Riot saw the travesty that was KangKang's Yoru and 4 Chinese teams bombing out of champs (probably killed viewership numbers)

So, they've decided to even the playing field by making next year's meta entirely OPs and Judges for Kangkang and Whzy to go braindead with no need for much macro

Okay but unironically though, would love to see 2023 KangKang Op again, would be pretty hype

I think he's honestly significantly better when you don't put your utility right up at the choke, given how loud they are. I feel like leaving your snare and interceptor a bit back (think bind back sites, for example), where they're significantly harder to break, is a lot more useful, as they can't flush you out of the site, and makes it easier for your team to retake, given how much less map control they have. You probably always need an additional sentinel (like vyse) to actually hold the site, but you could always do like a 4-1 setup where you leave your util with the other sentinel, then rotate quickly with double tps if they hit that site. He by himself isn't super good, but I can imagine he's extremely good at protecting your team and synergizing with them.
But yeah, as you said, he's probably on the weaker side, likely also because everybody's just playing Jett Reyna Clove.

It should break the flash when it's traveling in the air. But yes, if it hits the wall already and is about to flash, Intercept will not stop it.

I think Kayo is fine, in all honestly, as long as the Interceptor doesn't see the knife, you can get around it. Like chuck it at a wall or roof and hopefully hit Veto on the other side. Just don't be stupid and throw it in very predictable areas where it could get shot anyway.

Goat

Long post, so gg if you can't read

Interceptor:
Abilities it can remove:
Brimstone Molly + Stim (uncertain)
Phoenix Molly + Flash
Sage Slow + Wall
Viper Molly + Orb (uncertain)
Jett Smokes
Chamber Trips + TP
Neon Stuns
Harbor Cove
Clove Decay
Vyse Vines + Flash
Waylay Stun
Reyna, Breach – Flash
Sova, Cypher, Yoru, Kay/O, Tejo, and Fade – Whole Kit (except ult)
Killjoy, Raze, Skye, Gekko, Deadlock, – Entire Kit
I have no idea if it breaks Astra stars, but I highly doubt it (if it does, rip Boaster)

Probably the same as Vyse walls -- teams must destroy, bait it out, or find another execute before they can even get on site. So yeah, pretty nutty. Some other things too:

• Turning it active is an instant cast, and doesn't seem to have much of an animation delay (think clove heal), so you can keep your gun out. This means you can wait for a specific piece of utility to appear and click E to instantly remove the exact utility you want it to break. High skill ceiling here
• No limit to how many pieces of utility it can destroy; it's based on a timer. Vyse Wall Pre-Nerf was 8 seconds. Kay/O's Supress is 8 seconds. Interceptor is 9 seconds. Even if you bait it out, that duration is so long that your teammates can rotate or flank and just cripple fights
• The Util is Rechargeable, with a 45-second cooldown if destroyed or used, and 30 seconds if recalled
• Its placement flexibility and detection range are strong; it can be placed in obnoxious positions like a cypher cam
• You can keep it farther back on maps where defenders typically have more site control (think back site on Bind A/B, Pearl A, etc). Makes it pretty much nigh impossible to break and ensures your defender can anchor safely (besides certain util)

Some caveats need to be mentioned, though:

• Using it on invisible util is a waste, needs to be really close to detect. Plus, forcing the interceptor in front of the choke point to destroy trips/traps is pointless; it would get insta-shot. Instead, I think that on attack, the utility excels at crippling flood retakes and protecting your team as you push into a site and plant.
• It's loud as shit, but maybe you can get a read on which site they'll end on and just camp it there. Or use it to goad the enemies to the other site with 3-4 players.
• Overreliance and predictable placements can lead to anti-strats, like a recon dart that lands in the back of the site, or out-of-reach fade eyes.
• It can only break one piece of utility at a time, and there's a small window when it retargets, so you can technically overwhelm it?
• Maps where characters like Breach, Omen, and Neon are used will diminish Veto's effectiveness. Omen especially doesn't give a shit about any of the abilities.

TLDR: Interceptor is great at shutting down executes, flood retakes, protects you during defuse, and stalls like a bitch. Plus, it's great for messing with your opponent's heads and mind games since it's probably really tilting to have your 8-point ult destroyed by a free, refreshable signature ability. I wouldn't be surprised if we see more ops/judges floating around as well, now that you can make it harder for teams to push players off angles.

Crosscut
Yes, it's slower and slightly clunkier than Chamber or Yoru TPs, so you can't play as aggressively, but it's still a teleport. You can use two consecutively to get around the map and rotate extremely efficiently, allowing you to almost always be in the fight just like Yoru, except you don't even have a timer on your teleport (might make this one arguably even stronger). Given that you can teleport even when behind a wall, it will likely be great for high-elevation maps like Split/Abyss. You can do some flash/deafen + tp combo behind the enemy if you want as well.

Chokehold
Chamber trip + Invisible + hardly makes a sound + Vyse Seize + fast and hard to react to + Info (makes Veto actually usable on attack, unlike deadlock). Need I say more?

Evolution
Some interesting things to consider about the ult:

• Evolution is only 7 points. Similar to Chamber, I think your kit allows you to get kills a bit more than an agent like Killjoy, who should get 2-3 each half
• This ult lasts the whole round with no time limit. Lots of opportunities for mind games you can do with this ult to disrupt their ult economy. Do you instantly ult at the beginning of the round to discourage them from using their ults altogether? Or do you wait and try to bait them to use them, and catch them off guard?
• The fact that you ignore any effects from both your team and the opponents allows for so much creativity in your positioning and spacing. Tanking whole flashes, getting ahead in the friendly-fire aoe Ults like Breach or Waylay, catching your opponents off guard with how close you are --> there's so much potential skill expression you can do by camouflaging yourself in util dumps. Especially Pro players, they'll prob have poor instincts on how close the enemy Veto can be since they just ignore everything. As long as you hide yourself, you're pretty much invisible.

So overall, definitely one of the stronger kits, and it's only 600 credits anyway. At the end of the day, I don't really know for sure if he's going to see play (Not sure who he'd replace or if there would be new comps built around him), but I'm betting he'll be experimented with pretty aggressively with Ascension coming. Expect Viper and Omen have even higher pickrates. Lmk any thoughts you have.

I need someone talented enough to make some JJK edits with the NRG players now

Now that the King of Curses, Shankuna, with the help of the Divine IGL Mako-Raga, used the World-Cutting Jinx to bring down Satoru Pujo and PRX, it is up to NRG to defeat Shankuna once and for all

We got
Yuji Ethadori
ChoS0m
Madaki Zenin
Atsuya Brawk-abe
Skubara Kugisaki

Yuta Ohnekotsu
Bonkari

If you look at his twitch (ttvMetaphour) it's just entirely him clipping and hackusating literally anybody that kills him. Peak comedy right there

https://youtu.be/G-eNH_SahRo?t=3243

Lijiang Tower, one of Overwatch’s most iconic maps, is set in a vibrant urban environment inspired by a futuristic China. The map features stunning visuals of a modern cityscape illuminated by neon lights, blending high-tech architecture with cultural elements. Its dynamic environment captures the essence of a bustling, high-tech city.

Lijiang Tower is a control map, consisting of three distinct sub-maps: Control Center, Night Market, and Garden. Each section offers unique strategic opportunities, encouraging a mix of close-quarters combat and long-range engagements. The map’s diverse terrain includes tight corridors, open courtyards, and elevated platforms, requiring players to adapt their playstyle depending on the sub-map.

In the intense closing moments of the first Overwatch Major, "Agents Rising," the stakes couldn’t have been higher for Metaphour, known as M4 on vlr.gg, and their team, Still Here. Battling on Control Center, the final map in the match, they trailed Clutch Esports 2-4 in a hard-fought series.

With the point slipping further out of their grasp, M4, playing as Tracer, made a desperate push, darting through the chaotic battlefield in a last-ditch effort to flip the point. Despite their valiant attempts, Clutch Esports’ coordinated defense proved too strong. One by one, the members of Still Here fell, with Metaphour’s elimination marking the final blow.

Following the tournament, M4 took their passion and knowledge to the vlr.gg forums, becoming a pillar of the community. Sharing insights, strategies, and an unwavering drive to improve, M4 transitioned seamlessly from player to coach, inspiring countless others to elevate their gameplay.

https://www.twitch.tv/metaphour gift our goat a prime sub