If you want to succeed in a shooter like Overwatch, you need a competent gaming headset, and who better to take notes from than the best professional Overwatch players.
The introduction of the Overwatch League in 2018 gave rise to Overwatch becoming one of the most popular esports titles in the world, with the structured franchise system paving way for players to score huge paydays in terms of both salary and prize pool.
With the Overwatch League set to enjoy an even bigger third season come February 2020, it’s safe to say that Overwatch is only going to get more popular.
Below, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best Professional Overwatch players today, and the gaming headsets they use to stay competitive in the game’s ever-growing competitive scene.
10 Best Professional Overwatch Players and Their Gaming Headsets
| Name | Team | Gaming Headset |
|---|---|---|
| Jae-Hui “Gesture” Hong | Seoul Dynasty | Logitech G Pro X |
| Won-sik “Closer” Jung | Dallas Fuel | Logitech G533 |
| Andreas “Nevix” Karlsson | Free Agent | Logitech G Pro |
| Myeong-hwan “Smurf” Yoo | San Francisco Shock | Logitech G933 |
| Jay “sinatraa” Won | San Francisco Shock | Sennheiser GSP 600 |
| Hyo-bin “ChoiHyoBin” Choi | San Francisco Shock | Bose QC20 |
| Dong-eun “Hooreg” Lee | Vancouver Titans | Sennheiser GSP 500 |
| Minki “Viol2t” Park | San Francisco Shock | Creative Sound BlasterX H5 |
| Jong-ryeol “Saebyeolbe” Park | New York Excelsior | Steelseries Arctis Pro |
| Dong-gyu “Mano” Kim | New York Excelsior | HyperX Cloud I |
Gaming Headsets Overview
| Gaming Headset | Form | Boom Mic | Connectivity | Surround | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logitech G Pro X | Closed-Back | Yes | Wired | CE/DTS 7.1 | BUY |
| Logitech G533 | Closed-Back | Yes | Wireless | DTS 7.1 | BUY |
| Logitech G Pro | Closed-Back | Yes | Wired | DTS Headphone: X 7.1 | BUY |
| Logitech G933 | Closed-Back | Yes | Wireless | DTS Headphone: X 7.1 | BUY |
| Sennheiser GSP 600 | Closed-back | Yes | Wired | No | BUY |
| Bose QC20 | In-Ear | No | Wireless | No | BUY |
| Sennheiser GSP 500 | Open-Back | Yes | Wired | No | BUY |
| Creative Sound BlasterX H5 | Closed-Back | Yes | Wired | No | BUY |
| Steelseries Arctis Pro | Closed-back | Yes | Wireless | DTS Headphone: X v2.0 | BUY |
| HyperX Cloud I | Closed-Back | Yes | Wired | No | BUY |
1. Jae-Hui “Gesture” Hong
What headset does Gesture use?
- Headset: Logitech G Pro X
A former League of Legends pro, Gesture transitioned to Overwatch just as the game’s professional scene started gaining traction. The 21-year-old South Korean Overwatch pro eventually landed himself a spot on the London Spitfire roster, where he became the team’s anchor and frontliner, guiding his team to a resounding win over the Philadelphia Fusion at the Barclays Center in the Grand Finals of the inaugural season of the Overwatch League in July of 2018.
Now, he takes his tank prowess to the Seoul Dynasty, where he hopes to replicate the same success that he had in Season 1 following a slightly disappointing showing in Season 2.
Loud and confident, Gesture carries himself on stage and in the game with the kind of swagger that’s unique among any Overwatch League player. which is probably why the Logitech G Pro X suits him just fine.
Equipped with 50mm drivers for that loud but well-balanced and accurate sound that any Overwatch pro would love to have, the Logitech G Pro X also looks like something someone like Gesture would wear when he’s out and about.
2. Won-sik “Closer” Jung
What headset does Closer use?
- Headset: Logitech G533
One of the least-heralded players who made up the original London Spitfire squad that won Season 1 of the Overwatch League, the Main Support player, Closer, has since been providing support from the backlines for the Dallas Fuel following his success during the inaugural season.
As a support player, Closer needs a reliable pair of headsets that lets him communicate and direct the action for the rest of his team.
To help the 21-year-old Overwatch pro fulfill his role within the Dallas Fuel, he uses the Logitech G533.
A wireless gaming headset that’s good for around 17 hours of battery life, the Logitech G533 won’t wow you with all of the bells and whistles. Instead, it stakes its name on its build quality and sturdiness, as well as a mic that’s extremely good at picking up your voice and eliminating most if not all background noise.
3. Andreas “Nevix” Karlsson
What headset does Nevix use?
- Headset: Logitech G Pro
One of the very few non-South Korean players to populate our list, Nevix is a 23-year-old professional Overwatch League player from Sweden. Prior to this season, he wasn’t considered as one of the best players in the game. But, after his performance in Season 2 of the Overwatch League, in particular in helping San Francisco Shock secure the championship, Nevix has secured his legacy as one of the best Off-Tank players of the game.
As a player who likes to get into the thick of things, it’s incredibly important for Nevix to hear what his teammates have to say, whether it’s for the San Francisco Shock or wherever he plays on playing next season, which the Logitech G Pro is a tremendous help with.
A much-improved version of the fan-favourite Logitech G433, the Logitech G Pro boasts superior comfort and build quality than most of its competition at its price range, all the while featuring the kind of isolation performance that lets even professional players hear what the rest of their team are saying while playing in a LAN setting with the crowd cheering for and against them.
4. Myeong-hwan “Smurf” Yoo
What headset does Smurf use?
- Headset: Logitech G933
A relative newcomer to the Overwatch League, the former Houston Outlaws academy player took no time proving himself among the best of the best.
As the Main Tank of the San Francisco Shock, he played a crucial role in holding down the fort for his team and helping his squad win Season 2 of the Overwatch League over their rivals, the Vancouver Titans.
Much like his former teammate and fellow tank, Smurf relies on being able to hear clearly what his teammates are saying despite the loud noise of the arena. To do that, he uses the Logitech G933, as specified by ProSettings.net.
A relatively old gaming headset — the Logitech G933 was first released in October 2015 — this wireless gaming headset remains just as capable.
The Logitech G933 is basically future-proof. It comes with all of the features you’d expect from a gaming-brand headset. Take for example its long battery life and 7.1 surround sound capabilities that actually help improve audio instead of making it worse. It’s no surprise then that the Logitech G933 is the headset of choice for this championship-caliber Tank.
5. Jay “sinatraa” Won
What headset does sinatraa use?
From tanks and supports, we go to the first Flex DPS player on our list, and arguably, the most mechanically skilled.
Sinatraa is the reigning MVP of the Overwatch League and is considered the vocal leader of the reigning champions, the San Francisco Shock. His ability to make an impact on just about every hero he plays, but especially on Zarya, is well-noted.
As a vocal leader who is always on the frontlines, sinatraa makes full use of what the Sennheiser GSP 600 has to offer.
Essentially what you’d get when you created a gaming-oriented headset using studio-grade technology, the Sennheiser GSP 600 is a top-of-the-line gaming headset that, although does not score that big in terms of style and comfort, perfectly nails the audio and mic quality that the best Overwatch League players need and demand from their gaming headsets.
Pinpointing enemies in-game will be relatively easy thanks to the Sennheiser GSP 600 and its impressive soundstage.
6. Hyo-bin “ChoiHyoBin” Choi
What headset does ChoiHyoBin use?
- Headset: Bose QC20
Another off-Tank player for the San Francisco Shock, the 22-year-old South Korean professional Overwatch League player, he is the go-to frontliner of his team when they want to play fast and blitz their opponent.
A D.VA specialist, ChoiHyoBin uses the full capabilities of the Bose QC20 to his advantage.
A Bluetooth headset, the Bose QC20 is a unique choice for a gaming headset among pros. However, when you think about it, these in-ear audio headsets should be more popular. This is because it is extremely comfortable to wear and comes with surprisingly good noise cancellation properties, as well as a 16-hour battery life.
For gamers who are always on the go, the Bose QC20 is an ideal if uncommon choice.
7. Dong-eun “Hooreg” Lee
What headset does Hooreg use?
- Headset: Sennheiser GSP 500
In any sport, there are some players that simply just cannot avoid being successful, and, in the Overwatch League, that player is Hooreg.
The 23-year-old South Korean Overwatch League pro has achieved a lot of success wherever he has gone, even as a bench player.
With his first team, GC Busan, won the APEX Season 4 tournament, which was one of the premier tournaments in Overwatch prior to the formation of the Overwatch League. Then, Hooreg joined London Spitfire, where he was also one of the key players in their run to the Season 1 championship. Finally, with the Vancouver Titans, the Hitscan DPS player was one of the more consistent threats for the Season 2 runner-ups.
Achieving so much success in a competitive title like Overwatch isn’t easy. Lucky for Hooreg, he benefits a lot from using the Sennheiser GSP 500.
An alternative to the Sennheiser GSP 600, the Sennheiser GSP 500 is lighter and open back. Both headsets boast similar audio features. However, the open-back design of the Sennheiser GSP 500 makes for a notable difference. It makes it better for people who want to hear clearly what’s happening in the game while also being aware of their surroundings in real life.
8. Minki “Viol2t” Park
What headset does Viol2t use?
- Headset: Creative Sound BlasterX H5
Viol2t is one of the lesser-known players on our list.
A Flex Support player, the 19-year-old professional Overwatch League player made a name for himself as one of the key players on the San Francisco Shock team that won Season 2 of the Overwatch League.
A gamer with a unique taste, Viol2t uses the Creative Sound BlasterX H5 as his headset of choice.
Light, durable, and with a flexible headband, the Creative Sound BlasterX H5 also has excellent stereo, as well as detachable mics and cables. The only con is that the quality of your audio is limited by how good your sound card is, thanks to its analog connection. But, seeing as to how Viol2t recently made bank, we’re thinking that money isn’t that big of an issue for him.
9. Jong-ryeol “Saebyeolbe” Park
What headset does Saebyeolbe use?
- Headset: Steelseries Arctis Pro
New York Excelsior has long been dogged for their inability to win the biggest games. Having finished within the Top 4 in two consecutive Overwatch League seasons, the team just can’t seem to get over the proverbial hump. But, whatever the reason behind their struggles may be, rest assured that you won’t be able to point the blame towards Saebyeolbe.
Often the lone bright star on New York Excelsior, the 23-year-old South Korean professional Overwatch League player is widely considered as one of the best Hitscan DPS players in the world. He is a constant source of game-winning plays and creating something out of nothing for his team.
Saebyolbe is widely considered as the best Tracer in the world, decimating opposing backlines with relative ease when allowed to play the hero.
To help him carry his team to victory, Saebyeolbe uses the Steelseries Arctis Pro.
The Steelseries Arctis Pro improves upon the wireless connectivity of the Steelseries Arctis 3 Bluetooth. It’s much more capable of producing rich and immersive sound compared to its less expensive sibling. This makes it perfect for both listening to music, as well as enemy movement in the game.
10. Dong-gyu “Mano” Kim
What headset does Mano use?
- Headset: HyperX Cloud I
Even though Saelbyeolbe is New York Excelsior’s star player, he’s not alone in helping guide the team to back-to-back deep runs at the Overwatch League.
Mano is the Main Tank for the New York Excelsior, essentially manning the frontline for one of Overwatch’s most thrilling teams to watch, both for the better and for the worse.
A lover of an “oldie but goodie” headset, Mano prefers to use the rather basic HyperX Cloud I.
The original HyperX Cloud is one of the most affordable gaming headsets available. It’s a high-quality wired stereo headset that offers high-end performance at a budget-range price point. It’s a popular choice for frugal gamers and aspiring professionals.
Conclusion
In Overwatch, knowing where the enemy could possibly come from could mean the difference between securing the championship and coming up just a few seconds short of making the right move.
With much smaller maps compared to the popular Battle Royale titles of today, like Apex Legends, Fortnite, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, professional Overwatch League players value audio and mic clarity above all else.
Whether you want to make it to the big leagues one day, or you just want to improve as a player, you’ll sure to benefit from making the right investments.
A good gaming headset, including any one of the headsets used by the ten professional Overwatch players we rounded up above, will go a long way in helping you fulfill your role much better and become the best Overwatch player that you can possibly be.