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Qualification for this year’s Overwatch World Cup starts now
The third annual Overwatch World Cup will take place in California this November and Blizzard has now announced how qualification and team-building will play out this year. From now through April 28th, Blizzard will track the average skill rating of every country's top 150 players, and the top 20 countries will get a seat at the Cup. France, South Korea, Thailand and the US will be this year's Group Stage host countries and will automatically qualify, bringing the total number of competing teams to 24.
Overwatch League team releases player over hateful speech
Overwatch League player Felix "xQc" Lengyel has been suspended twice for using both homophobic and racist slurs, and he's now bowing out entirely. Dallas Fuel and Lengyel have announced that they've "mutually agreed to part ways" in the wake of his conduct. It was in the "best interest" of both sides to release Lengyel before his contract expired, team owner Mike Rufail said. Lengyel's latest suspension won't let him play or practice with any team during Stage 2 of the League's inaugural season, and letting him go now lets the Fuel sign others during the transfer window while giving Lengyel a chance to sign with someone new.
'Overwatch' pro suspended for 'racially disparaging' emote
In January, Dallas Fuel pro Felix "xQc" Lengyel drew a suspension for violating the Overwatch League's Code of Conduct while streaming for using an anti-gay slur, and now he has been suspended again. The League announced that this four-game suspension is because Lengyel "repeatedly used an emote in a racially disparaging manner on the league's stream and on social media," and used "disparaging language" toward casters and other players on his stream and social media.
Discord signs eSports pros to use its chat app
Discord has become something of a gaming chat-app phenomenon lately, partnering with Spotify for in-chat soundtracks, adding video chat and screensharing and bringing verified official game channels to its service. Now the company plans to expand into the eSports realm by partnering with more than 20 teams, including Team Liquid, DreamHack, and almost every Overwatch League team out there. The program launches February 22nd on the company's verified servers and will let team members and fans chat, share news and discuss upcoming matches.
College esports is set to explode, starting with the Fiesta Bowl
As executive director of the Fiesta Bowl, one of the largest postseason college football games of the year, Mike Nealy was more familiar with shoulder pads than mousepads. Six months ago, he didn't know people were making money playing video games professionally, he'd never heard of Twitch, and the last time he picked up a controller, it was attached to an Atari 2600. That all changed after a conversation with John Pierce, an esports consultant and former marketing head for the Phoenix Coyotes and US Olympic Committee. Pierce outlined the professional-gaming boom to Nealy and explained how it could tie into the collegiate football scene. He put Nealy in touch with Blizzard, the studio behind Overwatch.
Twitch is cashing in on your love for Overwatch League
The Overwatch League is blowing up and Twitch wants to make some extra money off its exclusive streaming partnership. To encourage viewership, you'll be able to earn Overwatch League Tokens (what you use to buy League skins). You'll pick up one token per live map finish, and a "percentage" of viewers of the "conclusion of the final map" during a live 'cast will randomly win 100 tokens.
Overwatch League signs its first female player
It's official: Overwatch League has its first female player. The Shanghai Dragons have signed Kim "Geguri" Se-yeon as part of a four-player addition. The South Korean teen rose to prominence thanks to her reputation for playing Zarya (one of Overwatch's "tank" characters) so well that she was pressed into a livestreamed skill display to prove that she wasn't cheating. She was also the first female player to compete in her home country's Apex league, one of the game's foremost competitive events until Overwatch League showed up.
Shanghai may sign Overwatch League's first female player
Shanghai Dragons is reportedly fixing a problem with Overwatch League: the lack of female players for a game with an impressively diverse cast of characters. According to ESPN, the team has signed South Korean player Kim "Geguri" Se-yeon, who's so good at playing Zarya (pictured above), she was once accused of using cheats. After Geguri livestreamed a game to prove her critics wrong, she played in the Overwatch Apex tournament in her home country last year. Now, she might be bringing her skills to an even bigger platform.
'Overwatch' update downgrades Mercy, adds 4K on Xbox One X
After weeks of testing, Blizzard has moved several Overwatch changes from their test servers to the wider gaming population. This new patch brings 4K team shooter action to players on Xbox One X, but the big changes affect two popular characters: Mercy and Junkrat. Both have seen their capabilities downgraded, with the healer Mercy seeing the biggest adjustment in what is just the latest change targeting her Ultimate ability, Resurrect.
'Overwatch' pro player suspended for homophobic slur
The Overwatch League's honeymoon is over. Dallas Fuel player Felix "xQc" Lengyel has been suspended by both the League and Fuel after hurling a homophobic insult at the Houston Outlaws' openly gay player Austin "Muma" Wilmot. After Wilmot used one of Lengyel's signature lines to roast the Fuel following a victory, Lengyel responded on a personal stream suggesting that Wilmot "suck a fat..." you get the idea. The slur violated the League's Code of Conduct, which asks for professional conduct both inside and outside of games.
Overwatch League's debut stream ruled Twitch last night
On Wednesday, Overwatch League (OWL) had its first-ever matches, drawing a huge crowd online. Six teams came to play the debut matches in Blizzard's Los Angeles eSports arena, but they were also streamed on Twitch to record numbers, peaking at over 360,000 viewers, according to Eurogamer.
Overwatch League’s first two seasons will air on Twitch
Blizzard has been putting a lot of work into its upcoming Overwatch professional league it introduced in late 2016. The company spent all of 2017 building it up, announcing teams based in large cities in the US, England, South Korea and China. Days before the league's first-ever match on January 10th, the publisher announced it's formed a partnership with Twitch, which will broadcast every match of the first two seasons.
Blizzard offers more chances to become an 'Overwatch' pro
It's tempting to compete for a spot in the Overwatch League -- make it big and you could earn a solid income from your Mercy or Reinhardt skills. But getting there isn't necessarily easy, and Blizzard thinks it can help. As of March, the studio is expanding Overwatch Contenders (its development league) to cover virtually the entire globe. The existing regional leagues in China, South Korea and Asia-Pacific are becoming Contenders leagues, while there are new Contenders leagues in Australia and South America. Your team will have more chances to prove itself and, hopefully, attract the attention of Overwatch League scouts.
‘Overwatch’ director details plans to improve eSports viewing
eSports are becoming a bigger and bigger industry, and game directors are taking notice. Today, Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan released a YouTube video detailing changes the team is making to the game based on user feedback when it comes to eSports. You can see the video below.
Overwatch League’s first season is set to begin January 10th
The Overwatch League has added three more teams to its roster, bringing the total up to its target number of 12 and making way for the very first competition season. The new teams represent Philadelphia, Dallas and Houston and are owned by Comcast Spectacor, Team Envy and OpTic Gaming, respectively. They join franchises located across the US as well as China, South Korea and the UK.
Overwatch’s highest-paid pro lands $150,000 salary deal
In case you've been living under a rock, eSports is massive. So big in fact, that even traditional sports leagues (like the NFL) are getting in on the act. Aside from TV networks, soccer clubs, and F1 racing, of course. And, judging by the latest scoop, competitive gaming may soon boast its own draft day. Yes, eSports teams are trying to outbid each other for the industry's rising stars. One of these hotshots, North American Overwatch player Jay "sinatraa" Won just signed a $150,000-per-year contract, reports ESPN. As a result, sinatraa will be earning $100,000 more than the league minimum, with revenue-sharing options available. He also happens to be 17-years young.
Overwatch League adds new teams from Rams, Cloud9 owners
Blizzard's official professional esports league for Overwatch continues to round into shape, and today announced two more franchises have been purchased. That puts the count at nine teams total, including the two announced today with one in Los Angeles established by Stan and Josh Kroenke (a family that already holds ownership stakes in the LA Rams, Arsenal Football Club, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche). The other goes to Cloud9 owner Jack Etienne, whose company already operates ten esports teams, including one for Overwatch.
Overwatch League pro players will earn at least $50,000 a year
Activision Blizzard is taking Overwatch eSports seriously. The Overwatch League begins next year and it completely transforms the face of professional play, tying teams to specific cities around the world and establishing a baseline of player protections, including minimum salaries and benefits. But, Blizzard has kept most details of its new system under wraps -- until today.
Sports and tech pros own the first seven Overwatch League teams
"I think the next six months are going to determine what eSports will look like for the next few decades." That's Noah Whinston, the 22-year-old college dropout who in 2015 founded Immortals, one of North America's leading eSports teams. Whinston believes in a future where the eSports industry is stable, capable of launching careers, generating buckets of cash and sustaining incredible hype around the world. And he's not alone. Whinston is just one of seven owners who bought a spot in the Overwatch League, Activision Blizzard's international eSports endeavor that aims to root professional Overwatch teams in specific cities -- a lot like the NFL or NBA operates, but on a global scale. Today, Blizzard revealed the Overwatch League's first seven team owners, who run the gamut from tech companies to traditional-sports investors:
There’s a college scholarship for talented ‘Overwatch’ players
If you've ever thought that your Overwatch plays were a fine art worthy of college recognition, then it looks like your dreams may have just been answered. After introducing a League Of Legends scholarship last year, The University of California Irvine (UCI) is now adding an Overwatch scholarship to its program. Starting later this year, those awarded a scholarship will be given $2500 a year towards their tuition fees. In return they are expected to spend between 15 and 20 hours a week split between practicing their plays, attending team meetings, entering competitions and even doing a bit of community service.
