The 2020 Los Angeles Valiant season is the third season of Los Angeles Valiant's existence in the Overwatch League and their first full season under head coach Mike "Packing10" Szklanny. The team will look to improve upon their 12–16 from 2019 and qualify for the season playoffs for the second time in three seasons. The Valiant will host two homestand events in the 2020 season; both will take place at The Novo.[1]
Preceding offseason
Organizational changes
After releasing head coach Moon Byung-chul the previous season, assistant coach Mike "Packing10" Szklanny was named the team's interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Packing10 was officially named the team's full-time head coach in early September 2019.[2] The following month, the Valiant added former Boston Uprising assistant coach Jordan "Gunba" Graham as an assistant coach. Gunba was an assistant coach for the Valiant in 2018.[3] On 28th May 2020, Valiant announced that Max 'Unter' Unterwurzacher would join the organization as an assistant coach after previously being the head coach of the academy team of the London Spitfire, the British Hurricane.[4]
Roster changes
The Valiant enter the new season with no free agents, three players which they have the option to retain for another year, and five players under contract.[5] The OWL's deadline to exercise a team option is November 11, after which any players not retained will become a free agent. Free agency officially began on October 7.[6]
Acquisitions
The Valiant's first acquisitions of the offseason were announced on October 31, with the signings of main tank Song "Dreamer" Sang-lok from the Sydney Drop Bears, flex DPS Damon "Apply" Conti, support Owen "Slur" Warner from Samsung Morning Stars, and support Mun "Lastro" Jung-won from Skyfoxes.[7] On January 7, the Valiant revealed two more additions in main tank Rick "GiG" Salazar and support Park "RaiN" Jae-ho in a skit video for the team's new color scheme.[8] A week later, on January 16, the team announced the signing of damage player Kai "KSP" Collins.[9]
Departures
The Valiant made their first offseason moves on October 23, releasing DPS Brady "Agilities" Girardi, trading off-tank Indy "SPACE" Halpern to the Los Angeles Gladiators, and trading flex support Park "KariV" Young-seo to the Toronto Defiant.[10] In mid-November, Los Angeles announced that they had parted ways with main tank Russell "FCTFCTN" Campbell.[11] On December 12, support player Scott "Custa" Kennedy announced that he was retiring from professional Overwatch play to join the Overwatch League as an analyst.[12] Prior to the start of the season, Owen 'Slur' Warner silently departed with the team after it was revealed that he had previously used a racial slur. He later changed his name to Provide to distance himself from his past.[13]
