# 2019 Houston Outlaws season

The 2019 Houston Outlaws season was the second season of the Houston Outlaws's existence in the Overwatch League (OWL) and their second under head coach Tae-yeong Kim. After finishing 22–18 the previous season, the Outlaws were looking to improve on their record and qualify for the season playoffs for the first time.
The Outlaws began the season winning three of their matches in Stage 1. The stage was capped off by a 1–3 loss to the Atlanta Reign that prevented Houston from qualifying for the Stage 1 Playoffs. Houston performed poorly in Stage 2, as the team did not claim a single victory in their seven matches of the stage. After the All-Star break, the Outlaws hit their stride, posting a 5–2 record in Stage 3 and qualifying for the Stage 3 Playoffs. However, lost to the Vancouver Titans 0–3 in the quarterfinals. A 1–3 loss to the London Spitfire in Week 3 of Stage 4 officially eliminated the Outlaws from season playoff contention. Houston ended the season on a 5-game losing streak to finish the season with a disappointing 9–19 record.

## Preceding offseason
### Player re-signings

From August 1 to September 9, 2018, all Overwatch League teams that competed in the 2018 season could choose to extend their team's players' contracts. Outlaws elected to release three of its players, Russell "FCTFCTN" Campbell, Lucas "Mendokusaii" Håkansson, and Matthew "Clockwork" Dias; Mendokusaii and Clockwork were moved to non-player roles with the team.

### Free agency

All non-expansion teams could not enter the free agency period until October 8; they were able to sign members from their respective academy team and make trades until then. On September 18, Outlaws traded GG Esports Academy player Yoo "Smurf" Myeong-hwan to San Francisco Shock in exchange for Dante "Danteh" Cruz.

## Regular season

The Outlaws opened their 2019 season with a match against the new expansion franchise Toronto Defiant on February 15; the Outlaws lost 2–3. Houston finished Stage 1 with a 3–4 record and did not qualify for the stage playoffs.
In Stage 2, the Outlaws faced their in-state rivals, the Dallas Fuel. Houston, who had never lost to Dallas, lost the match 1–3. The Outlaws ended the stage with a winless 0–7 record.
In Stage 3, Houston found themselves in an eight-game losing streak; however, a win over the San Francisco Shock snapped both Houston's losing streak and San Francisco's eleven-game winning streak. The Outlaws, who had a winless Stage 2, finished Stage 3 with a 5–2 record and secured a spot in the Stage 3 Playoffs. The Outlaws faced the second-seeded Vancouver Titans in the Stage 3 Quarterfinals on July 11; Houston was unable secure a map win and lost the match 0–3.
The Outlaws were officially eliminated from playoff contention after a loss to the London Spitfire on August 10.

## Sale of the franchise

On June 12, Immortals Gaming Club (IGC), the parent company of Immortals and Los Angeles Valiant, acquired Infinite Esports, the parent company of Houston Outlaws and OpTic Gaming, marking the first major sale of any Overwatch League franchise. By OWL rules, one company may not own more than one OWL franchise. Both Riot Games and Activision Blizzard approved the sale, but IGC must operate Valiant and Outlaws as entirely separate entities, with oversight by OWL representatives, until IGC sell the Outlaws.

## Standings
### Record by stage

* ↑ No stage playoffs were held for Stage 4.

### League

| Pos | Div | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | PCT | MW | ML | MT | MD | Qualification |
| 1 | PAC | Vancouver Titans | 28 | 25 | 3 | 0.893 | 89 | 28 | 0 | +61 | Advance to season playoffs (division leaders) |
| 2 | ATL | New York Excelsior | 28 | 22 | 6 | 0.786 | 78 | 38 | 3 | +40 | Advance to season playoffs (division leaders) |
| 3 | PAC | San Francisco Shock | 28 | 23 | 5 | 0.821 | 92 | 26 | 0 | +66 | Advance to season playoffs |
| 4 | PAC | Hangzhou Spark | 28 | 18 | 10 | 0.643 | 64 | 52 | 4 | +12 | Advance to season playoffs |
| 5 | PAC | Los Angeles Gladiators | 28 | 17 | 11 | 0.607 | 67 | 48 | 3 | +19 | Advance to season playoffs |
| 6 | ATL | Atlanta Reign | 28 | 16 | 12 | 0.571 | 69 | 50 | 1 | +19 | Advance to season playoffs |
| 7 | ATL | London Spitfire | 28 | 16 | 12 | 0.571 | 58 | 52 | 6 | +6 | Advance to play-ins |
| 8 | PAC | Seoul Dynasty | 28 | 15 | 13 | 0.536 | 64 | 50 | 3 | +14 | Advance to play-ins |
| 9 | PAC | Guangzhou Charge | 28 | 15 | 13 | 0.536 | 61 | 57 | 1 | +4 | Advance to play-ins |
| 10 | ATL | Philadelphia Fusion | 28 | 15 | 13 | 0.536 | 57 | 60 | 3 | −3 | Advance to play-ins |
| 11 | PAC | Shanghai Dragons | 28 | 13 | 15 | 0.464 | 51 | 61 | 3 | −10 | Advance to play-ins |
| 12 | PAC | Chengdu Hunters | 28 | 13 | 15 | 0.464 | 55 | 66 | 1 | −11 | Advance to play-ins |
| 13 | PAC | Los Angeles Valiant | 28 | 12 | 16 | 0.429 | 56 | 61 | 4 | −5 | |
| 14 | ATL | Paris Eternal | 28 | 11 | 17 | 0.393 | 46 | 67 | 3 | −21 | |
| 15 | PAC | Dallas Fuel | 28 | 10 | 18 | 0.357 | 43 | 70 | 3 | −27 | |
| 16 | ATL | Houston Outlaws | 28 | 9 | 19 | 0.321 | 47 | 69 | 3 | −22 | |
| 17 | ATL | Toronto Defiant | 28 | 8 | 20 | 0.286 | 39 | 72 | 4 | −33 | |
| 18 | ATL | Washington Justice | 28 | 8 | 20 | 0.286 | 39 | 72 | 6 | −33 | |
| 19 | ATL | Boston Uprising | 28 | 8 | 20 | 0.286 | 41 | 78 | 2 | −37 | |
| 20 | ATL | Florida Mayhem | 28 | 6 | 22 | 0.214 | 36 | 75 | 5 | −39 | |

## Game log
### Regular season

2019 game log (Regular season record: 9–19) :
Stage 1 (3–4)
1
February 15
Toronto Defiant
3
2
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
   Recap
Blizzard Arena
1
Nepal
2
4
Numbani
5
1
Volskaya Industries
0
2
Route 66
1
2
Busan
1
2
February 17
Houston Outlaws
2
3
Boston Uprising
Burbank, CA
   Recap
Blizzard Arena
2
Nepal
0
2
Hollywood
3
3
Volskaya Industries
4
4
Dorado
3
1
Ilios
2
3
February 23
Houston Outlaws
3
1
Hangzhou Spark
Burbank, CA
   Recap
Blizzard Arena
2
Busan
0
5
King's Row
4
4
Temple of Anubis
3
0
Dorado
1
4
February 24
New York Excelsior
4
0
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
   Recap
Blizzard Arena
2
Nepal
0
3
Hollywood
0
2
Temple of Anubis
0
2
Route 66
1
5
March 02
Florida Mayhem
1
3
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
   Recap
Blizzard Arena
1
Ilios
2
3
King's Row
5
3
Horizon Lunar Colony
4
2
Rialto
1
6
March 09
Los Angeles Valiant
1
2
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
   Recap
Blizzard Arena
1
Busan
2
3
Numbani
2
3
Volskaya Industries
3
0
Route 66
2
7
March 17
Houston Outlaws
1
3
Atlanta Reign
Burbank, CA
   Recap
Blizzard Arena
1
Ilios
2
2
King's Row
1
0
Horizon Lunar Colony
1
2
Rialto
3 :
Stage 2 (0–7)
8
April 13
Vancouver Titans
3
1
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
1:30 pm PST
   Recap
Blizzard Arena
0
Busan
2
1
Paris
0
2
Eichenwalde
1
1
Rialto
0
9
April 19
Philadelphia Fusion
4
0
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
5:30 pm PST
   Recap
Blizzard Arena
2
Busan
1
3
Temple of Anubis
2
2
Eichenwalde
0
3
Watchpoint: Gibraltar
0
10
April 21
Houston Outlaws
0
3
Shanghai Dragons
Burbank, CA
1:30 pm PST
   Recap
Blizzard Arena
0
Oasis
2
0
Temple of Anubis
0
0
Blizzard World
1
2
Junkertown
3
11
April 27
Houston Outlaws
0
4
Seoul Dynasty
Allen, TX
1:10 pm PST
   Recap
Allen Event Center
1
Oasis
2
3
Paris
4
0
Blizzard World
3
3
Rialto
4
12
April 28
Houston Outlaws
1
3
Dallas Fuel
Allen, TX
4:15 pm PST
   Recap
Allen Event Center
0
Lijiang Tower
2
2
Temple of Anubis
1
2
King's Row
3
3
Watchpoint: Gibraltar
4
13
May 02
Guangzhou Charge
3
2
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
8:30 pm PST
   Recap
Blizzard Arena
2
Lijiang Tower
1
2
Hanamura
0
1
King's Row
2
2
Rialto
3
2
Busan
0
14
May 04
London Spitfire
4
0
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
12:00 noon PST
   Recap
Blizzard Arena
2
Lijiang Tower
0
2
Hanamura
0
3
King's Row
2
2
Junkertown
0 :
Stage 3 (5–2)
15
June 07
Houston Outlaws
2
3
New York Excelsior
Burbank, CA
7:30 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
2
Ilios
1
0
Horizon Lunar Colony
1
4
Numbani
3
3
Watchpoint: Gibraltar
4
0
Oasis
2
16
June 13
Houston Outlaws
3
2
San Francisco Shock
Burbank, CA
4:00 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
2
Nepal
1
0
Horizon Lunar Colony
1
0
Eichenwalde
3
1
Havana
0
2
Ilios
0
17
June 14
Boston Uprising
0
4
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
7:30 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
0
Nepal
2
1
Volskaya Industries
2
1
Numbani
2
0
Havana
1
18
June 20
Paris Eternal
1
3
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
5:45 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
0
Oasis
2
2
Paris
4
2
Hollywood
1
1
Dorado
2
19
June 23
Houston Outlaws
1
3
Florida Mayhem
Burbank, CA
3:30 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
2
Ilios
0
2
Paris
3
2
Hollywood
3
2
Watchpoint: Gibraltar
3
20
June 28
Houston Outlaws
3
0
Washington Justice
Burbank, CA
9:00 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
2
Oasis
0
4
Volskaya Industries
4
3
Eichenwalde
2
1
Dorado
0
21
June 30
Houston Outlaws
3
1
Toronto Defiant
Burbank, CA
3:30 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
0
Oasis
2
3
Horizon Lunar Colony
2
2
Eichenwalde
1
3
Dorado
1 :
Stage 3 Playoffs
Quarterfinals
July 11
Houston Outlaws
0
3
Vancouver Titans
Burbank, CA
6:00 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
0
Ilios
2
2
Eichenwalde
3
2
Volskaya Industries
3 :
Stage 4 (1–6)
22
July 25
Houston Outlaws
1
3
Paris Eternal
Burbank, CA
4:00 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
2
Busan
0
0
Volskaya Industries
1
0
Blizzard World
3
2
Junkertown
3
23
July 27
Los Angeles Gladiators
1
3
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
3:30 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
1
Busan
2
2
Hanamura
3
2
Hollywood
1
2
Havana
3
24
August 02
Houston Outlaws
1
3
Philadelphia Fusion
Burbank, CA
5:45 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
0
Ilios
2
2
Temple of Anubis
1
1
Hollywood
2
3
Havana
6
25
August 04
Atlanta Reign
3
1
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
12:00 noon PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
2
Lijiang Tower
0
2
Hanamura
3
1
Blizzard World
0
3
Route 66
2
26
August 10
Houston Outlaws
1
3
London Spitfire
Burbank, CA
12:00 noon PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
0
Lijiang Tower
2
3
Volskaya Industries
4
2
King's Row
3
1
Route 66
0
27
August 11
Washington Justice
3
2
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
1:45 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
1
Lijiang Tower
2
2
Hanamura
1
1
King's Row
2
3
Route 66
2
2
Busan
1
28
August 17
Chengdu Hunters
3
2
Houston Outlaws
Burbank, CA
5:15 pm PST
   Details
Blizzard Arena
1
Ilios
2
2
Temple of Anubis
1
2
Hollywood
1
2
Junkertown
3
2
Lijiang Tower
1 :

## Awards

On May 8, Dante "Danteh" Cruz was named as a reserve for the 2019 Overwatch League All-Star Game.