Washington Justice is an American professional Overwatchesports team based in Washington, D.C. The Justice compete in the Overwatch League as member of the league's Atlantic South Division. Founded in 2018, Washington Justice began play as one of eight expansion teams in 2019. The team is owned by Washington Kastles owner Mark Ein, who founded Washington Esports Ventures to purchase the franchise. They will play their home matches at The Anthem inSouthwest Waterfront, Washington, D.C. and the Entertainment and Sports Arena in the St. Elizabeths Hospital East Campus.
Franchise history
OWL expansion
On September 7, 2018, Activision Blizzard announced that Washington Esports Ventures, a venture led by businessman and Washington Kastles owner Mark Ein, had purchased an expansion team based in Washington, D.C. for Overwatch League's second season. "Esports is far and away the fastest growing platform in the world of sports," Ein said in an interview. "Most traditional sports are declining or flat. Esports is exploding. The growth, by any measure—participation and viewership—is showing significant double-digit growth." On September 12, Washington announced the signing of former New York Excelsior coach Kim "WizardHyeong" Hyeong-seok as the team's head coach. Eight days later, Washington signed Molly "AVALLA" Kim as an analyst; AVALLA is the first female coach to be signed in the history of the Overwatch League. On November 29, the team revealed they would be called Washington Justice.
Inaugural season
Washington Justice's first regular season OWL match was on February 16, 2019 against the New York Excelsior in which Washington lost 1–3. The Justice's first victory did not come until the last match of Stage 1, when on March 17, the team defeated the Florida Mayhem by a score of 3–2, giving Washington a Stage 1 record of 1–6. The Justice struggled throughout the first three stages of the season, posting a 2–19 record in the first 21 games. However, Washington flourished after the League's implementation of an enforced 2-2-2 role lock for Stage 4, as the team lost only one match in their final seven games to finish the season in 17th place with an 8–20 record.
Team identity
On November 29, 2018, the franchise name was revealed as the Washington Justice; the name "Justice" represents the teams core values. "Justice is a universal value and the perfect name for a franchise that we hope will inspire and unite both our Washington area community and fans around the globe", said owner Mark Ein. "There is no region in the world that attracts more people to serve the cause of justice in government, philanthropy, academia, military service, and the private sector than Washington. In fact, DC's official city motto is 'Justitia Omnibus,' which translates to 'Justice for All.' As a team representing the broader DMV region, it was important that our team identity reflects a value that unifies all of our community members, representing the full diversity of backgrounds and beliefs." The team's logo is a red, white, and blue striped shield, representing the American flag, with the Washington Monument centered in a subtle W at the bottom.
