Overwatch World Cup winner Rawkus moves to VALORANT

Overwatch League continues to see players retire from the scene following Jay “Sinatraa” Won, Corey “Corey” Nigra, and Andrej “Babybay” Francisty. Shane “Rawkus” Flaherty just announced his retirement after Houston Outlaws defeated Los Angeles Valiant on July 31. Throughout his career, Rawkus made many contributions to the Overwatch esports scene.

Thank You, Overwatch

Read: https://t.co/hU2fAMmpKE

— Shane Flaherty (@Rawkus) August 1, 2020

Rawkus in Esports

Rawkus began his professional Overwatch career with the team Ohno in 2016, playing alongside future Outlaws teammate Russell “FCTFCTN” Campbell. Shortly after, he would go on to join FaZe Clan and secure second place in the 2016 Major League Gaming Vegas, competing against Team EnvyUs, Cloud9, and Fnatic, among others. In 2017, the star helped FaZe Clan secure second place in the 2017 Overwatch Contenders.

Hey Outlaws fans, it’s a sad day in H-Town—as we bid farewell to our #1. Please #AnteUp and wish Rawkus a thank you worthy of his 3-year run with the Houston Outlaws!

Once an Outlaw. Always an Outlaw. pic.twitter.com/XuczkYACS1

— Houston Outlaws (@Outlaws) August 1, 2020

Overwatch League

In October of 2017, Rawkus participated in the Overwatch League inaugural season as part of the Houston Outlaws. He has since stayed with Houston Outlaws as flex support for the rest of his Overwatch esports career. His hero pool consisted of Ana, Baptiste, Moira, and Zenyatta.

Rawkus and former Houston Outlaws teammate Jake “Jake” Lyon also ended up being chosen to represent Overwatch League on The Today Show in April 2018.

Overwatch World Cup

Last year, Rawkus made esports news in the 2019 Overwatch World Cup. For the first time, Team USA secured first place. He and his teammates redeemed themselves against three-time champions South Korea in the semifinals, and ultimately swept China with a 3-0 victory during finals.

Like his former World Cup teammates Sinatraa and Corey, Rawkus plans to seek a professional career in VALORANT. Announcements regarding what team he will be signed with are forthcoming. Meanwhile, Houston Outlaws closes out the regular season with a loss against San Francisco Shock hours after his retirement. Fans will be excited for Rawkus’ next move after streaming.

Written by Emily Tang