Overwatch League: Everything You Need to Know

Blizzard is keeping the Overwatch hype up by announcing a new eSports organization for fans called Overwatch League.

Even though Overwatch‘s second competitive season is coming to an end, that doesn’t mean the eSports scene is. Even if you didn’t get to that rank you wanted, with Overwatch League now every player has a chance to become an eSports star. That’s right! Even xX_Lord_of_Death_Xx, that guy in your games who never switches off of Reaper, can be a household Overwatch name.

Overwatch League is for Everyone

Earlier this week the official Overwatch Twitter account made a tweet announcing the new league. They’re focusing on creating “a world-class sports ecosystem” with a big emphasis on the regular player. It’s a pretty cool concept when you compare it to other eSports scenes where certain players and teams have a monopoly on the whole market. Overwatch League is actually encouraging new gamers by giving them a chance to prove themselves. It’s an equal playing field. And their goal is to eventually make it global.

In the tweet they also linked a trailer for Overwatch League, showcasing an average gamer’s extraordinary journey making it to the big leagues. You can check out the trailer below.

How it Works

Overwatch League is divided into 5 distinct stages: The Announcement, The Preseason, The Inaugural Season, The Championship Run, and Into the Future. Blizzard hasn’t announced an official start day for the Preseason, but they did give a blurb for what players can expect from each stage:


The Announcement
This stage has already happened. It included the tweets revealing the league, the release of the trailers, and the launch of the Overwatch League website.

The Preseason
Proven stars and leaderboard heroes will assemble in one global talent pool. Teams then maneuver to sign the best players and build sturdy rosters for the season ahead.

The Inaugural Season
League action streams live every week, including a standalone primetime matchup between top teams. Game highlights and other features fill in the gaps between game days.

The Championship Run
During epic live events, the very best Overwatch teams compete to become legends as the first-ever Overwatch League world champions.

Into the Future
League expansion in every direction will make the Overwatch League truly global; finishing with an elite tournament where champions battle champions for undisputed supremacy.


 Wrapping Up

It seems like a solid plan. And according to the 2016 Nielsen eSports Report and Nielsen Video Game Tracking (VGT) 27% of Overwatch fans say there is a barrier blocking them from getting into eSports which is the lack of live events nearby – something Overwatch League is trying to fix with its global organization. Even though it’s starting in North America, Blizzard aims to expand it to an international scale. Hoping to make sure everyone has a team to root for, no matter where they are in the world. It’s an ambitious move they’re making, and its success depends heavily on how fans react to it. So, what do you think about Overwatch League? Does it have what it takes to compete with the likes of Call of DutyLeague of Legends, or Hearthstone?

Share this article:

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on tumblr
Tumblr
Share on email
Email
Share on whatsapp
WhatsApp

Recent Posts

No Rest for the Wicked Key Art Gaming News

No Rest For The Wicked Launch Trailer

Many people are most familiar with Moon Studios from their games in the Ori universe. Those games are filled with some of the best and most complex platforming mechanics and …

Features

Are Subscription Services Like Xbox’s Game Pass Good for Developers?

People have questioned the benefit of Game Pass since its original release in 2017. Subscription services can have amazing benefits for the consumer but does it negatively impact developers? The …

Kamikaze Lasspalnes in game screenshot PAX East

A Plane Dating Sim? Kamikaze Lassplanes @ PAX East 2024

When we say that Shidosha has an interesting taste in games, we are not exaggerating. Are you into bullet hell shooters? How about dating sims? Well if that piques your …

No Love Lost - person fighting an alien creature PAX East

A Colorful Competitive Extraction Shooter – No Love Lost @ PAX East 2024

No Love Lost is a new extraction shooter from Ratloop Games Canada. You are dropped onto an alien world and have to compete against not only the enemy team but …

Heartworm game art. A woman with short dark hair holding a camera PAX East

A PS1 Styled Masterpiece – Heartworm @ PAX East 2024

PAX continues to deliver new and unique gaming experiences. This year, one of our favorite games was Heartworm, a PS1 style horror game with Tank controls. Inspired by games like …

Warframe and Soulframe Live Devstream at PAX East Gaming News

Warframe and Soulframe Make an Apprearance at PAX East 2024

Digital Extremes held their most recent Devstream live during PAX East 2024, celebrating 11 years of Wareframe. One of the most exciting bits of news was the deeper look into …