Overwatch was originally released in May 2016 across the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Within five months of its release, the title has had more than 20 million players competing against each other.
The newly revealed league offers anyone the chance to become a professional gamer. After it’s announcement, there will be a preseason, inaugural season, a championship, and more. With the preseason, all high ranking players will compete in a global pool. Teams will be built and players will be signed for the upcoming season.
That means anyone with the skills has a shot at being an Overwatch pro.
The inaugural season will feature streams weekly, which will include major matches between top teams. Over the course of time, fans will have access to highlights and other content. Eventually, this will lead to the first Overwatch League World Championship.
Blizzard hopes the league will create city-based professional teams. This will in part encourage local fan engagement/competition and increases the prospects of local advertisers.
They also hope to generate revenue with the league via player engagement. Players are expected to purchase in-game items to personalize characters, and a few are excepted to purchase the game and practice for the opportunity.
Competition most likely won’t be hosted in all team locations in 2017. Major games and so forth are believed to take place in key cities worldwide. More details about Overwatch League will be shared early next year.
