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The uncertainty in the upcoming season of the Overwatch League continues to grow as the Houston Outlaws part ways with veteran player Dante “Danteh” Cruz.
The franchise took to Twitter to make the announcement of the departure of the only veteran player left from their 2022 roster.
“Words can not capture just how important @danteh was to the Outlaws,” the Houston Outlaws tweeted.
“Through thick and thin, he was the center piece of our team. Thank you for everything, Danteh. You are truly a GOAT.
“Once an Outlaw, always an Outlaw.”
Danteh reacted to the announcement of his exit from the Houston Outlaws, thanking the organization for the past four years and the fans for their constant support.
“Thank you for everything throughout the last 4 years @Outlaws,” Danteh tweeted.
“I always had so much support from the fans and the team, I am really happy I had the chance to play here.”
Danteh has joined the long list of veterans who have been released from their teams, and is the fourth player to have left the Outlaws this offseason. Supports Youngwan “Creative” Kim and Joseph “Lep” Cambriani, along with tank Tomas “Doge” Kongsøre had been released by the franchise two weeks ago.
The Overwatch team’s roster is now down to three players, including support Jungwon “Lastro” Mun, DPS players Oh “Pelican” Se-hyun, and Choi “MER1T” Tae-min. Assistant coach Lee “HoChiLee” Dong-young also parted ways with the Outlaws a week later.
The Houston Outlaws had a good run in the 2022 season, having made their way to the Overwatch League 2022 playoffs tournament for the first time in the team’s history.
They ended up finishing third after an inspiring upper-bracket run in the tournament that saw them defeat the Toronto Defiant, the San Francisco Shock, and the London Spitfire before falling to the Dallas Fuel, who went on to win the tournament.
In the lower-bracket final against SFS, who had rampaged through the lower bracket, the Outlaws suffered a 0-3 sweep from the Shock. However, Houston clinched the most prize money in the team’s history ($350,000).
Danteh played a huge role in the team’s success, and his exit has come as a shock to some fans. He is one of the few remaining Overwatch League players who have played in all five seasons, having been a part of the San Francisco Shock’s inaugural roster.
He started out his career in Overwatch in an off-tank role before later making the switch to the DPS position. After the inaugural season with the Shock, he made his way to the Houston Outlaws and has remained with the franchise for the past four seasons.
Danteh’s ability to flex into the tank role has often been attributed as part of the reason the Outlaws had an outstanding season. Having experienced some poor outings over the years, the 2022 season was by far the team’s best run yet.
With the new Overwatch 2 5v5 feature, Danteh was seen swapping his typical DPS position to become the solo tank for the team. His DPS experience saw him use heroes such as Doomfist and later utilize some traditional tank heroes.
It remains unclear if the 23-year-old will become a free agent, be traded, or move into retirement.
