📝 Twisted Minds are on the hunt for back-to-backs

On November 30, 2025, Twisted Minds made Overwatch history by becoming the first non-Korean team to win an OWCS LAN event, as they beat Al Qadsiah to take home the 2025 World Finals in Stockholm, Sweden. After a brisk offseason and a Pre-Season Bootcamp victory in February, they look to extend their international dominance and win the 2026 Championship Clash, live in Tokyo.

After reaching the pinnacle of competition, it was clear to Twisted Minds that they would have to pay top dollar to retain their talent. They were fortunate enough to preserve their entire starting core, including giving star main support Daniel "FunnyAstro" Hathaway a multi-year contract, keeping him on TM until 2028. They released flex DPS Maximilian "Seicoe" Otter, but filled the gap by bringing in their second Korean import, Kim "JaeWoo" Jae-woo from Virtus.pro (who was replaced by Seicoe at Virtus.pro). 

Simply put, their roster was built to thrive. The biggest question mark going into the offseason for Twisted Minds was whether they would be able to afford to retain Kim "Simple" Ji-sung, their flex support. He had also been talented, but his two stages as a part of TM gave him a spotlight. Now the entire world was aware of his sensational Kiriko, and with her omnipresence in the meta, his value was rumored to eclipse even that of stage Overwatch League players. While we do not know the details of the contract he signed, it was clear that Simple saw value in staying with Twisted Minds, especially after they splurged on FunnyAstro with a multi-year contract. His Lúcio has been the preeminent example of main support, and he has been able to flex to Brigitte and Wuyang as the meta has demanded. With this support line built, the rest of their talent fell into place.

It’s impossible to discuss Twisted Minds without mentioning the 2025 World Finals MVP, Ibrahem "Quartz" Alali. His dominant hitscan gameplay has been a beacon for the community to unite around, dating back to his incredible performance at the 2023 World Cup. On Sojourn - and now Emre - Quartz has led this team through its toughest battles, and will continue to thrive. In the chat of a recent Twitch stream, Quartz made clear his opinion on the Cat/Bastion meta, saying, “This is the period I least want to play…” Bastion could be a pain point for him. This quote could be a random complaint, but it is something to keep our eyes on as they play. 

Lining up alongside him is the newest addition, JaeWoo. It's hard for a team that just won the Grand Finals to get better, but it's clear that Twisted Minds has upgraded. JaeWoo has added some much-needed flexibility to this team, being able to dominate on Pharah, Vendetta, Tracer, and anything else asked of him. 

They have a similar flexibility in the tank role, with TM keeping both Abdualziz "TVNT" Altmimi and Alhumaidi "KSAA" Alruwaili. Despite their similar hero pools, both tanks have their specialities, with TVNT being the go-to D.Va, and KSAA being saved for a more Zarya-heavy meta, and the ever-so-common Sigma (especially useful with Circuit Royal back in the map pool). Odds are TVNT continues to start throughout this tournament, but with KSAA’s experience on Mauga, it is possible we could see the original Saudi off-tank retake the stage.

Their results this year speak for themselves. Twisted Minds entered the season hot, showing off their talent at the Pre-Season Bootcamp in Seoul, South Korea. They won all three of their matches, going 3-0 against T1, 3-2 against Team Liquid, and 4-1 against Crazy Raccoon. This level of dominance was maintained in the OWCS EMEA Stage 1, as they refused to drop a single map in the regular season, earning a Golden Stage (15-0). The playoffs were just as dominant, though Virtus.pro managed to take a single map off them in the Grand Finals. Their raw dominance was a sight to behold, and hopefully, we can see more of it on the international stage.

Twisted Minds opens their tournament against China’s #2 seed in All Gamers. These organizations have never faced off before in OWCS, so this matchup is uncharted territory. However, the odds are always in the reigning world champions’ favor. Regardless, be sure to tune in to the Champions Clash as the games kick off at 12:00 PM JST on Friday, May 22nd (3:00 AM UTC, 11:00 PM, 5/21 EST).