Update -- Shanghai Dragons have officially announced the signing of Geguri, Ado, Fearless, and support He "Sky" Junjian via Twitter. Our original report appears below.
South Korean Overwatch off-tank Kim "Geguri" Se-yeon, formerly of ROX Orcas, is set to join Shanghai Dragons in the Overwatch League and become the first female player to join the league, multiple sources close to the players involved and the organization told ESPN.com.
Joining Geguri will be Element Mystic tank captain Lee "Fearless" Eui-Seok and MVP Space flex Cheon "Ado" Ki-hyun, sources said.
The three South Korean players will be joined by a fourth unknown Chinese player to round out the Dragons roster, should the deal go through, sources said.
Geguri's move to the Dragons will not only mark the first time a female will compete in Blizzard's Overwatch League -- she will be one of only a few women competing professionally in esports at the highest level of their respective game. An official announcement by the team is expected within the next few weeks.
Shanghai has had a disastrous debut in the inaugural Overwatch League season, currently sitting last in the standings without a match victory thus far, accumulating a 4-33 map record and 0-8 match record. The addition of Geguri, Fearless and Ado will give the Chinese-based organization much-needed improvements in crucial areas. The team has looked disorganized and failed to produce under tank players Wenhao "Roshan" Jing and Dongjian "MG" Wu.
Shanghai has two matches left in Stage 1 against the Dallas Fuel and the Los Angeles Valiant, and without a major shift is on pace to end the Stage 1 of the OWL without a win.
Part of the idea for the South Korean players to come at once is to alleviate concerns over communication within the team, which is made up of Mandarin speakers. The three South Korean players do not speak the language, but are expected to begin learning as much as they can in time for their debut.
Last month, discussion arose across the Overwatch and esports landscape regarding the lack of inclusion of women in the Overwatch League. After Overwatch League general managers signed and set their final rosters, critics cited the lack of women as a step backward for a game that showcases a wide variety of diverse characters.
Shortly after, Geguri refuted these claims, stating that her not being signed to a OWL team at the time was not related to her being a female, and she was uncomfortable with the unfolding controversy. Last year, after reaching the top tank spot on the South Korean ladder (she is currently ranked No. 6 overall) with her Zarya play and dealing with cheating accusations, she tweeted, "I don't want people to use my story as a way to forward their own ideologies."
Overwatch League and the Shanghai Dragons have not yet commented on this report at the time of publication.