Chengdu Hunters

Franchise Launch and Early Seasons

The Chengdu Hunters were born from an expansion of the Overwatch League. On September 7, 2018, Activision Blizzard announced that the Chinese livestreaming giant Huya had purchased a new franchise based in Chengdu. While Huya owned the team, its day-to-day operations were handled by the Chinese esports organization Royal Never Give Up. The team committed to a predominantly Chinese identity, signing an all-Chinese roster and coaching staff led by head coach Wang 'RUI' Xingrui.

The Hunters played their first Overwatch League match on February 15, 2019, securing a 3-2 victory over fellow Chinese team Guangzhou Charge. Their inaugural season was a story of consistency and near misses. They posted identical 3-4 records in each of the first three stages, which kept them out of the stage playoffs. Finishing the regular season with a 13-15 record, they qualified for the season play-in tournament but were immediately eliminated by the Guangzhou Charge, the same team they had beaten in their debut.

The Pandemic and Coaching Changes

The 2020 season brought significant challenges and changes. Ahead of the season, head coach RUI stepped down due to health reasons. The Hunters promoted assistant coach Chang 'Ray' Chia-Hua and brought in Wu 'Dokkaebi' Xiuqing from their academy team, LGE.Huya, to serve as co-head coaches. The roster was also reshaped, including the official signing of rookie talent Xin 'Leave' Huang, who would later become the team's star.

The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted the season's schedule, delaying the Hunters' first match for months after the season officially began. During the season, the team made another coaching change, replacing co-head Dokkaebi with Chen Murong prior to the final midseason tournament, the Countdown Cup. Chengdu struggled in the league's Asia region, finishing sixth out of seven teams with an effective 8-14 record. They won a first round play-in match against London Spitfire but lost to the New York Excelsior in the next round, ending their year without a playoff berth.

Peak Performance in 2021

The 2021 season marked the high point of the Chengdu Hunters' competitive history. The team brought back former head coach RUI and made a bold move by signing six new players, all of them rookies. This season also saw the end of the operational partnership with Royal Never Give Up, with Huya taking full control of the team's management.

The new roster found immediate success, qualifying for three of the league's four midseason tournaments and reaching the finals twice, though they did not secure a title in any of them. Star damage player Huang 'Leave' Xin was recognized as the league's Most Valuable Player for the season, the franchise's only MVP award. The Hunters achieved their best ever regular season finish, entering the season playoffs as the third seed from the East region.

In the double elimination playoff tournament, Chengdu defeated the Atlanta Reign in the first round, marking their first and only playoff series victory. Their run ended there, however, with consecutive losses to the Dallas Fuel and the San Francisco Shock. This playoff appearance was the only one in the team's four year history.

Dissolution of the Team

The end for the Chengdu Hunters was tied to broader business disputes in the Chinese gaming market. In January 2023, the team posted a cryptic 'Goodbye and see you again' message on social media. This followed the collapse of the licensing agreement between Activision Blizzard and NetEase, which resulted in Overwatch 2 being pulled from the Chinese market, effectively ending the game's official operation in the country.

The Overwatch League confirmed on April 13, 2023, that the Hunters would not be competing at the start of the 2023 season. Finally, on May 3, 2023, an esports news report from The Esports Advocate confirmed that the Chengdu Hunters organization had been disbanded, bringing the franchise's four year journey to a close. The team was one of four professional Overwatch teams based in China during its existence.

Brand Identity and Symbolism

The Chengdu Hunters' brand, unveiled on November 12, 2018, was deeply rooted in Chinese and local culture. The team name was chosen as a symbol of the team's dedication to pursuing the honor of the league. Their logo featured a black and gold giant panda, an animal revered as a national treasure of China and a symbol of Chengdu itself.

The organization stated the panda represented peace, good luck, and powerful fighting strength, embodying a Chinese spirit of perseverance. Collectively with the team name, it represented the team's determination to achieve victory. The color scheme of black and gold was meant to convey vigor and steadiness. These colors also intentionally incorporated the primary colors of both owner Huya and operator RNG, visually representing the collaboration between the two companies that launched the franchise.

Academy System and Player Honors

The Hunters established a formal pathway for talent development through an academy team partnership. On January 27, 2019, the LinGan e Sports Club announced its partnership with Chengdu, rebranding its Overwatch team to LGE.Huya to serve as the Hunters' official academy squad. This partnership provided a direct pipeline for scouting and developing Chinese Overwatch talent.

Individual players earned significant recognition during the team's run. The highest honor came in 2021 when damage star Leave won the Overwatch League's Season MVP award. He was also selected as a Role Star that same year. Earlier, support player Yveltal (Li Xianyao) was an All Star in 2019. Tank player Ameng (Menghan Ding) earned All Star selections in both 2019 and 2020, and damage player JinMu (Yi Hu) was an All Star in 2019, highlighting the team's early popularity.

Legacy and Place in the League

As one of the eight expansion teams introduced for the 2019 season, the Chengdu Hunters carved out their own identity. They were consistently one of the league's four Chinese teams, and their commitment to an all Chinese roster made them a focal point for regional fans. Their playful yet fierce panda branding made them one of the more visually distinctive franchises.

Competitively, the team experienced a gradual arc. They were a mid table team in their first two seasons, known for exciting but inconsistent play. Their 2021 season, built on a risky roster of rookies, proved to be their masterpiece, culminating in an MVP award and a playoff victory. Their sudden dissolution in 2023, linked to geopolitical business conflicts, marked an abrupt end to a team that had shown significant promise and growth within the Overwatch League structure.