German main tank Hadi “Hadji” Bleinagel has joined the London Spitfire, with the British Hurricane graduate becoming the organization’s third new arrival during the Overwatch League offseason. The move comes shortly after it was announced that the Spitfire had promoted Kristian “Kellex” Keller to its main roster, while more arrivals are expected before the league gets underway.
Why the Spitfire Made Their Move for Hadji
Hadji has developed his skills with the British Hurricane, with it coming as little surprise that the Spitfire made the decision to bring him in. The German first made his name in the Open Division with HSL Esports, who despite not winning, did help its players in completing moves to higher ranked teams. Hadi would become a stand-in for the British Hurricane, thanks in part to his showing at the World Cup with Germany.
It did not take long for Hadji to become part of the Hurricane’s roster on a permanent basis, with the team going on to win the Breakable Barriers Open Division event, showing vast signs of improvement in the process. The Hurricane would go on to win the 2020 EU Season, winning every single week. In 2020, the team failed to win just two tournaments. With Hadji having played a key role in such success, it is even more clear that he would be snapped up by a bigger name for 2021.
What Other Changes Have Taken Place at the Spitfire?
The announcement of both Hadji and Kellex follows the news of Riku“Ripa” Toivanen and Assistant Coach Mads “fischer” Jehg joining the team. 20-year-old Ripa has experience of playing in the Overwatch League with the Los Angeles Gladiators, having then moved to the British Hurricane in 2019.
Fischer was a coach with the Hurricane unti the end of 2020, before being promoted to the Spitfire. The Dane played for the likes of Team Envy and Cloud9 during his playing career. It remains to be seen as to how Hadji will find the step up in class of the Overwatch League, however the London Spitfire are seemingly following in the footsteps of Fusion University, who made similar moves previously.