This week’s All-Star weekend filled with high caliber Overwatch action. One of the most unexpected parts of the event was when one of the Overwatch League’s casters, Brennon Hook, challenged a professional player to a 1v1.
The Set Up
It all started early in the All-Star event during the Talent Takedown. This match allowed casters to step out from behind the desk and showcase their skills. No other caster performed better than Brennon Hook. His performance on Widowmaker helped carry his team to a convincing victory. His performance on Widowmaker not only won his team the match but also inflated his ego. Following the match, he let issued a challenge to take on anyone in the league in a Widowmaker 1v1.
One player answered the challenge, Gesture. Though the Tank player for the London Spitfire, Gesture made one of the most iconic highlights of the 2019 season when he started off a match by snipping off Paris Eternal’s Soon with a Widowmaker, before swapping back to Tank. Though not a Widowmaker main, Gesture felt as though he was more than capable of taking on Bren’s Widowmaker in a 1v1. So that was that. The challenge was accepted and the two would face off during halftime in the All-Star game.
ITS HAPPENING…
THE BRENJI vs @gesture
I REACHED OUT TO MULTIPLE PRO PLAYERS, THE ONLY ONE TO STAND UP AND ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE WAS THE GIGACHAD HIMSELF GESTURE.
WIDOWMAKER 1V1
ALL STARS HALFTIMEBE THERE OR BE SQUARE#OWL2019 pic.twitter.com/jUqu2Sb5oD
— Brennon Hook (@BrenCasts) May 16, 2019
The Showdown
No one believed Brennon Hook stood a chance for a second. On the analyst desk, his two partners Sideshow and Soe predicted that he would lose 7-0 or 7-1 respectively. Bren, on the other hand, was full of confidence. He predicted that their duel would go the distance and that he would be able to defeat Gesture, 7-6. With no one else believing in him, he set off to prove everyone wrong.
The duel started exactly as everyone predicted. Virtually as soon as Bren left the spawn, Gesture welcomed him to the map with a headshot, instantly killing him. The second round ended in a similar fashion, with Gesture easily flexing his superiority over the caster. Bren shocked everyone, perhaps including himself, the following round when he was able to snipe Gesture. When he won the round, you might have thought he just wants the Overwatch World Cup or something. Elated, he leaped from his chair and cheered with excitement that few have ever felt in their life. His joy was short-lived. Though he would take another round off Gesture, London’s Tank player would dominate the duel, winning with a convincing 7-2.
Welcome to #OWL2019 @Brencasts.
The Widowmaker 1v1 has begun!
LIVE: https://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/FK8c9uVGLt
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) May 17, 2019
The Reactions
While the All-Stars weekend was filled with high-caliber, exciting Overwatch action, most of the community’s reaction centered around Bren and Gesture’s duel. These reactions varied from the awe of Gesture’s dominance, to surprise in Bren winning even a single round.
One professional player, the Boston Uprsing’s Fusions went as far as to say that witnessing Bren kill Gesture was the “best moment of my OWL career.”
Being behind @BrenCasts when he killed @gesture was the best moment of my owl career
— Fusions (@Fusions) May 17, 2019
Other reactions were less focused on Bren’s performance and more focused on Gesture’s. Some were shocked that a pro player, even when playing their off-role, was able to be killed twice by a lowly diamond player. Perhaps the best of these reactions came from Gesture’s own team. Following the match, the London Spitfire posted the following on Twitter: “HOW DID YOU LET BREN SCORE 2 POINTS???? SHAME!” Whether you thought it was a surprisingly good performance by Bren, or simple mistakes by Gesutre, it is clear that everyone in the community had opinions on the duel.
HOW DID YOU LET BREN SCORE 2 POINTS???? SHAME @gesture
— London Spitfire (@Spitfire) May 17, 2019
The Rematch?
While before the match Bren was filled with bravado and confidence, after the match he was much more humble. He took to Twitter to congratulate his opponent saying “GGs Gesture you absolute madman.” He also expressed pleasure with his performance calling it “a monumental victory for Diamond players all over.” Though mostly a friendly match meant more for entertainment than the competition, Bren and Gesture’s duel was a learning experience for all fans. It provided a clear showcase of just how much better these professional Overwatch players are than the rest of the player base.
Before we walked out I asked @gesture what his widowmaker peak rank was and he responded with.
“4600”
It was at that point where I realised, if I manage to take even a single round this is a monumental victory for diamond players all over.
GGs Gesture you absolute mad man
— Brennon Hook (@BrenCasts) May 17, 2019
Gesture responded to Bren with the sportsmanship of his own, saying “It was so fun!” He even went on to suggest they will have a rematch in the future, asking Bren “what hero do you want?” Perhaps we shall see these two duel again, though who will they face off with? McCree? Tracer? Bren does go by the nickname “Brenji, so perhaps a Genji 1v1 will be in the new future. Regardless, this seems to be the start of a friendly, yet highly entertaining rivalry between one of the fan’s favorite players and one of the league’s casters.
It was so fun @BrenCasts !! Next time battle again! What hero you want? 🤔
— Gesture (@gesture) May 17, 2019
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