Checkpoint Daily Podcast

The OWLs Nest is CheckpointXP’s official podcast dedicated to the Overwatch League. Every episode Robbie Landis is joined by Jake Lyon to discuss the latest league moves, matches, and more. This episode Robbie and Jake discuss the prevalence of the Widowmaker and Tracer Meta in the Asian Pacific division for the Overwatch League. What makes this duo of damage dealers so effective and who does it the best?

Snipers and Flanks Dominate

Widowmaker and Tracer have always been high impact heroes with a very high skill ceiling. Some of the best players and the most memorable plays have been executed by players who excel on these two. Why are some Asian teams using these more than the North American teams? Jake explains what makes the sniper and flanking heroes so deadly and necessary in the current meta. Plus, which teams are benefiting the most? Jake talks about the Guangzhou Charge have stepped up their play with a Widowmaker and Tracer reliant composition. He explains how the DPS trio of Ou "Eileen" Yiliang, Jung-woo "Happy" Lee and Charlie "Nero" Zwarg give the Charge the edge they need over the other teams utilizing the same composition.

Will the Widowmaker and Tracer meta stay as relevant for these teams now that the hero pools are gone? Jake doesn't think so. Anything can happen in the Overwatch League, but with Brigette and D.va back in the rotation, this provides a bit more protection for teams against these two heroes and offers more danger for those playing the sniper and flanker.

Remember to subscribe to the CheckpointXP Channel on YouTube, so you never miss an episode of the OWLs Nest. You can also find it in podcast form on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find your podcasts.

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Robbie also takes Ben through some of the big headlines that hit the comic and superhero world over the past few weeks. They start with a comment from Zack Snyder about his DC Movie Universe. The Robin suit fans see in Batman v Superman belongs to a dead version of Dick Grayson, the original Robin. Ben and Robbie express their displeasure in this news as Dick Grayson goes on to be a hero in his own right, Nightwing. They cover other stories like DC entering the podcast space and San Diego Comic-Con going online.

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The new season of Fortnite is here and with it comes sweeping changes to the map as well as water-skiing sharks! It gets the group to ask the question "but is that fun?"

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Kali and Chadd take over CheckpointAFK for a special Pride episode and also discuss the importance of inclusion and social justice in and out of the LGBTQIA community. 

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The Houston Outlaws started the 2020 season with an uphill battle. With most of the roster suffering from an illness, they took some heavy losses. That in turn put them at the bottom of most analysis’s power rankings. Since then they’ve shown moments of brilliance and begun a steady climb towards the middle of the pack. Dream explains where the team’s mental state is and the coaches and players keep their motivation. He also talks about the importance of staying positive and focused during the Covid-19 pandemic with league play. Dream also explains the story behind some of the main roster changes. Why long-time main tank Austin “Muma” Wilmot has been sitting the bench. And why João Pedro “Hydration” Goes Telles has been taking over for him.

Since the introduction of Hero Pools, the Overwatch League has gone through many rules and format changes. From Hero Pools to the Tournament format, it’s all been in the service of a better final product and keeping players and coaches healthy. Dream explains his thoughts on the weekly hero pools and why changing to a two-week hero pool will contribute to better games and better health and focus for players and coaches alike.

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Former co-host and Other Identity Alumni Kali Sloan joins Robbie and Ben to celebrate Pride Month. They talk about Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, one of the original X-Men and his evolution as a character. Iceman is one of the biggest and most well-known X-Men and years came out as Gay in the comics. Ben being a huge Iceman fan, talks about how natural and right it felt for the character. They also discuss Batwoman and some of the problematic issues DC has had with the character in the past. Kali explains the importance of proper representation in comics.

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A Fortnite competitor hired an e-girl to hang out with him and chat during his stream. The guys take a listen and share their thoughts.

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Activision blocks 100 Thieves from running a Warzone charity event only to cause a huge blow-up with the org, Apex Legends reveals their season 5 Lost Treasures event and a buff to THIS legend and The Last of Us 2 is out but why big streamers are saying they won’t stream it at all?

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For our final topic, Brandon Brathwaite and the Checkpoint Gang breakdown their favorite announcement from the Playstation 5 Reveal event. The hour-long event contained a first look at the games coming out for the system and a look on the hardware its self. While the design seems polarizing, the games weren’t as over ten launches or near launch titles got trailers. Did they outshine their Microsoft rivals or did they fall into the same traps they did about “gameplay”? We speculate on its cost and additional features the console may have and how it will perform.

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This week’s episode starts off with a fan Q and A segment. Robbie and Jake put the call out on social media for any fans who wanted to be a part of the show. Anyone who had a specific question they wanted to answer. Or anyone who wanted to hear Jake and Robbie’s take on something current in the Overwatch scene. This isn’t the last time that fans will have a hand in helping make the show. If you want to submit a question of your own for future shows, make sure you’re following CheckpointXP, Robbie and Jake on Twitter.

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