlaws

0

3

Vancouver Titans

Burbank, CA

6:00 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

0

Ilios

2

2

Eichenwalde

3

2

Volskaya Industries

3 :

Stage 4 (1–6)

22

July 25

Houston Outlaws

1

3

Paris Eternal

Burbank, CA

4:00 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Busan

0

0

Volskaya Industries

1

0

Blizzard World

3

2

Junkertown

3

23

July 27

Los Angeles Gladiators

1

3

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

3:30 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

1

Busan

2

2

Hanamura

3

2

Hollywood

1

2

Havana

3

24

August 02

Houston Outlaws

1

3

Philadelphia Fusion

Burbank, CA

5:45 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

0

Ilios

2

2

Temple of Anubis

1

1

Hollywood

2

3

Havana

6

25

August 04

Atlanta Reign

3

1

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

12:00 noon PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

2

Lijiang Tower

0

2

Hanamura

3

1

Blizzard World

0

3

Route 66

2

26

August 10

Houston Outlaws

1

3

London Spitfire

Burbank, CA

12:00 noon PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

0

Lijiang Tower

2

3

Volskaya Industries

4

2

King's Row

3

1

Route 66

0

27

August 11

Washington Justice

3

2

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

1:45 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

1

Lijiang Tower

2

2

Hanamura

1

1

King's Row

2

3

Route 66

2

2

Busan

1

28

August 17

Chengdu Hunters

3

2

Houston Outlaws

Burbank, CA

5:15 pm PST

   Details

Blizzard Arena

1

Ilios

2

2

Temple of Anubis

1

2

Hollywood

1

2

Junkertown

3

2

Lijiang Tower

1 :

## Awards

On May 8, Dante "Danteh" Cruz was named as a reserve for the 2019 Overwatch League All-Star Game.

