Shanghai Dragons

Franchise Founding and Identity

The Shanghai Dragons were officially announced as an Overwatch League franchise on July 12, 2017, owned by the Chinese technology company NetEase. CEO William Ding expressed the company's passion for gaming and its desire to build a world-class team for Shanghai that inspires fans everywhere. The team's branding was unveiled on September 27, 2017, making it the first OWL team to do so. The initial roster of eight players was revealed on October 31, followed by the coaching staff announcement on November 20, which included head coach Chen U4 Congshan.

The name Dragons was chosen as the dragon is a symbol of a sacred, powerful, and supreme spirit in Chinese culture. The team's logo features a stylized dragon forming the letter 'S', rendered in the official colors of red, yellow, white, and black. Red is the primary theme color, emphasizing the team's Chinese heritage and connection. The Dragons were one of four professional Overwatch teams based in China at the league's inception.

The Historic 2018 Winless Season

The Shanghai Dragons' first season in the Overwatch League in 2018 was historically difficult. Their first match was a 0-4 loss to the Los Angeles Gladiators, setting a trend that would continue all season. After an 0-10 start, the team signed four new players, including Kim Geguri Se-yeon, the Overwatch League's first female player. Despite the changes, the losses mounted. After four more losses, head coach U4 stepped down, leaving assistant coach Son Kong Jun-young as interim head coach.

After their 29th consecutive loss, the Dragons surpassed the Philadelphia 76ers' record for the longest losing streak in professional sports history. The team then went through another coaching change as head coach RUI stepped down due to health issues. The team finished the 2018 season with a perfect 0-40 record and a map differential of -120, marking the worst single-season record in professional sports history. Their overall losing streak extended to 42 games, a new professional sports record.

Rebuilding and the First Victory

Determined to change their fortunes, the Dragons overhauled their roster before the 2019 season, releasing eight of eleven players. Only Geguri, Lee Fearless Eui-seok, and Lu Diya Weida remained. They signed a new head coach, We BlueHaS Seong-hwan, and announced six new player signings in mid-October 2018. Later, they acquired tank player Noh Gamsu Young-jin from the Boston Uprising after Fearless became inactive due to health reasons.

The 2019 season opened with two more losses. On February 23, 2019, the Dragons finally snapped their 42-game losing streak by defeating the Boston Uprising 3-1, securing the franchise's first ever victory. The team found momentum, finishing Stage 1 with a 3-4 record. In Stage 2, they qualified for their first ever stage playoffs with a 4-3 record, also becoming the first Chinese team to reach a stage playoff. They lost in the quarterfinals to the San Francisco Shock but ended the Shock's 28-map winning streak in the process.

First Championship and Continued Success

The Dragons hit their stride after the All-Star break in 2019. They amassed a 5-2 record in Stage 3 and qualified for the Stage 3 playoffs. There, they defeated the top-seeded New York Excelsior, the second-seeded Vancouver Titans, and finally the third-seeded San Francisco Shock in a close 4-3 finals match to claim their first-ever stage championship. Prior to Stage 4, they acquired support player Kim Izayaki Min-chul. However, after the league implemented a 2-2-2 role lock, the team struggled, winning only one of their final seven matches.

The Dragons finished the 2019 regular season in 11th place with a 13-15 record. They advanced to the play-in tournament, winning their first match against the Philadelphia Fusion 4-2. Their second match against the London Spitfire went to an OWL record eight maps, but the Dragons fell 3-4, ending their playoff hopes for the year.

Building a Dominant Roster and Near Miss

Prior to the 2020 season, the Dragons dropped most of their coaching staff, including head coach BlueHas, and signed former Los Angeles Valiant head coach Byung-Chul Moon Moon. They also released several players, including Gamsu and Jin Youngjin Young-jin. Shanghai added six new players, including damage players Kim Fleta Byung-sun and Lee Lip Jae-won, tank players Kang Void Jun-Woo and Seo Stand1 Ji-won, and support player Lee Leejaegon Jae-gon. Fearless was also promoted back to the main roster from the academy team Team CC.

This new roster quickly became dominant. Behind Fearless and rookie-of-the-year-level play from Lip, the Dragons were considered the best team in the league early on. They won the May Melee tournament, famously coming back from an 0-3 deficit to beat the Seoul Dynasty 4-3 in the finals. They reached the finals of the next two tournaments, winning the Countdown Cup but losing the Summer Showdown to the Guangzhou Charge. They finished the regular season atop the Asia region with a 27-2 record. In the playoffs, they advanced to the Grand Finals bracket but lost in the upper bracket finals to the Shock and were upset by the Dynasty in the lower bracket finals. Fleta won the league's regular season MVP award, and coach Moon was named Coach of the Year.

The 2021 Championship Season

In the offseason before 2021, the team did not re-sign five free agents, including Geguri, and transferred Fearless to the Dallas Fuel. They replaced him with tank player Koo Fate Pan-seung from the Florida Mayhem. The Dragons advanced to the finals of the first midseason tournament, the May Melee, but lost to the Dallas Fuel. They faced the Fuel again in the June Joust finals and won, claiming their first title of 2021. They went undefeated in the Summer Showdown tournament cycle, defeating the Chengdu Hunters in the finals for their second consecutive midseason title.

The team finished the regular season as the top seed with 12 wins, 4 losses, and 20 league points. Lip, Void, Izayaki, and Leejaegon were all awarded Role Star commendations. In the playoffs, the Dragons swept the San Francisco Shock 3-0 and defeated the Los Angeles Gladiators 3-1. In the upper bracket finals, they faced the Dallas Fuel for the fifth time that year and won 3-1 to advance to the Grand Finals. There, the Shanghai Dragons swept the Atlanta Reign 4-0 to win their first OWL championship. Lee Lip Jae-won was named the Grand Finals MVP.

Later Seasons and Legacy

The Dragons won the East region Summer Showdown tournament in the 2022 season and secured a playoff berth. They were ultimately eliminated from the playoffs by the San Francisco Shock in a 3-1 loss. For the 2023 season, the team underwent a major roster transformation, losing superstar DPS Lip to the Atlanta Reign, their support line of Izayaki and Leejaegon to the Boston Uprising, and off-tank Void to the Seoul Dynasty.

To replace them, the Dragons signed veterans including Gangnamjin, Diem, and Heesu, as well as the rising flex DPS talent Viper. Kim Fleta Byung-sun remained on the roster but shifted from the damage role to the tank position after the 2022 season. Throughout their history, Dragons players earned numerous individual accolades including multiple Role Star and All-Star Game selections, reflecting the high-caliber talent that propelled the team from infamy to the top of the league.

Academy Team and Organization

The Shanghai Dragons operated an academy team called Team CC, which competed in Overwatch Contenders China. The team was revealed on January 10, 2018. In its first season, Team CC reached the playoff semi-finals before losing to LGD Gaming. The academy system served as a development pipeline for the main roster, most notably being the team to which Fearless was sent before his successful promotion back to the Dragons in 2020.

The organization was a founding member of the Overwatch League's East region and was owned by NetEase throughout its existence. The team's journey from a record-setting losing streak to a championship victory stands as one of the most dramatic narratives in esports history, a story of resilience and strategic rebuilding.