Birdring

Kim Ji-hyeok ( ), better known by his online alias Birdring, is a South Korean professional Overwatch player who played for several teams in the Overwatch League (OWL). He is best known for playing hitscan damage heroes, such as the sniper Widowmaker and highly-mobile Tracer. Prior to the OWL's inception, he played for KongDoo Uncia, KongDoo Panthera, and Cloud9 KongDoo. Birdring signed with the London Spitfire of the OWL in the league's inaugural season wherein he was selected to play in the All-Star Game and won the league's first Grand Finals, after the Spitfire defeated the Philadelphia Fusion. After two seasons with the Spitfire, Birdring signed with the Los Angeles Gladiators. After two seasons with the Gladiators, Birdring retired from professional Overwatch. He came out of retirement a year later and joined the Boston Uprising.

Kim Ji-hyeok ( ), better known by his online alias Birdring, is a South Korean professional Overwatch player who played for several teams in the Overwatch League (OWL). He is best known for playing hitscan damage heroes, such as the sniper Widowmaker and highly-mobile Tracer. Prior to the OWL's inception, he played for KongDoo Uncia, KongDoo Panthera, and Cloud9 KongDoo. Birdring signed with the London Spitfire of the OWL in the league's inaugural season wherein he was selected to play in the All-Star Game and won the league's first Grand Finals, after the Spitfire defeated the Philadelphia Fusion. After two seasons with the Spitfire, Birdring signed with the Los Angeles Gladiators. After two seasons with the Gladiators, Birdring retired from professional Overwatch. He came out of retirement a year later and joined the Boston Uprising. ==Early life== According to Birdring in an interview, he dropped out of high school to pursue a career as a professional gamer. ==Professional career== Before transitioning to Overwatch, Birdring dedicated significant time to pursuing a professional career in League of Legends. He invested his efforts in solo queue, hoping to catch the attention of teams, and achieved Challenger rank on three servers: Korea, Japan, and China. Despite receiving offers from teams in Japan and China, Birdring faced an obstacle due to his age, as he was not yet 17 years old, which prevented him from participating in LCS-affiliated matches. This led him to take a break from League of Legends and explore Overwatch, a new and popular game at the time. He found Overwatch to be fun and engaging, which gradually shifted his focus away from League of Legends. While waiting to reach the eligible age, Birdring quickly climbed the ranks in Overwatch. He the joined an amateur team to start playing the game competitively. Soon after, Kongdoo Company announced tryouts, and Birdring, encouraged by a friend, decided to apply. Among numerous applicants, he secured a spot on the team. ===Early career=== Joining Kongdoo Uncia for the inaugural season of OGN Overwatch APEX, Birdring's team established itself as a formidable contender. Despite a challenging start with a defeat against BK Stars, Uncia demonstrated resilience by winning subsequent matches and advancing to the semifinals. However, their journey ended in a closely contested 3–2 match against Team EnVyUs, the eventual champions. In Season 2, Kongdoo Uncia went undefeated in the group stage. However, they faced setbacks in the knockout stage, losing to Lunatic-Hai in the quarterfinals. Reflecting on Season 2, Birdring described it as a challenging time. Originally set to join Kongdoo Panthera, Uncia's sister team, at the beginning of the season, he ended up staying with Uncia for one more season to give it another shot. However, the team's results fell short of expectations, leaving Birdring stressed and dissatisfied with his own performance. Following Season 2, Birdring transferred to Panthera. The move provided a sense of liberation for Birdring, as he felt he no longer carried the burden of being a cornerstone player. Birdring found support from talented teammates such as Rascal and Fissure. In Season 3 of OGN APEX, KongDoo Panthera reached the semifinals where they faced Team EnVyUs. In the match, Birdring delivered an exceptional Tracer performance, earning recognition from commentators and opponents. Panthera secured a decisive 4–0 victory over EnVyUs, securing their spot in the Grand Finals. In the APEX Season 3 Finals on July 29, 2017, Kongdoo Panthera, led by DPS duo Birdring and Rascal, faced reigning champions Lunatic-Hai. Despite Birdring's impressive Tracer play, Lunatic-Hai's coordination and strong support players secured them the victory. In September 2017, Cloud9 acquired KongDoo Panthera and rebranded the team to Cloud9 KongDoo. The team competed in Season 4 of APEX and reached the semifinals before falling to team GC Busan. In the third place match against NC Foxes, Birdring, playing as Tracer, struggled early in the match. After rebounding from his early issues, he and the team went on to sweep NC Foxes, 4–0. === Boston Uprising=== After one year, Birdring came out of retirement and joined the Boston Uprising prior to the 2023 season. ==References== ==External links== Career statistics and player information from the Overwatch League.

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