overwatchworldcup
Latest
New 'Overwatch' viewer gives you broadcast-worthy camera control
Blizzard is stepping up its efforts to improve Overwatch esports viewing ahead of the World Cup's climax at BlizzCon. As part of a developer update, the studio has introduced an Overwatch World Cup Viewer that will give you the kind of spectating controls normally reserved for esports broadcasters. The PC-only beta feature will let you view live matches from any perspective, including a top-down map view that shows players' statuses. And when a match is over, you can watch replays at different camera speeds -- if you want to see how that D.Va player wiped an entire team, you can slow the replay down to study their actions.
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’ gets a new healer hero and another map
At last year's Blizzcon, Blizzard introduced a new character for its hero shooter, Overwatch — but community excitement was subdued after the months of teasing, hints and puzzles leading up to the announcement. Perhaps that's why Blizzard chose to announce a new hero today on the Blizzcon stage -- in the midst of its ongoing Overwatch World Cup, check out the final four matches later today starting at 12:30 PM ET -- without dropping any hints to the community. Finally, Overwatch players are getting another healer with Moira.
Blizzard shows off broadcast-friendly 'Overwatch' features
Last week Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan explained some of the tweaks Blizzard planned to make this game easier to follow for viewers, and now a new video actually shows them off. As Blizzard prepares to launch its professional Overwatch League next year (and presents Overwatch World Cup matches over the next couple of days), it's going all-in to make the game TV-friendly, even for people who aren't yet die-hard eSports fans.
‘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’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.
The Overwatch World Cup is back for 2017
The Overwatch World Cup is back for its second go-round, this time inviting players from more countries, featuring more games and promising even more live events. The world of eSports has continued to expand since the inaugural event last fall, and that's why things are kicking off now to get ready for a showdown at BlizzCon 2017. Right now, skilled players (the top 100 in each country) need to make sure they represent well enough on average that their country is in the top 32 by the time phase two starts in 25 days.
Blizzard finds its 'Overwatch' World Cup teams
Overwatch may only be four months old, but Blizzard's multiplayer shooter has already amassed 15 million players and is gaining a lot interest from eSports fans. Many of the top eSports teams are quickly adding players to their roster as the world's biggest invitationals find new ways to host them. However, a competition hosted by Blizzard itself may give the game the boost it needs to gain notoriety in a scene dominated by League of Legends, DOTA 2 and CS:GO. It's called the Overwatch World Cup and we now know the 16 teams that will battle it out for global supremacy.
