Saebyeolbe

Park's first team was Team Square, an amateur team that competed remotely, where he played with his damage partner Kim "Rascal" Dong-jun. Shortly after, he left the team and joined AIM Arrow, a team that attempted to qualify the South Korean tournament series Overwatch Apex.{{cite news |last1=Savery |first1=Amelia |title=World Cup Origins: Saebyeolbe |url=https://overwatchleague.com/en-us/news/22309430/world-cup-origins-saebyeolbe |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=Overwatch League |date=August 16, 2018}} He made his competitive debut in a 0–3 loss to Lunatic-Hai.{{cite AV media |work=Akshon Esports |date=November 22, 2019 |title=PROfiles: Saebyeolbe - The Story Of The World's Best Tracer| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2ACZUXqXFc |access-date=March 28, 2022 |time=1:25}}

In late 2016, Park joined LuxuryWatch (LW) Blue. and played in Season 1 of Overwatch Apex. In December 2016, he played with LW Blue's sister team, LW Red, at the Overwatch Intel Extreme Masters Gyeonggi Invitational.{{cite news |last1=Waltzer |first1=Noah |title=Lunatic-Hai and LW Red win in close sweeps at IEM Gyeonggi quarterfinals |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/18292685/2016-iem-gyeonggi-overwatch-lunatic-hai-lw-red-win-quarterfinals-sweeps |access-date=March 30, 2022 |work=ESPN |date=December 16, 2016}} He and the team went on to win the tournament, defeating Lunatic-Hai in the finals by a score of 3–1.{{cite news |last1=Kim |first1=Byung-ho |last2=Lee |first2=Hyun-jun |title=LW Red: "We are glad that we finally won... No regrets." |url=https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/653/lw-red-we-are-glad-that-we-finally-won-no-regrets |access-date=March 30, 2022 |work=Inven Global |date=December 17, 2016}} Back with LW Blue thereafter, the team had their best performance in Apex Season 2. LW Blue defeated KongDoo Panthera in the season playoff quarterfinals behind a dominant performance by Park on the tank Roadhog.{{cite news |last1=Nguyen |first1=Steven |title=Saebyeolbe's Roadhog hogs the glory, LW makes APEX semis |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/18967703/lw-saebyeolbe-rogs-glory-roadhog-ogn-apex-playoffs |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=ESPN |date=March 21, 2017}} The team faced RunAway in the semifinals on March 24, 2017; however, despite a strong performance by Park on Roadhog and Tracer, the team lost, 2–3.{{cite news |last1=Nguyen |first1=Steven |title=RunAway breaks free in best-of-five win against LW Blue |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/18992744/ogn-overwatch-apex-season-2-runaway-tops-lw-blue-best-five |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=ESPN |date=March 24, 2017}} The team went on to defeat Meta Athena, 3–1, in the third-place match.{{cite news |last1=Carpenter |first1=Nicole |title=LW Blue dismantle Meta Athena in OGN Overwatch APEX third-place match |url=https://dotesports.com/news/ogn-overwatch-apex-third-place-match-season-two-13889 |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=Dot Esports |date=March 31, 2017}}

In August 2017, ESPN reported that Sterling.VC, an investment fund backed by Sterling Equities, had purchased the roster of LW Blue to compete in their New York franchise, later revealed as the New York Excelsior, for the inaugural season of the Overwatch League; Park was named the team's captain.{{cite news |last1=Wolf |first1=Jacob |title=LW Blue roster set to take NYC Overwatch League slot, sources say |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/20437042/lw-blue-roster-set-take-nyc-overwatch-league-slot-sources-say |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=ESPN |date=August 23, 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Erzberger |first1=Tyler |title=Dominate, dab, repeat: NYXL's Pine takes control of Overwatch League |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/22100524/new-york-excelsior-dps-kim-pine-do-hyeon-dabs-destroys-opponents |access-date=March 29, 2022 |work=ESPN |date=January 14, 2018}} Park led the Excelsior to all four stage finals of the season,{{cite news |last1=Rand |first1=Emily |title=Saebyeolbe: NYXL confident they can win championship this year |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/27588213/saebyeolbe-nyxl-confident-win-championship-year |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=ESPN |date=September 10, 2019}} winning two of them over the Philadelphia Fusion, 3–2, in Stage 2 and the Boston Uprising, 3–0, in Stage 3.{{cite news |last1=Alonzo |first1=Damian |title=The New York Excelsior won Overwatch League stage two in a stunning reverse-sweep |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-new-york-excelsior-won-overwatch-league-stage-two-in-a-stunning-reverse-sweep/ |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=PC Gamer |date=March 26, 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Van Allen |first1=Eric |title=New York Claims Overwatch League Stage 3 Title, Ends Boston's Undefeated Streak |url=https://kotaku.com/new-york-claims-overwatch-league-stage-3-title-ends-bo-1825814981 |access-date=March 29, 2022 |work=Kotaku |date=May 6, 2018}} However, Park's performance began to wane in Stage 4, as the meta in the league shifted from a fast-paced "dive" composition to favoring a double-sniper composition centered around Hanzo and Widowmaker; Park was often benched thereafter for teammate Kim "Pine" Do-hyeon.{{cite news |last1=Grayson |first1=Nathan |title=Overwatch League's Once-Dominant Team Opens Up About Their Season One Failings |url=https://kotaku.com/overwatch-leagues-once-dominant-team-opens-up-about-the-1832538607 |access-date=March 29, 2022 |work=Kotaku |date=February 11, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Nash |first1=Anthony |title=Good, bad, and ugly: New York Excelsior |url=https://overwatchwire.usatoday.com/2018/08/10/good-bad-and-ugly-new-york-excelsior/ |work=Overwatch Wire |publisher=USA Today |date=August 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021162934/https://overwatchwire.usatoday.com/2018/08/10/good-bad-and-ugly-new-york-excelsior/ |archive-date=October 21, 2018}} The team finished with a league-best 34–6 record. New York received a bye into the semifinals of the season playoffs, where they faced the Philadelphia Fusion in a best-of-three series. Park found playing time in the matches, but the Excelsior lost the first two series, 0–3 and 2–3.{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Harry |title=Fusion come out strong, sweep a struggling NYXL in first semifinal match |url=https://overwatchwire.usatoday.com/2018/07/18/fusion-come-out-strong-sweep-a-struggling-nyxl-in-first-semifinal-match/ |access-date=March 29, 2022 |work=Overwatch Wire |publisher=USA Today |date=July 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726002816/https://overwatchwire.usatoday.com/2018/07/18/fusion-come-out-strong-sweep-a-struggling-nyxl-in-first-semifinal-match/ |archive-date=July 26, 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Vejnovic |first1=Tatjana |title=The Fusion defeat NYXL to head to New York and face off against the Spitfire |url=https://overwatchwire.usatoday.com/2018/07/21/the-fusion-defeat-nyxl-to-head-to-new-york-and-face-off-against-the-spitfire/ |work=Overwatch Wire |publisher=USA Today |date=July 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021162758/https://overwatchwire.usatoday.com/2018/07/21/the-fusion-defeat-nyxl-to-head-to-new-york-and-face-off-against-the-spitfire/ |archive-date=October 21, 2018}} At the end of the season, Park was named a starter for the 2018 All-Star game.{{cite news |last1=Marshall |first1=Cass |title=Two new All-Star skins are heading to Overwatch |url=https://www.heroesneverdie.com/2018/7/30/17630992/all-stars-skins-overwatch-genji-tracer-legendary |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=Heroes Never Die |publisher=Polygon |date=July 30, 2018}}

In the beginning of the 2019 season, the composition that teams frequently ran was three tanks and three supports (known as the GOATS meta). As a damage player, Park was on the bench for a majority Stage 1, playing a total of 13 minutes and 33 second for the entire stage.{{cite news |last1=Niederhoffer |first1=Noah |title=The top things to know as Overwatch League Stage 2 approaches |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/03/29/top-things-know-overwatch-league-stage-approaches/ |access-date=March 29, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 29, 2019}}

Not finding much playtime in Stage 2 either, Park considered retiring, stating in an interview, "It felt like GOATS wasn't going to end. My best hero is Tracer, and when I couldn't play her anymore, I felt empty inside. I did think about quitting."{{cite news |last1=D'Anastasio |first1=Cecilia |title=Role-Locking Could Resuscitate The Overwatch League |url=https://kotaku.com/role-locking-could-resuscitate-the-overwatch-league-1836051952 |access-date=March 29, 2022 |work=Kotaku |date=July 2, 2019}} Park returned to the starting lineup in Stage 3, when the team utilized him playing as Sombra; New York had their best stage of the season, going a perfect 7–0. In Stage 4 of the season, the league implemented a role lock, forcing teams to play two tank, two damage, and two support heroes, and Park shifted to primarily play as Reaper and Bastion. However, New York had their worst stage, going 3–4. In the playoffs, Park's Bastion play was solid, but his performance on Reaper was criticized; New York finished in third place after losing to the San Francisco Shock, 0–4 in the lower bracket finals.

Park did not get much playing time in the 2020 season, often being benched due to the metas that were present, and he was released from the team after the end of the season.{{cite news |last1=Czar |first1=Michael |title=Saebyeolbe and Anamo sign to Seoul Dynasty |url=https://upcomer.com/saebyeolbe-and-anamo-sign-to-seoul-dynasty |access-date=March 30, 2022 |work=Upcomer |date=November 30, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Richardson |first1=Liz |title=NYXL drops Libero, Saebyeolbe, and Anamo |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/nyxl-drops-libero-saebyeolbe-and-anamo |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=Dot Esports |date=November 18, 2020}}

Park was picked up by the Seoul Dynasty in late November 2020.{{cite news |last1=Richardson |first1=Liz |title=Saebyeolbe and Anamo join Seoul Dynasty |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/saebyeolbe-and-anamo-join-seoul-dynasty |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=Dot Esports |date=November 29, 2020}} On April 12, 2021, while streaming on Twitch, Park commented on his frustration in trying to appeal to a Chinese audience when he was streaming on DouYu, a Chinese streaming platform. Park said, translated to English, "I can't say Taiwan and [Hong Kong]. At all. They (China) don't recognize them as countries. I got into so much trouble for saying their names. Make it make sense. What are you talking about, 'One China?' So I objected to that and all the managers said, 'If you want to earn Chinese money, you have to become a Chinese dog.' So that's what I'm doing right now. I can even say, 'Thanks for subscribing' in Chinese. Aren't I good at Chinese?"{{cite news |last1=Parrish |first1=Ash |title=Chinese Overwatch Teams Threaten Boycott Of Korean Player For Statements On Taiwan And Hong Kong |url=https://kotaku.com/chinese-overwatch-teams-threaten-boycott-of-korean-play-1846828529 |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=Kotaku |date=May 5, 2021}} Two days after the comments, Park apologized via a handwritten note on Instagram. Nearly three weeks after the apology, the four Chinese teams of the Overwatch League — the Shanghai Dragons, Chengdu Hunters, Hangzhou Spark, and Guangzhou Charge — announced that they would not participate in any Overwatch League event in which Park was present. On May 6, the Overwatch League issued a statement announcing that the Chinese teams would no longer be boycotting Park nor the Seoul Dynasty.{{cite news |last1=Amenabar |first1=Teddy |last2=Liao |first2=Shannon |title=China's Overwatch League teams end boycott of South Korean player who criticized 'One China' policy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/05/06/overwatch-league-china-boycott-saebyeolbe/ |access-date=March 28, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 6, 2021}} Park did not appear in any matches thereafter.{{cite news |last1=Parrish |first1=Ash |title=The Overwatch League's 2021 regular season was full of drama amid an uncertain future |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/18/22631026/overwatch-league-fourth-season-overview-blizzard |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=The Verge |date=August 18, 2021}} After the conclusion of the 2021 season, on October 10, 2021, Park retired from professional Overwatch.{{cite news |last1=Scharnagle |first1=Jessica |title=Veteran OWL player Saebyeolbe retires |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/veteran-owl-player-saebyeolbe-retires |access-date=March 29, 2022 |work=Dot Esports |date=October 10, 2021}}

Park was selected as a member of Team South Korea for the 2017 Overwatch World Cup.{{cite news |last1=Goslin |first1=Austen |title=South Korean roster announced for 2017 Overwatch World Cup |url=https://www.heroesneverdie.com/2017/6/19/15832696/south-korea-roster-2017-world-cup-overwatch |access-date=March 27, 2022 |work=Heroes Never Die |publisher=Polygon |date=June 19, 2017}} He and Team South Korea went on to claim the World Cup title, defeating Team Canada, 4–1, in the finals on November 4, 2017.{{cite news |last1=Nguyen |first1=Steven |title=South Korea repeats as Overwatch World Cup champs |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/21290038/blizzcon-2017-south-korea-repeats-overwatch-world-cup-champs |access-date=March 30, 2022 |work=ESPN |date=November 4, 2017}} Park was again selected as a member of seven-player Team South Korea for the 2018 World Cup and was the only member on the roster who had previously represented South Korea at a World Cup.{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Harry |title=South Korea announce final starting roster for 2018 Overwatch World Cup |url=https://overwatchwire.usatoday.com/2018/07/06/south-korea-announce-final-starting-roster-for-2018-overwatch-world-cup/ |work=Overwatch Wire |publisher=USA Today |date=July 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706173928/https://overwatchwire.usatoday.com/2018/07/06/south-korea-announce-final-starting-roster-for-2018-overwatch-world-cup/ |archive-date=July 6, 2018}} After the team advanced past the group stage, Kim "Fleta" Byung-sun took over Park's spot on the roster due to undisclosed reasons.{{cite news |last1=Czar |first1=Michael |title=South Korea changes their roster for the Overwatch World Cup knockouts |url=https://upcomer.com/south-korea-roster-change |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=Upcomer |date=October 22, 2018}}

Park primarily played damage heroes, and he was often described as one of the best Tracer — a highly mobile character — players in the world.{{cite news |last1=D'Anastasio |first1=Cecilia |title=New York's Overwatch League Team Finally Came Home To Meet Its Fans |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/04/new-yorks-overwatch-league-team-finally-came-home-to-meet-its-fans/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404165513/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/04/new-yorks-overwatch-league-team-finally-came-home-to-meet-its-fans/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 4, 2018 |access-date=March 30, 2022 |work=Kotaku Australia |date=April 4, 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Czar |first1=Michael |title=Overwatch League Season 2 Team Preview – New York Excelsior |url=https://upcomer.com/overwatch-league-season-2-team-preview-new-york-excelsior |access-date=March 30, 2022 |work=Upcomer |date=January 21, 2019}} Park's effectiveness on the hero came from his ability to quickly eliminate the enemy support players, while being able to anticipate and outmaneuver any enemy Tracer players' actions. Park also showed patience when using Tracer's pulse bomb ability, an explosive that sticks to an opponent if thrown on them, often using it on the most threatening target in the fight or combining it with one of his teammates' abilities to maximize its value.{{cite news |last1=Pickard |first1=James |title=These are the 6 players to watch in the Overwatch League Playoffs |url=https://www.redbull.com/us-en/overwatch-league-playoffs-6-best-players-to-watch |access-date=March 30, 2022 |work=Red Bull |date=July 10, 2018}} Although he showed proficiency in playing other heroes such as Sombra and Widowmaker,{{cite news |last1=Searl |first1=Nate |title=The New York Excelsior drop three veteran star players |url=https://upcomer.com/the-new-york-excelsior-drop-three-veteran-star-players |access-date=March 30, 2022 |work=Upcomer |date=November 18, 2020}} he was deficient in his ability to play a wide range of heroes.{{cite news |last1=Carpenter |first1=Nicole |title=South Korea's national Overwatch team is full of pure game-winning talent |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/south-korea-overwatch-world-cup-15456 |access-date=March 30, 2022 |work=Dot Esports |date=June 26, 2017}}

Park was born on December 13, 1995,{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Si-woo |title=[오팀소] LW 레드 & LW 블루 |url=https://www.dailyesports.com/view.php?ud=2016110309552912198_27 |access-date=December 11, 2024 |work=데일리e스포츠 |date=November 3, 2016 |language=ko}} and was raised in Seoul, South Korea. His parents separated while when he was 11, and he and his sister lived with his mother thereafter. While he was in middle school, his mother pushed him in to bowling, and Park eventually became a professional bowler for four years.{{cite AV media |work=NYXL |date=December 15, 2017 |title=NYXL {{!}} Origins – Saebyeolbe| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKlmzOLD2B0 |access-date=March 28, 2022 |time=}}{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Imad |title=New York Excelsior's Saebyeolbe throws out first pitch at Mets game |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/24194284/new-york-excelsior-saebyeolbe-throws-first-pitch-mets-game |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=ESPN |date=July 25, 2018}}

Park accumulated 5,000 hours of play in the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive by the age of 17 and considered playing professionally, but instead, he began working as a barista. Shortly after, he left to complete his mandatory military service; however, he was discharged early after he broke his knee. With his physical abilities limited due to his injury, Park began playing Overwatch and began quickly ascending up the game's competitive ladder. Park got married in late 2017, but three months after getting married, he moved to Los Angeles for the Overwatch League, while his wife stayed in South Korea,{{cite news |last1=Lindbergh |first1=Ben |title=Esports' Grand Experiment: The Quest for a New York State of Mind |url=https://www.theringer.com/2018/1/17/16899222/esports-the-overwatch-league-debut-new-york-excelsior |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=The Ringer |date=January 17, 2018}}{{cite web |author1=Park "Saebyeolbe" Jong-ryeol |title=My Second Home |url=https://www.theplayerslobby.com/5435/my-second-home-saebyeolbe-overwatch-excelsior-new-york |publisher=The Players' Lobby |access-date=March 28, 2022 |date=October 21, 2019}} although by June 2018, he and his wife lived together in an apartment.{{cite news |last1=Van Allen |first1=Eric |title=How The New York Excelsior Took Over The Overwatch League |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/06/how-the-new-york-excelsior-took-over-the-overwatch-league/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612125205/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/06/how-the-new-york-excelsior-took-over-the-overwatch-league/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=Kotaku Australia |date=June 7, 2018}} During the OWL's first season, Park played with a picture of his wife next to his computer as a "good luck charm."{{cite news |last1=Van Allen |first1=Eric |title=Overwatch Pro's Husband-And-Wife Streams Are A Bright Light In A Dim World |url=https://kotaku.com/overwatch-pros-husband-and-wife-streams-are-bright-ligh-1825981713 |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=Kotaku |date=May 12, 2018}}

Park threw the first pitch at the July 25, 2018, New York Mets game, becoming the first esports player to throw an opening pitch in a Major League Baseball game.{{cite news |last1=Arif |first1=Shabana |title=Overwatch League Player to Throw Opening Pitch at New York Mets Game |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/03/28/overwatch-league-player-to-throw-opening-pitch-at-new-york-mets-game |access-date=April 1, 2022 |work=IGN |date=March 28, 2018}} In May 2020, Andbox released a capsule collection around Park and his mantra of "Be nice"; less than one day after the launch, all but one article of clothing were sold out.{{cite news |last1=Rand |first1=Emily |title=Esports fashion: Saebyeolbe, Andbox, and the mantra of "Be nice" |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29179943/saebyeolbe-andbox-mantra-nice |access-date=March 28, 2022 |work=ESPN |date=May 15, 2020}}

{{reflist}}

• Career statistics and player information from [https://overwatchleague.com/en-us/players/4099/ the Overwatch League].

{{Overwatch League}}

{{New York Excelsior}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:South Korean esports players

Category:Sportspeople from Seoul

Category:Living people

Category:Seoul Dynasty players

Category:New York Excelsior players

Category:1990s births