Centerpiece OWL player Danteh to leave Houston Outlaws

After their best season finish in the Overwatch League to date it was announced today that OWL standout Dante "Danteh" Cruz is parting ways with the Houston Outlaws as a free agent. The announcement made on social media was corroborated by Danteh moments after, seemingly suggesting the announcement wasn't finalized on short notice. Danteh played for Houston across three seasons, signing with the team in 2019 after leaving the San Francisco Shock in the inaugural season of OWL.

A heavy load was placed on the DPS player-turned main tank in the 2022 season, changing roles and doing so with phenomenal success. Once considered the premiere Tracer and Echo player in Overwatch League, the shift saw raised eyebrows. However, a meta heavily focused on dive led to early and continued success. Things changed again for Danteh in OWL 2022 tournament play as the meta shifted once more and required him to make the move to Winston.

This roster announcement comes weeks removed from the Outlaws also parting ways with Tomas “Doge” Kongsøre, Joseph “Lep” Cambriani, Kim “Creative” Young-wan. The tank position is in need of a full recharge after former main tank Shin "PIGGY" Min-jun left the team weeks before the Grand Finals tournament. A common trend in this offseason, the Outlaws now look at almost a full rebuild of its roster for 2023.

While Danteh is sure to be grabbed by any team looking to build a contending roster the Outlaws' future seems murky. A team seemingly without a plan at the tank role since 2020, it will now have to move forward without the fan favorite and heart of a team that was beginning to move up in the world.

Keep an eye out for any and all OWL roster news right here at esports.gg.