Overwatch League Season 2 schedule for Stage 2, Week 1

The Overwatch League has returned and is all the way through a full stage. All of last season's teams are back, along with new expansion teams, and they're all stepping into what's a very different Overwatch landscape. The second season has proven to be a challenge for many teams, but the quest to become the best team in the world remains the same.

Now that the Overwatch League is back and fully underway, Shacknews is here to help fans, be they old, new, or curious, keep up with the state of the league all season long.

Let's take a look at the standings heading into Stage 2.

Standings after Stage 1 (Win-Loss, Map Differential)

1. Vancouver Titans (7-0, +18)
2. New York Excelsior (7-0, +16)
3 (tie). Philadelphia Fusion (5-2, +5)
3 (tie). Toronto Defiant (5-2, +5)
5. Atlanta Reign (4-3, +6)
6 (tie). San Francisco Shock (4-3, +5)
6 (tie). Seoul Dynasty (4-3, +5)
8. Boston Uprising (4-3, +3)

9. Dallas Fuel (4-3, 0)
10. Los Angeles Gladiators (3-4, +1)
11. Guangzhou Charge (3-4, -1)
12. Houston Outlaws (3-4, -3)
13 (tie). Hangzhou Spark (3-4, -4)
13 (tie). Shanghai Dragons (3-4, -4)
13 (tie). London Spitfire (3-4, -4)
16 (tie). Chengdu Hunters (3-4, -8)
16 (tie). Paris Eternal (3-4, -8)
18. Washington Justice (1-6, -11)
19. Florida Mayhem (1-6, -12)
20. Los Angeles Valiant (0-7, -9)

Stage 2, Week 1 schedule

Thursday, April 4

Philadelphia Fusion vs. New York Excelsior - 4PM PT (Disney XD)
Boston Uprising vs. Atlanta Reign - 5:45PM PT
Shanghai Dragons vs. Los Angeles Gladiators - 7:30PM PT
Guangzhou Charge vs. Paris Eternal - 9:15PM PT

Friday, April 5

London Spitfire vs. Florida Mayhem - 4PM PT
Washington Justice vs. Toronto Defiant - 5:45PM PT
Los Angeles Valiant vs. San Francisco Shock - 7:30PM PT
Los Angeles Gladiators vs. Seoul Dynasty - 9:15PM PT

Saturday, April 6

Florida Mayhem vs. Philadelphia Fusion - 12PM PT
Toronto Defiant vs. Boston Uprising - 1:45PM PT
New York Excelsior vs. Shanghai Dragons - 3:30PM PT
Chengdu Hunters vs. Paris Eternal - 5:15PM PT

Sunday, April 7

San Francisco Shock vs. Guangzhou Charge - 12PM PT (Disney XD)
Atlanta Reign vs. London Spitfire - 1:45PM PT (Disney XD)
Vancouver Titans vs. Hangzhou Spark - 3:30PM PT
Washington Justice vs. Chengdu Hunters - 5:15PM PT

Game to watch

The Philadelphia Fusion seem to start off these stages with the tallest of tasks. For Stage 1, they faced down defending Overwatch League champions, the London Spitfire. For Stage 2, they lead off again. This time, against the undefeated New York Excelsior.

As noted, a lot has changed since the end of Season 1. The New York Excelsior, though they're replicating their first season success, it's with a mostly different cast of players. Yeon-Gwan "Nenne" Jeong and Tae-Hong "Mek0" are among the league leaders in eliminations, backed up by Season 1 league MVP SeongHyun "JJONAK" Bang. The Fusion, on the other hand, are doing it with a lot of their first season stalwarts, with JaeHyeok "Carpe" Lee and Josue "Eqo" Corona helping lead the way.

But there's another reason that the first game of Stage 2 is going to be the one to watch. Beyond operating on a new patch, this will act as the Overwatch League debut for new character Baptiste. This character's healing abilities and his powerful tools, including his Immortality Field, are almost certain to make him a regular part of the Overwatch League going forward. Who's going to stand out with Baptiste? And are the top teams going to ride him to even farther heights?

Catch all of this week's games and all of this season's action on the Overwatch League Twitch channel, the ESPN App, or on the Overwatch League website.