Currently, 17-year-olds can compete in the Overwatch League. This is possible thanks to the rule change from 2022 to 2023. Thanks to these changes, much younger players can join the Overwatch League. One of the youngest rookies in the league has carried a lot of weight and led his teammates to win first place; thanks to that, he took home the Rookie of the Year award.
Overwatch League Rookie of the Year 2023
It was recently announced that Atlanta Reign’s Kim “D0NGHAK” Min-sung won the Rookie of the Year award at 17. D0NGHAK has shown great adaptability and excellent teamwork. In addition, D0NGHAK showed great leadership that led his team to have a dominant regular season and win the championship. It is important to note that he is the youngest player in history to win this OWL award.
D0NGHAK’s trajectory in the 2023 season
It can be said that D0NGHAK had an excellent season in 2023. However, it has had a bittersweet ending. D0NGHAK left its stamp on the heroes Wrecking Ball and Winston this year. However, the young rookie player’s adjustment with his teammates was difficult, but D0NGHAK succeeded.
Now, the Rookie of the Year award had a bit of a bittersweet ending, as Atlanta Reign was the first team to drop out of the competition. After that early exit, D0NGHAK apologized to all his teammates. Without a doubt, it was really hard to see the player who had led his team to the top get demoralized after losing two games in a row.
However, Overwatch fans have been able to recognize the excellent work done by D0NGHAK throughout the year, which is why they have celebrated his award. All the effort shown by D0NGHAK throughout the year was rewarded with the Rookie of the Year award.
An unforgettable debut year🤯
Our Alarm Rookie of the Year Award winner: @Donghak_ow!#OWLGrandFinals pic.twitter.com/AxVouApEK5
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) September 30, 2023
Overwatch League Coach of the Year Award 2023
Another important recognition is the Overwatch League Coach of the Year award, which went to Jordan “Gunba” Graham this year. Gunba was announced as the coach of the year just before D0NGHAK was announced as Rookie of the year.
Without a doubt, Gunba deserved this award after his excellent work with his Florida Mayhem team. This team ended up being one of the best in the league, even though very few people believed in them.
The Florida Mayhem guaranteed their presence in the 2023 OWL Grand Finals phase. So far, the team has already secured a spot among the top four teams in the league. For his part, Gunba has guided his team on an excellent path to the top.