You’ve Heard of the Battle for LA, Now Get Ready for the Battle for McDonald’s

Pictured: a typical scene in the “Battle for LA,” a nickname given to the match-up of the Los Angeles Gladiators and the Los Angeles Valiant, two team that call the Blizzard Arena’s city home. (image source: pcgamer.com)

A now familiar scene for fans of the Overwatch League, the “Battle for LA” is always exciting. The Valiant and Gladiators know how to compete with each other, and each has its local fans who show up to cheer on their favorite home team. As a kid who grew up in Chicago, home to the rivalry of the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox in Major League Baseball, I know exactly how invested some of us can get in these experiences. There is no comparison.

The San Francisco Shock also call California their home, but no match-up is as iconic for them as the Battle for LA is to the Gladiators and Valiant. There has been some occasional reference to a Battle for Texas — which ideally ought to be renamed the Texas Shootout or something else a bit more on-message — when the Dallas Fuel and Houston Outlaws square off, but the enthusiasm hasn’t usually reached the levels that the Battle for LA has. Perhaps it’s just catchier. There was a somewhat recent film called, “Battle for Los Angeles,” after all, so it even has a namesake.

There, might, however, be a match-up to look forward to in Season Two of the Overwatch League, and we have memes, at least in part, to thank.