The Future of Overwatch Esports
| Agreement introduces the Overwatch Champions Series, a new era of Overwatch® 2 esports with an open and inclusive competitive ecosystem providing more opportunities for players to become pros, and the introduction of new community platforms to facilitate Overwatch esports operations. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., makers of the massive free-to-play first-person shooter Overwatch 2, and ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company, announced a multi-year agreement that will bring the next chapter of the game’s esports to life through the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS). The OWCS offers an esports circuit that is open, always-on, and global, marking a historic new chapter for Blizzard’s first-person shooter. The international competition circuit is open to players across North America; Europe, Middle East, and North Africa (EMEA); and Asia. In addition to establishing EFG as the premier operator of the OWCS, the deal enables Blizzard Entertainment to take advantage of EFG’s full suite of properties to create an open, inclusive, and sustainable competitive community. “A thriving esports scene is important to a game as competitive as Overwatch 2, and we’re very excited to be entering this next era for the franchise with EFG,” said Jared Neuss, Executive Producer of Overwatch 2. “OWCS introduces a new era of Overwatch esports while honoring the traditions and passion built by Overwatch esports,” said Craig Levine, Co-CEO, ESL FACEIT Group. “Together with Blizzard Entertainment, EFG is well-positioned to create a truly global experience on the FACEIT platform and at DreamHack festivals.” The Future of Overwatch 2 Esports EFG will operate the Overwatch Champions Series in EMEA and North America. An Asia OWCS circuit will operate under WDG, a leading esports tournament organizer based in Korea. Each region will have its own set of open qualifiers and tournaments, culminating with two live in-person international events to bring together the players and fans across the world. More details on qualification processes are available on PlayOverwatch.com. Live Pinnacle Events at DreamHack Festivals The OWCS will feature two tentpole tournaments in 2024 hosted at EFG’s immersive gaming lifestyle festival DreamHack. First, eight of the world’s top teams will head to Dallas from May 31 – June 2 for the DreamHack Dallas Major, a double-elimination tournament featuring eight of the world’s top teams. Later in the year, teams from all three regions will come together for the World Finals at DreamHack Stockholm from November 22-24 in Sweden for the first live Tier 1 Overwatch competition in Europe in more than five years. Eight teams will compete for the first-ever OWCS championship title. FACEIT: An Open and Sustainable Overwatch 2 Esports Infrastructure FACEIT, the world’s leading platform for competitive gaming, will provide an open infrastructure for all amateur and pro players in the Overwatch 2 community. Users will be able to take advantage of FACEIT’s community features to find a network of players to connect with and events of all scales to compete in. FACEIT will offer a rich and consistent schedule of events and content that creates a clear path to pro play for aspiring OWCS stars. Furthermore, the platform will support tournament organizers and community leaders looking to produce third-party competitions and community experiences. Stay tuned as additional information about this year’s tournaments, including formats, ticket sales, prize pools, and more will be announced. |
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