Hangzhou Spark removes Krystal from OWL roster

Hangzhou Spark just announced its final decision regarding the Cai “Krystal” Shilong case. After reviewing all facts related to Krystal, it is no surprise to Overwatch League fans to see Krystal removed from the roster. From faking injuries to missing preseason meetings, Hangzhou Spark could not fully trust him. This OWL drama resulted in the removal of Overwatch’s Krystal from the official roster without any proper follow-up.

Krystal Drama

Last summer, Krystal took a 10-day leave to look after his ill mother. However, when his team asked him to return after those 10 days, Krystal failed to deliver. Furthermore, he did not communicate at all with his OWL team. Hangzhou Spark even asked if he needed to prolong his absence, understanding that family issues are a serious matter. Still, Krystal gave no response.

Though he failed to communicate with his team, he seemed to communicate well with his fans. On his social media accounts, he uploaded several pictures of him and his family having fun in a theme park. His reaction completely stunned the majority of the OWL community. Krystal stated that he was protesting against his team by not coming back. According to him, he should not have been benched instead of continuing as a regular.

Hangzhou Spark gave him a severe warning and Krystal ended up with a suspension until the end of the season.

Hangzhou Spark’s Statement

After this incident, even his team supervisor started to go public with accusations. According to him, Krystal did not show professional behavior when present with the team. These allegations included faking injuries to miss team practice, disrupting the competitive environment during practices, and delaying his U.S. arrival for the preseason. After looking at the facts, Hangzhou Spark decided he was not necessary. Krystal is now a free agent on the OWL market.

Spark Communications pic.twitter.com/NAMxVnQyra

— Hangzhou Spark (@Hangzhou_Spark) June 19, 2020

The OWL team announced it on Twitter without playing politics and without any remorse. Hangzhou Spark also delegated all follow-up matters to the legal department of its parent company, BiliBili Gaming. This shows Spark did not want to bother anymore with Krystal drama. This is completely understandable since the team showed strong competitive performances even without him.

Hangzhou Spark is currently fighting in the top half of the ladder thanks to the latest roster additions. They put a lot of trust in Krystal but ended up with disappointment. Krystal was recognized as one of the OWL’s brightest hopes and his downfall felt bitter for many of his fans and his former team.

Written by Charles FUSTER