Atlanta Falls but the Phoenix is Rising

Entering the season Atlanta Reign‘s roster received mixed reviews. Most analysts had them as a middle of the pack team who would be clawing their way to a playoff spot if they were lucky. Even if these estimations felt a bit harsh, they were at least understandable. Atlanta had a lot of questions floating around as they made their way into the season, and changing perceptions before the product could be seen in action just wasn’t going to happen. That seemed fair.

With their first match on Friday Atlanta decisively defeated The Florida Mayhem 4-0, raising a few eyebrows along the way. Perhaps this was a team that deserved a closer look. Was The Reign better than many had previously thought? The general conclusion was to temper expectations till Sunday when the team would face off against one of the League’s strongest line ups, The Philadelphia Fusion.

Atlanta answered the call. The entire match was a back and forth, action packed throw down of epic proportions. The fights were swelling crescendos of ultimates and frags with each team trading blows till the last seconds of multiple rounds. Atlanta was in it the whole time, even leading the match 2-1 after three maps. Philly was again forced into the 3rd round on the fifth map where they eventually secured the win.

In the end Atlanta fell, and that’s ok. It may even be exactly what needed to happen. You see, I don’t believe Atlanta played their best game. Mistakes were made and there are surely some plays this team would like to have back. Having those issues exposed by a team like Philly will only make this team more lethal moving forward. On top of cleaning up their game, there’s plenty of things the team is still trying to sort out. Is it Dogman or Kodak? NLaaeR or Erster? To Torb or not to Torb? These guys are still very much finding their groove yet this is the level of competition they gave Fusion? Insane!

Now people are starting to look at Atlanta in a whole new light. Folks are realizing these guys are good. Like, really good. Atlanta may have lost the match but they have started winning over plenty of fans and analysts alike. The Reign have proven that they can compete with the League’s highest tier, and do so in style! We spoke before about this team’s swagger, and I’m willing to bet it only swells from here. Not in an arrogant way, but in their confidence as a team. Now they know they can o toe to toe with anyone in this League. Other teams had better take note.

Don‘t get me wrong, there’s some aspects of execution and strategy the team needs to iron out, but their synergy is off the charts! When these kids start to hit their stride, oh man, watch out! The Reign are for real, and now we’re not the only ones who know that. Buckle up Royals, we are in for one heck of a ride.