2021: The “Little Victories” - Grant Paranjape
In a year filled with unprecedented challenges and uncertainty, we at the Washington Justice worked throughout the season to deliver “little victories” and are proud of what we achieved. Coming off the heels of 2020 and all that came with it, we approached the 2021 season knowing the importance of staying connected with our fanbase, and that we would likely have to get a little creative (thanks to COVID) to do so.
With that in mind, let’s take a minute to reflect on some of those moments that made this year remarkable in its own way, recognize some of the incredible work from our team, and appreciate the unwavering commitment and support shown by our Justice community.
Our New Home:
In March of this year, we unveiled a brand new practice facility located in the heart of Penn Quarter in DC. Conveniently located close to where we house our players, this space created a true best-in-class experience for our players, enabling them to focus on their love of Overwatch and perfecting their craft.
In addition, this space enabled us to safely gather with our community on a regular basis to watch matches, buy merchandise, and receive autographs from the players. While it wasn’t exactly the same as having 3,000 of you packed into the Anthem, you all brought the same level of energy and excitement that we saw at one of our homestands and it was truly special being able to get back to a level of normalcy with you all.
Staying Connected Virtually:
Tik-Tok
If you followed our Tik-Tok at the beginning of the year, the page you would see today is nearly unrecognizable. In just under six months, we have gone from one of the least followed accounts in the league to now being the most followed Overwatch League team on the platform. In just under a year, Tik-Tok has become our second-most followed platform and while I don’t understand 50 percent of the trends, you should drop us a follow if you don’t already (https://www.tiktok.com/@washjustice?)
Content Posting:
Across our social media platforms, our team delivered an unprecedented amount of content this past year, posting the second most tweets & YouTube videos, and the most Instagram posts in the league (shoutout to everyone who contributed selfies for those!) While quantity isn’t everything, getting content (in both Korean & English no less) to our fans was a real focus for us in a mostly online environment, and if our engagement metrics are any indication, the hard work and consistency of our social team was well received by all of you.
Local Partnerships:
2021 also brought new, exciting partnerships and activations for us here at the Justice. From launching a custom credit card with PenFed, to crafting a custom beer with DC Brau, to partnering with Shenandoah University to offer meaningful opportunities for their students to get real-world experience, there was no shortage of success on the partnerships front. Through all these activities, I hope that fans, both here in the DMV and abroad, were able to feel a little bit more connected with our brand and team throughout the year.
Aloha & Competitive Success:
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the incredible experience we had qualifying for this year’s playoffs and getting to travel to Hawaii as a team. Making playoffs was the culmination of months of hard work, which started with PRE & Supreme making major changes during the 2020 offseason. There is no magic formula for winning, but I strongly believe our focus on team culture is something to build upon and we are excited to see what comes next as we move forward into 2022.
A Look Ahead for 2022:
While it is important to reflect and appreciate 2021, 2022 promises to be an equally exciting and uncertain year. From 5v5 and everything that Overwatch 2 will bring to the league, to continuing navigating the challenges COVID-19 presents on a daily basis, 2022 will be packed with challenges and incredible moments that we will experience together.
With that in mind, here are a few areas of focus for us as we think about the 2022 season:
Continued Commitment to Community Engagement:
Our team will continue to maintain our downtown practice facility and retail space for the 2022 season. As we did throughout most of last season,we anticipate hosting regular watch parties on a weekly basis (pending COVID rules & regulations).
We plan on building on our increased content output for the 2022 season, with a particular focus on additional player streams.
Another goal for 2022 is building & fostering the Justicecord community. While it currently represents some of our most loyal and dedicated fans, I believe there is more we can be doing to regularly engage with our community on that platform.
Meaningful Activations in the DMV:
A key priority for us is finding new ways to activate with both our existing and new partners, to create amazing experiences for local fans. While I can’t share what’s in store next, I can promise we have some cool things in the works that you all can be a part of.
Competitive Flexibility:
Approaching the 2022 offseason was an extremely challenging experience; Teams were tasked with building a roster for a game they’ve never played, know almost nothing about, and will likely be meaningfully different from the current version. This means making large capital & time commitments to players before having information on any of these variables. Despite those challenges, I believe we’ve made the most out of the situation, creating a roster that includes a mix of veteran and upcoming talent, with the expectation of using 2022 to develop those players, our chemistry as a whole and learn more about OW2 as the season progresses.
As was the case last year, I apologize for not being better at keeping these blogs short so if you’ve taken the time to read this far, you have my sincerest thanks. 2021 was an unprecedented year for so many reasons, but I couldn’t be prouder of my team, our league, and all of the fans who have continued to work with us to make the Overwatch League better each and every single day.
For each of these successes I mentioned, there were plenty of moments of struggle, hardship, and all of the messy parts that go into crafting something great. It is for each of these moments, of greatness and handship and everything in between, that my staff, our vendors, players, coaches, and all the fans who support our team, have my sincerest gratitude and appreciation.
Wishing you a happy 2022,
#JusticeFighting
