Shanghai Dragons sign veteran Korean player Ir1s for 2023 season

On the eve of the start of the Overwatch League 2023, the Shanghai Dragons announced the signing of Kim “Ir1s” Seung-Hyun, a former player of the Seoul Dynasty who plays as Support.

Undoubtedly, many teams want to arm themselves to the teeth to try to have a successful 2023 OWL season and lift the championship trophy. However, teams like the Shanghai Dragons have surprised more than one by making some signings throughout the dead season.

First was the former OWL MVP, Kim “Fleta” Byung-sun, and we also have the very surprising return of DPS Bae “diem” Min-Seong, who changed his role to play as Support this season.

Shanghai Dragons announce the signing of Ir1s

To continue with their surprising announcements, the Shanghai Dragons announced the signing of Kim “Ir1s” Seung-Hyun a few hours ago. However, this player will keep his role in the team; that is, he will continue to play as Support.

Ir1s has invaluable experience within the OWL, as he has played for very recognized and strong teams such as Seoul Dynasty, Atlanta Reign, and Houston Outlaws. On the other hand, this signing surprises the team’s fans, as Ir1s becomes the team’s fourth Support player. Currently, the Shanghai Dragons lineup is as follows:

• Fleta – Tank
• Lee “Viper” Jung-Woong – DPS
• Jeong “Heesu” Hee-su – DPS
• Kang “Gangnamjin” Nam-jin – Support
• Diem – Support
• Yoon “BeBe” Hee-chang – Support
• Ir1s – Support

What Ir1s brings to this Shanghai Dragons lineup

While many consider it crazy to have four Support players in the team’s lineup, there is no doubt that Ir1s can bring a lot to these guys. But first, we must consider that Ir1s is an experienced player with much playoff experience, which is invaluable for the teams.

On the other hand, he was one of the pillars of the Atlanta Reign team that reached the OWL finals in 2021. Then, the player signed for Seoul Dynasty in the middle of the 2022 season, where he showed a great level playing with Zeyatta, Batiste, and Ana, which helped his team to qualify for the Summer Showdown grand final, where they lost to the Shanghai Dragons.

Now, Ir1s joins what was his rival team for several seasons and hopes to play at the highest level possible to lift the championship trophy.

Shanghai Dragons and their Overpopulation of Supports

All the questions being asked by fans of the team and, of course, many in the community are the same, what will the Shanghai Dragons do with so many Supports in their lineup? How will they distribute playing time?

Over the past few years, many teams have managed with lineups of five or six players, which makes rotation much simpler. However, this Shanghai Dragons lineup has seven players, four of which are Support, which can cause a problem when selecting players, as this would disrupt team plays.

However, the Shanghai Dragons have a philosophy that can lead them to success, as this is not the first time they have managed a lineup with many players. In addition, players like Gangnamjin and Diem could be more flexible and take other roles in the game.

The Dragons will kick off their 2023 OWL season on April 29, 2023, against Hangzhou Spark.

Header: Shanghai Dragons