2023 Overwatch League season

Last updated
2023 Overwatch League season
League Overwatch League
Sport Overwatch 2
DurationApril 27 – October 1, 2023
Number of teams19
TV partner(s) YouTube
Regular season
Top seed Atlanta Reign
Season MVPHam "Someone" Jeong-wan
Midseason Madness
ChampionsAtlanta Reign
  Runners-up Houston Outlaws
Grand Finals
Venue Mattamy Athletic Centre
Toronto, Canada
Champions Florida Mayhem
  Runners-up Houston Outlaws
Finals MVPChoi "Mer1t" Tae-min
Overwatch League seasons
2024 →

The 2023 Overwatch League season was the sixth season of the Overwatch League (OWL), a professional esports league for the video game Overwatch 2 . The teams were split between two regions: the East and the West. The season commenced with a preseason pro-am tournament held in the West Region, where Overwatch Contenders teams competed against Overwatch League teams. In the East Region, Overwatch Contenders teams joined the regular season alongside the established Overwatch League teams. The regular season was divided into two stages: Spring and Summer. The Spring stage, which began on April 27, concluded with the Midseason Madness, an interregional midseason tournament hosted in Seoul, South Korea. The Summer stage concluded with play-ins, season playoffs, and the Grand Finals. The playoffs were scheduled to take place at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Contents

Several teams changed branding and regions for the 2023 season. The Paris Eternal relocated to Las Vegas and rebranded as the Vegas Eternal, becoming the league's first team to switch cities. The Philadelphia Fusion shifted its base to Seoul and rebranded as the Seoul Infernal. The Los Angeles Valiant returned to the West Region after competing in China, while the Dallas Fuel moved from the West to the East Region. Furthermore, the Chengdu Hunters disbanded.

Overwatch League teams initiated a collective bargaining process, seeking financial assistance to address operating costs and viewership challenges. The teams enlisted the representation of British law firm Sheridans to negotiate with Activision Blizzard. This collective bargaining process led to the agreement between OverActive Media, the owner of the Toronto Defiant, and the Overwatch League. As part of the deal, Toronto Defiant signed a sponsorship agreement with the league, and the Overwatch League agreed to waive the outstanding franchise fees owed by all of the teams.

League format and changes

Format

In contrast to the previous seasons, which were usually split into four stages, the 2023 season was divided into two stages: Spring and Summer. The Spring stage culminated in the Midseason Madness, an interregional midseason tournament. The Summer stage was followed by the play-ins, season playoffs, and Grand Finals. In each stage, the Eastern region was divided into three sections: opens, qualifiers, and knockouts. Overwatch Contenders teams competed in the Opens, Overwatch League teams competed in the qualifiers, and both competed in the knockouts. In the Western region, no Contenders teams competed, and each stage started with qualifiers, with only the Spring stage having knockouts. In the Spring Stage, the top teams from the knockouts advanced to the Midseason Madness. [1] [2]

Rosters construction

Prior to the start of the season, all teams were required to have a minimum of six players and a maximum of 12 players signed to season-long contracts. Teams could sign players for a minimum of one season and could add an option to extend that contract for an additional year if they chose to do so. Teams were also allowed to sign players to short-term 30-day contracts, which could only be used on a given player once per season, and two-way contracts. [3] The league reduced the minimum age required to compete from 18 to 17. [4] Additionally, the minimum salary was increased to US$54,249. [3] The free agency window was initially planned to open on November 19, 2022. However, after the announcement that Blizzard's licensing agreement with NetEase in China would expire on January 23, 2023, the league delayed the beginning of free agency to December 2, 2022. [5] A day before the new start of free agency, the league once again moved back its starting date to December 23. [6]

Teams and regions

Several teams relocated for the 2023 season. The Paris Eternal relocated to Las Vegas and rebranded to the Vegas Eternal. With their relocation, they became the first OWL team to relocate to a different city. The relocation also left the London Spitfire as the only European representative in the league. [7] [8] The Philadelphia Fusion also relocated to Seoul and rebranded to the Seoul Infernal, marking the first time that an OWL team has made a full rebrand. Since the 2020 season, the Fusion had been running their operations in South Korea; with the rebrand, the Infernal made Seoul their permanent base of operation. [9] [10] The Los Angeles Valiant, who had been competing out of China in the East Region for the past several seasons, returned to the West Region. [11] The 2022 season champions Dallas Fuel also moved from the West region to the East. [12]

Due to Blizzard's licensing agreement with NetEase in China ending, which resulted in the four Chinese OWL teams not being legally allowed to play Overwatch 2 in their country, the East Region expanded to allow Contenders teams to compete in the OWL. A total of 12 teams from several Contenders regions played in Spring Stage Opens, and the top teams from the Opens played in the OWL Spring Stage. [13] [1] Moreover, the league announced on April 18, 2023, that the Chengdu Hunters would not play in the Spring Stage qualifiers, as the Hunters were "[contemplating] the future direction of their team." [14]

Preseason pro-am

The official start to the season was preceded with a pro-am tournament in the West Region that began on March 23, 2023, in which Overwatch Contenders (OWC) teams played against OWL teams. A total of 20 teams — seven OWC teams and the 13 OWL Western Region teams — were be split equally into four groups. The top eight teams from the group stage advanced to a single-elimination tournament, and the winner of the tournament will won $100,000. [1]

Group stage

Group A
PosTeamWLQualification
1 Florida Mayhem 40Advance to bracket
2 San Francisco Shock 22
3 Vancouver Titans 22
4Timeless [lower-alpha 1] 13
5Trick Room [lower-alpha 1] 13
Source: Overwatch League
Group B
PosTeamWLQualification
1 Atlanta Reign 40Advance to bracket
2 London Spitfire 31
3Saints [lower-alpha 1] 22
4 Los Angeles Valiant 13
5 Vegas Eternal 04
Source: Overwatch League
Group C
PosTeamWLQualification
1 Boston Uprising 40Advance to bracket
2 Los Angeles Gladiators 31
3 Washington Justice 22
4Wisp [lower-alpha 1] 13
5Team Peps [lower-alpha 1] 04
Source: Overwatch League
Group D
PosTeamWLQualification
1 Houston Outlaws 40Advance to bracket
2 Toronto Defiant 31
3Twisted Minds [lower-alpha 1] 22
4 New York Excelsior 13
5Redbird Esports [lower-alpha 1] 04
Source: Overwatch League

Bracket

QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal
April 8
Florida Mayhem3
April 9
London Spitfire0
Florida Mayhem3
April 8
Toronto Defiant0
Boston Uprising2
April 9
Toronto Defiant3
Florida Mayhem4
April 8
Los Angeles Gladiators2
Houston Outlaws3
April 9
San Francisco Shock2
Houston Outlaws2
April 8
Los Angeles Gladiators3
Atlanta Reign2
Los Angeles Gladiators3

Source: Overwatch League

Overall standings

The overall standings determined which teams advance to the postseason. Qualification for the postseason is different for the East and West regions.

East region

Qualification for the postseason was determined by average placements in the Spring and Summer knockouts. The top two teams from the East advanced directly to the playoffs, and any OWL teams that were not already in the top two advanced to the play-ins.

PosTeamSPRSUMAVGPCTMWMLMTMDQualification
1 Hangzhou Spark 1111.0002040+16Advance to season playoffs
2 Seoul Infernal 1320.66716100+6
3 Dallas Fuel 2220.50014170−3Advance to regional play-ins
4O2 Blast [lower-alpha 1] 322.50.66722130+9
5 Seoul Dynasty 5130.62517151+2Advance to regional play-ins
6Dreamers [lower-alpha 1] 2430.55517181−1
7Poker Face [lower-alpha 1] 433.50.55519160+3
8 Guangzhou Charge 3540.2008130−5Advance to regional play-ins
9Sin Prisa Gaming [lower-alpha 1] 544.50.42913170−4
10Panthera [lower-alpha 1] 454.50.2006120−6
11 Shanghai Dragons 5550.0005120−7Advance to regional play-ins
12Rhodes [lower-alpha 1] 5550.0002120−10
Source: The Overwatch League
Rules for classification: 1) Average placement in regional knockouts; 2) winning percentage

West region

Qualification for the postseason was determined by winning percentage in the Spring and Summer qualifiers. The top three teams advanced directly to the season playoffs, while the following seven teams advanced to the play-ins. The remaining two teams that emerged from the play-ins also advanced to the season playoffs, finalizing the 5 teams advancing to the season playoffs.

PosTeamPldWLPCTMWMLMTMDQualification
1 Atlanta Reign 161420.87545120+33Advance to season playoffs
2 Florida Mayhem 161420.87546170+29
3 Houston Outlaws 161330.81341200+21
4 Boston Uprising 161150.68839210+18Advance to regional play-ins
5 Vancouver Titans 16880.50033260+7
6 Toronto Defiant 16880.500323200
7 San Francisco Shock 16880.50030331−3
8 London Spitfire 16790.43828320−4
9 New York Excelsior 16790.43828330−5
10 Washington Justice 166100.37523320−9
11 Los Angeles Gladiators 166100.37523351−12
12 Los Angeles Valiant 162140.12514460−32
13 Vegas Eternal 160160.0005480−43
Source: The Overwatch League
Rules for classification: 1) winning percentage; 2) map differential; 3) head-to-head record; 4) head-to-head map differential

Regular season

Spring stage

The Spring Split began on April 27, 2023. [2]

East region

The Eastern region Spring stage was divided into three sections: opens, qualifiers, and knockouts. The Spring stage began with opens, where Overwatch Contenders teams competed to play in the OWL. The top four teams that make it past the opens joined Overwatch League teams in the Spring Eastern regional knockouts. [2] [15] Then, the Eastern Overwatch League teams competed in the qualifiers; every team advanced past the qualifiers, as they only acted as seeding for the knockouts. All Eastern OWL teams and qualified Contenders teams then competed in the Eastern knockouts. The top two teams from the knockouts advanced to the Midseason Madness. [1]

Qualifiers
PosTeamPldWLPCTMWMLMTMDQualification
1 Guangzhou Charge 5410.8001440+10Advance to regional knockouts upper round 2
2 Seoul Infernal 5410.8001450+9
3 Hangzhou Spark 5320.600980+1
4 Dallas Fuel 5230.4007100−3
5 Seoul Dynasty 5140.2006140−8Advance to regional knockouts upper round 1
6 Shanghai Dragons 5140.2004130−9
Source: The Overwatch League
Rules for classification: 1) winning percentage; 2) map differential; 3) head-to-head record; 4) head-to-head map differential
Knockouts
Bracket A
Upper round 1Upper round 2Upper finalFinal
May 21
May 20Guangzhou Charge3
Dreamers [lower-alpha 1] 0Poker Face1May 28
Poker Face [lower-alpha 1] 3Guangzhou Charge2
May 21Hangzhou Spark3
May 20Hangzhou Spark3
Rhodes [lower-alpha 1] 0Seoul Dynasty1
June 4
Seoul Dynasty3
Hangzhou Spark4
Dreamers0
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower final
May 27
June 3
Seoul Dynasty0
May 28Guangzhou Charge1
Dreamers3
Dreamers3Dreamers3
May 27
Poker Face2
Poker Face3
Rhodes1

Source: Overwatch League

Bracket B
Upper round 1Upper round 2Upper finalFinal
May 21
May 20Seoul Infernal3
Panthera [lower-alpha 1] 0O2 Blast2May 28
O2 Blast [lower-alpha 1] 3Seoul Infernal3
May 21Dallas Fuel1
May 20Dallas Fuel3
SPG [lower-alpha 1] 3SPG1
June 4
Shanghai Dragons2
Seoul Infernal4
Dallas Fuel0
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower final
May 27
June 3
SPG0
May 28Dallas Fuel3
Panthera3
Panthera1O2 Blast1
May 27
O2 Blast3
O2 Blast3
Shanghai Dragons0

Source: Overwatch League

West region

The West region Spring stage was divided into two sections: qualifiers and knockouts. The top two teams from the qualifiers advanced directly to the Midseason Madness, while the following eight advanced to the knockouts. The top two teams from the knockouts also advanced to the Midseason Madness. [1]

Qualifiers
PosTeamPldWLPCTMWMLMTMDQualification
1 Atlanta Reign 8801.0002420+22Advance to Midseason Madness
2 Houston Outlaws 8710.8752280+14
3 Florida Mayhem 8620.75022100+12Advance to regional knockouts upper bracket
4 Boston Uprising 8620.7501990+10
5 Washington Justice 8530.62515100+5
6 Los Angeles Gladiators 8530.62515140+1
7 Vancouver Titans 8440.50015130+2Advance to regional knockouts lower bracket
8 Toronto Defiant 8350.37514170−3
9 New York Excelsior 8350.37514170−3
10 San Francisco Shock 8350.37511200−9
11 London Spitfire 8260.25011190−8
12 Los Angeles Valiant 8080.0004240−20
13 Vegas Eternal 8080.0001240−23
Source: Overwatch League
Rules for classification: 1) winning percentage; 2) map differential; 3) head-to-head record; 4) head-to-head map differential
Knockouts
Upper round 1Upper final
June 2
Los Angeles Gladiators3
Florida Mayhem0June 3
Los Angeles Gladiators0
June 2Boston Uprising3
Washington Justice2
Boston Uprising3
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower round 3Lower final
June 3
June 2Florida Mayhem3June 4
San Francisco Shock3San Francisco Shock1June 4Los Angeles Gladiators2
Vancouver Titans2Florida Mayhem3Florida Mayhem3
June 3Washington Justice1
June 2Washington Justice3
New York Excelsior3New York Excelsior0
Toronto Defiant1

Source: Overwatch League

Midseason Madness

The Midseason Madness was a double elimination tournament that was the culmination of the Spring Stage and featured six teams — four from the West and two from the East. The event took place from June 15 to 17 in Seoul, South Korea, at the Korea International Exhibition Center. It marked the first time that the OWL has held a live event in the APAC region. [16]

Bracket

Upper round 1Upper round 2Upper finalFinal
June 15
June 15Atlanta Reign3
Florida Mayhem2Hangzhou Spark0June 17
Hangzhou Spark3Atlanta Reign3
June 15Houston Outlaws2
June 15Seoul Infernal0
Boston Uprising0Houston Outlaws3
June 17
Houston Outlaws3
Atlanta Reign4
Houston Outlaws1
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower final
June 16
June 17
Seoul Infernal2
June 17Houston Outlaws3
Florida Mayhem3
Florida Mayhem3Florida Mayhem1
June 16
Boston Uprising0
Hangzhou Spark1
Boston Uprising3

Source: Overwatch League

Summer stage

The Summer stage began on July 12, 2023. [17]

East region

Similar to the Spring stage, the Eastern region Summer stage was divided into three sections: opens, qualifiers, and knockouts. The Summer stage began with opens, where Overwatch Contenders teams competed, and the top teams there advanced to the Summer Eastern regional knockouts. Unlike the Spring stage, both the Eastern Overwatch League teams and Overwatch Contenders teams that competed in the Spring stage knockout also competed in the qualifiers. Every team advanced past the qualifiers, as they only acted as seeding for the knockouts.

Qualifiers
PosTeamPldWLPCTMWMLMTMDQualification
1 Dallas Fuel 8710.8752370+16Advance to regional knockouts upper round 2
2 Seoul Infernal 8710.8752160+15
3 Hangzhou Spark 8620.75020110+9
4 Seoul Dynasty 8530.62518140+4
5Dreamers [lower-alpha 1] 8440.50016140+2Advance to regional knockouts upper round 1
6 Shanghai Dragons 8440.500161600
7Panthera [lower-alpha 1] 8350.37514200−6
8O2 Blast [lower-alpha 1] 8260.2509210−12
9Poker Face [lower-alpha 1] 8170.1258220−14
10 Guangzhou Charge 8170.1258220−14
Source: The Overwatch League
Rules for classification: 1) winning percentage; 2) map differential; 3) head-to-head record; 4) head-to-head map differential
Knockouts
Bracket A
Upper round 1Upper round 2Upper finalFinal
August 27
August 26Dallas Fuel3
Poker Face [lower-alpha 1] 3Poker Face0September 3
Panthera [lower-alpha 1] 1Dallas Fuel0
August 27Hangzhou Spark3
August 26Hangzhou Spark3
Rhodes [lower-alpha 1] 1Dreamers0
September 10
Dreamers [lower-alpha 1] 3
Hangzhou Spark4
Dallas Fuel1
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower final
September 2
September 9
Dreamers3
September 3Dallas Fuel3
Panthera1
Dreamers2Poker Face1
September 2
Poker Face3
Poker Face3
Rhodes0

Source: Overwatch League

Bracket B
Upper round 1Upper round 2Upper finalFinal
August 27
August 26Seoul Dynasty0
Guangzhou Charge1O2 Blast3September 3
O2 Blast [lower-alpha 1] 3O2 Blast3
August 27Seoul Infernal1
August 26Seoul Infernal3
Sin Prisa Gaming [lower-alpha 1] 3Sin Prisa Gaming1
September 10
Shanghai Dragons1
O2 Blast1
Seoul Dynasty4
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower final
September 2
September 9
Seoul Dynasty3
September 3Seoul Infernal2
Guangzhou Charge1
Seoul Dynasty3Seoul Dynasty3
September 2
Sin Prisa Gaming2
Sin Prisa Gaming3
Shanghai Dragons2

Source: Overwatch League

West region

For the Summer stage, the West region only had qualifiers.

Qualifiers
PosTeamPldWLPCTMWMLMTMD
1 Florida Mayhem 8801.0002470+17
2 Atlanta Reign 8620.75021100+11
3 Houston Outlaws 8620.75019120+7
4 Boston Uprising 8530.62520120+8
5 San Francisco Shock 8530.62519131+6
6 London Spitfire 8530.62517130+4
7 Toronto Defiant 8530.62518150+3
8 Vancouver Titans 8440.50018130+5
9 New York Excelsior 8440.50014160−2
10 Los Angeles Valiant 8260.25010220−12
11 Los Angeles Gladiators 8170.1258211−13
12 Washington Justice 8170.1258220−14
13 Vegas Eternal 8080.0004240−20
Source: The Overwatch League
Rules for classification: 1) winning percentage; 2) map differential; 3) head-to-head record; 4) head-to-head map differential

Postseason

Play-in tournaments

East
Upper round 1Upper finalFinal
September 15
3Dallas Fuel3
September 16
6Shanghai Dragons0
3Dallas Fuel3
September 15
4Seoul Dynasty0
4Seoul Dynasty3
September 17
5Guangzhou Charge0
3Dallas Fuel3
4Seoul Dynasty1
Lower round 1Lower final
September 17
September 164Seoul Dynasty3
6Shanghai Dragons25Guangzhou Charge0
5Guangzhou Charge3

Source: Overwatch League

West
Elimination roundUpper round 1Upper round 2Upper final
September 10
September 94Boston Uprising3
September 16
7San Francisco Shock18London Spitfire1
4Boston Uprising3
8London Spitfire3September 10
6Toronto Defiant2
September 95Vancouver Titans2
September 96Toronto Defiant36Toronto Defiant3
9New York Excelsior110Washington Justice0
10Washington Justice3
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower final
September 16
September 17
5Vancouver Titans3
September 176Toronto Defiant1
7San Francisco Shock0
5Vancouver Titans28London Spitfire3
September 16
8London Spitfire3
8London Spitfire3
10Washington Justice2

Source: Overwatch League

Playoffs

Five teams from the West Region and three teams from the East Region advanced to the season playoffs, which took place at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Canada. These teams were divided into groups of four and competed in separate double-elimination brackets over three days. The top two teams from each bracket then entered a four-team, single-elimination Grand Finals bracket. All matches in the Grand Finals bracket were held on October 1, and the winner was crowned the 2023 Overwatch League champion, receiving a trophy and a prize of US$1 million. Second and third places also earned substantial rewards, with $400,000 and $225,000, respectively. Monetary rewards extended to the sixth-place team. [18]

Bracket

Bracket A
Upper round 1Upper final
September 28
1Atlanta Reign2
September 29
8Hangzhou Spark3
8Hangzhou Spark3
September 28
6Boston Uprising2
4London Spitfire1
6Boston Uprising3
Lower round 1Lower final
September 30
September 296Boston Uprising3
1Atlanta Reign04London Spitfire1
4London Spitfire3
Bracket B
Upper round 1Upper final
September 28
2Seoul Infernal0
September 29
7Dallas Fuel3
7Dallas Fuel0
September 28
3Florida Mayhem3
3Florida Mayhem3
5Houston Outlaws1
Lower round 1Lower final
September 30
September 297Dallas Fuel0
2Seoul Infernal05Houston Outlaws3
5Houston Outlaws3
Grand Finals bracket
Semifinals Grand Final
October 1
8Hangzhou Spark0
October 1
5Houston Outlaws3
5Houston Outlaws0
October 1
3Florida Mayhem4
3Florida Mayhem3
6Boston Uprising1
Third place
October 1
8Hangzhou Spark3
6Boston Uprising0

Awards

Individual awards

AwardRecipient
Most Valuable PlayerHam "Someone" Jeong-wan (Florida Mayhem) [19]
Dennis Hawelka Award Ham "Someone" Jeong-wan (Florida Mayhem) [19]
Alarm Rookie of the Year Kim "D0nghak" Min-sung (Atlanta Reign) [20]
Coach of the YearJordan "Gunba" Graham (Florida Mayhem) [20]
Grand Finals MVPChoi "Mer1t" Tae-min (Florida Mayhem) [21]

Role Stars

DamageTankSupport
Kim "Zest" Hyun-woo (Seoul Infernal)Choi "Hanbin" Han-been (Dallas Fuel)Han "ChiYo" Hyeon-seok (Atlanta Reign)
Jeong "Stalk3r" Hak-yong (Atlanta Reign) Lee "Fearless" Eui-seok (Houston Outlaws)Kim "Skewed" Min-seok (Seoul Infernal)
Huang "Leave" Xin (Hangzhou Spark)Kim "Mag" Tae-sung (Seoul Infernal)Kwon "Fielder" Joon (Atlanta Reign)
Lee "Lip" Jae-won (Atlanta Reign)Ham "Someone" Jeong-wan (Florida Mayhem)Kwon "FiXa" Yeong-hun (Seoul Infernal)

Source:

Notable events

Collective bargaining and Defiant deal

According to esports journalist Jacob Wolf, Overwatch League teams retained British law firm Sheridans to start a collective bargaining process against the league, in an attempt to receive financial assistance after several years of high operating costs and low viewership. OverActive Media, the owners of the Toronto Defiant, was leading this collective bargaining effort, as reported by Wolf. [22]

On June 5, 2023, OverActive Media announced that Toronto Defiant had signed a sponsorship deal with the league, and the Overwatch League agreed to waive the outstanding franchise fees that OverActive Media had paid to enter the league. The agreement between OverActive Media and the Overwatch League consisted of three distinct components. Firstly, OverActive Media received an early payment of the league revenue share. Secondly, they secured a sponsorship agreement with the Toronto Ultra, their Call of Duty League franchise. Lastly, the Overwatch League eliminated the entry fees, which amounted to US$8.04 million. Prior to the deal, it had been reported that the Overwatch League teams collectively owed Activision Blizzard a considerable sum, with each team owing approximately $6 to $7.5 million, totaling $120 to $150 million. [23] Although OverActive Media's CEO and co-founder, Adam Adamou, stated that it is "fair to assume that an agreement like this covers all of the teams," he did not explicitly confirm whether other teams received the same deal. However, Adamou did acknowledge that the agreement was part of the collective bargaining process. [24] It was later confirmed by Sports Business Journal that this waiver of outstanding entry fees applied to the entire Overwatch League, not just the Toronto Defiant. [25]

Blizzard's contract with NetEase expires

On January 24, 2023, Activision Blizzard and NetEase ended their 14-year licensing agreement. With the termination of the agreement, all Activision Blizzard titles that were operated by NetEase, which includes Overwatch 2, went offline in China. This resulted in the four Chinese Overwatch League teams — Chengdu Hunters, Guangzhou Charge, Shanghai Dragons (owned by NetEase), and Hangzhou Spark — no longer being able to play in their home country. [26] Additionally, competitions related to unapproved games in China are not allowed to be broadcast on Chinese live-streaming platforms. While some unapproved games have been broadcast in China in the past, the Chinese government is expected to "strictly enforce" this policy as it pertains to Blizzard titles. [27]

Chengdu Hunters disband

On April 18, 2023, the Overwatch League announced that the Chengdu Hunters would not be participating in the 2023 Spring Stage qualifiers, which were scheduled to begin on April 29 in the East Region. This marked the first time in the history of the Overwatch League that a team had effectively dropped out of competition, even temporarily. According to a statement from the Chengdu Hunters posted on social media, the team was contemplating the future direction of their team, leaving open the possibility of their participation in the Summer Stage but providing little concrete information to fans. [14]

The situation surrounding the Chengdu Hunters became even more uncertain when on May 4, 2023, The Esports Advocate reported that the team had disbanded. The Chengdu Hunters were owned by Huya, Inc., a Chinese gaming livestreaming platform. Doubts about the franchise's future first arose in January when the team tweeted about the shutdown of Overwatch 2 in mainland China due to a breakdown in the longstanding relationship between Activision Blizzard and NetEase, the game's Chinese distribution partner. Financial instability may have played a role in the Chengdu Hunters' absence this season. Huya, Inc., facing fluctuating stock prices and reported losses, replaced its board director, potentially leading the organization to reduce esports spending. [28]

On June 20, 2023, it was confirmed that the Chengdu Hunters franchise would be officially leaving the Overwatch League. This decision made them the first team to fully exit the league. [29]

Media

In early 2020, Activision Blizzard signed a three-year broadcasting rights deal with YouTube, making the streaming platform the exclusive broadcasting partner for the OWL. [30] On April 21, 2023, it was confirmed that the Overwatch League season would continue to be exclusively broadcast on YouTube, despite the expiration of the previous exclusive broadcast rights deal between Blizzard and YouTube. The choice of streaming platform for the 2023 season garnered mixed responses from fans, with some fans expressing disappointment over the exclusive availability on YouTube rather than Twitch. [31]

Notes

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Seoul Dynasty is a South Korean professional Overwatch esports team based in Seoul, South Korea. The Dynasty compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's East region. Founded in 2017, Seoul Dynasty is one of the league's twelve founding members and one of two professional Overwatch teams based in South Korea. The team is owned by Kevin Chou of Generation Gaming, who also own and operate an academy team for the Dynasty that compete in Overwatch Contenders (OWC) under the moniker Gen.G Esports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Mayhem</span> American professional esports team

Florida Mayhem is an American professional Overwatch esports team based in Miami and Orlando, Florida. The team competes in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West Division. Founded in 2017, Florida Mayhem is one of the league's twelve founding members and is owned and operated by Florida-based esports organization Misfits Gaming and CEO Ben Spoont. The organization also ran Mayhem Academy, an academy team for the Mayhem that competed in Overwatch Contenders. The Mayhem made their first season playoffs appearance in franchise history in the 2020 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Reign</span> American professional esports team

Atlanta Reign is an American professional Overwatch esports team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The team competes in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2018 by Atlanta Esports Ventures, a joint venture between Cox Enterprises and Province, Inc., Atlanta Reign was established as one of the expansion teams for the OWL's 2019 season. They became the first esports team to officially represent the city of Atlanta. The team's ownership also extends to ATL Academy, a former academy team that competed in Overwatch Contenders, the developmental league for the Overwatch League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vegas Eternal</span> American professional esports team

The Vegas Eternal, formerly the Paris Eternal, is an American professional Overwatch esports team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Eternal compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2018, Paris Eternal began play as an OWL expansion team in 2019 and is one of two professional Overwatch teams based in Europe. The team is owned by Drew McCourt, owner of DM Esports, who also owns Eternal Academy, an academy team for the Eternal that competed in Overwatch Contenders. The team moved to Las Vegas prior to the 2023 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guangzhou Charge</span> Chinese professional esports team

Guangzhou Charge is a Chinese professional Overwatch esports team based in Guangzhou, Guangdong. The Charge compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's East region. Founded in 2018, Guangzhou Charge began play as one of eight expansion teams in 2019 and is one of four professional Overwatch teams based in China. The team is owned by Nenking Group and is managed by the esports brand of Nenking, Ultra Prime Esports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chengdu Hunters</span> Chinese professional esports team

Chengdu Hunters were a Chinese professional Overwatch esports team based in Chengdu, China. The Hunters competed in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's East region. The team was owned by Huya, Inc., a Chinese interactive broadcast platform and was operated by Royal Never Give Up (RNG) throughout the 2019 and 2020 OWL seasons. The Hunters also formerly had partnership with Overwatch Contenders the team LGE.Huya to act as the team's academy team. Founded in 2018, Chengdu Hunters began play as one of eight expansion teams in 2019 and was one of four professional Overwatch teams in China. Since inception, the Hunters had qualified for the season playoffs once, in 2021. The team disbanded in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hangzhou Spark</span> Chinese professional esports team

Hangzhou Spark is a Chinese professional Overwatch esports team based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. The Spark compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's East region. Founded in 2018, Hangzhou Spark began play as one of eight expansion teams in 2019 and is one of four professional Overwatch teams based in China. The team is owned by Bilibili, a Chinese video sharing website; the company also owns Bilibili Gaming, who operate their own Overwatch division that compete in Overwatch Contenders as an academy team for the Spark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team CC</span> Chinese esports team

Team CC is a Chinese esports team for the video game Overwatch competing in Overwatch Contenders (OWC) and an academy team for the Shanghai Dragons of the Overwatch League (OWL). The franchise was initially two teams, VPGAME.ZZ and VPGAME.ONE, before they were acquired by Invictus Gaming and rebreanded to iG.Fire and iG.Ice, respectively. Subsequently, the two Invictus teams were acquired by NetEase CC, a live video streaming platform based in Guangzhou, China, and consolidated into the single team Team CC. The team plays in the China region of OWC. Since inception, Team CC has won one regional title and one interregional title.

The 2020 Overwatch League season is the third season of the Overwatch League (OWL), a professional esports league for the video game Overwatch. The regular season began on February 8, 2020, and concluded on August 23. It was the first season that the league implemented a city-based, home-and-away format, with teams traveling between the global home venues to play regular season matches, making the OWL the first major esports league to feature such a format. However, this format was abandoned on March 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and all matches were thereafter played online, with the league introducing three midseason tournaments.

The 2021 Overwatch League season was the fourth season of the Overwatch League (OWL), a professional esports league for the video game Overwatch. The regular season began on April 16, 2021, and concluded on August 21. The season featured four midseason tournaments throughout the regular season along with a new point system for season playoff seeding. Similar to the 2020 season, teams are split into two geographical regions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most matches were played online, with the exception of several live events throughout the season. The season marks the second year of the Overwatch League's broadcast partnership with YouTube, their third with Sport1, and their first with Bilibili.

The 2021 Atlanta Reign season was the Atlanta Reign's third season in the Overwatch League and the team's third under head coach Brad "Sephy" Rajani. The team qualified for three of the four midseason tournaments but fell short of reaching the finals each time. For the third consecutive season, the team qualified for the season playoffs. The Reign appeared in the 2021 Grand Finals, the franchise's first Grand Finals appearance, but lost to the Shanghai Dragons, 0–4. Rookie damage player Oh "Pelican" Se-hyun was named the league's Rookie of the Year.

The 2021 Chengdu Hunters season was be the third season of Chengdu Hunters's existence in the Overwatch League and the team's second season under head coach Wang "RUI" Xingrui, after he was the head coach of the team in 2019. The team qualified for three of the four midseason tournaments, reaching the finals twice, but failed to secure a title in any of them. For the first time in franchise history, the team qualified for the season playoffs. However, a loss to the San Francisco Shock in the lower bracket ended their playoff run. Damage player Huang "Leave" Xin won the season's Most Valuable Player award.

The 2021 Florida Mayhem season was the Florida Mayhem's fourth season in the Overwatch League and the team's second season under head coach Kim "KuKi" Dae-kuk. After starting the regular season with a promising 4–1 record, as well as a midseason tournament appearance, the Mayhem went 1–10 in their final 11 games. The team failed to qualify for any other midseason tournaments and did not qualify for the season playoffs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Overwatch League Grand Finals</span> 2021 Overwatch League championship match

The 2021 Overwatch League Grand Finals was the fourth championship match of the Overwatch League (OWL), taking place on September 25, 2021. The series was the conclusion of the 2021 Overwatch League playoffs and was played between the Shanghai Dragons and the Atlanta Reign. The final was originally planned to be played at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California; however, due to increasing threat of COVID-19 and the delta variant, the match was shifted to be played online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Overwatch League season</span> Sports season

The 2022 Overwatch League season was the fifth season of the Overwatch League (OWL), a professional esports league. Contrasted to the first four seasons, which was played on the video game Overwatch, the season was played on an early build of Overwatch 2. The regular season began on May 5, 2022, and ended on October 22. The playoffs were played at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, beginning on October 30, and concluded with the Grand Finals on November 4. The Dallas Fuel won the Grand Finals over the San Francisco Shock to win their first OWL championship.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Richardson, Liz (February 8, 2023). "Overwatch League returns in March with 'open ecosystem' and pro-am tournament". Dot Esports . Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Community Update: 2023 Overwatch League Season Format". Overwatch League. February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
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  4. ↑ Field Level Media (December 22, 2022). "Overwatch League lowers minimum age requirement". Reuters . Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  5. ↑ Richardson, Liz (November 19, 2022). "Overwatch League delays free agency period as Chinese teams face uncertain future". Dot Esports . Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  6. ↑ Richardson, Liz (December 1, 2022). "Overwatch League once again delays free agency period with little notice to stakeholders". Dot Esports . Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  7. ↑ McIntyre, Isaac (June 2, 2022). "Paris Legion, Paris Eternal to relocate to Las Vegas in 2023". Dot Esports . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  8. ↑ Joseph, Downey (December 9, 2022). "Vegas Eternal Reveal Official Rebrand". ESTNN. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  9. ↑ Fragen, Jordan (December 30, 2022). "OWL's Philadelphia Fusion relocate and rebrand to Seoul Infernal". VentureBeat . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
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  11. ↑ @LAValiant (February 8, 2023). "We are pleased to announce that the LA Valiant will be competing in the West division for the 2023 Overwatch League season" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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  13. ↑ Parrish, Ash (February 8, 2023). "Overwatch League season 6 is bringing massive changes". The Verge . Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Richardson, Liz (April 18, 2023). "Panda Extinction: Chengdu Hunters MIA for the 2023 Overwatch League season". Esports Illustrated . Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Overwatch League East Region Opens with Top Contenders Teams". Overwatch League. April 18, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  16. ↑ Richman, Olivia (April 28, 2023). "Overwatch League Midseason Madness Event is Coming to South Korea". Esports Illustrated . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  17. ↑ Richman, Olivia (July 11, 2023). "Overwatch League Summer Stage 2023 Schedule & Format". Esports Illustrated . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  18. ↑ Richardson, Liz (July 15, 2023). "The Overwatch League Returns to Toronto for 2023 Grand Finals". Esports Illustrated . Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  19. 1 2 Czar, Michael (October 1, 2023). "Someone wins Overwatch League 2023 MVP and Dennis Hawelka Award". Dot Esports . Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  20. 1 2 Czar, Michael (September 30, 2023). "Overwatch League has its first 17-year-old Rookie of the Year". Dot Esports . Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  21. ↑ Richardson, Liz (October 2, 2023). "Florida Mayhem Wins the 2023 – and Possibly Final – Overwatch League Championship". Esports Illustrated . Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  22. ↑ Lee, Jonathan (January 19, 2023). "It cost millions to join the Overwatch League. Teams are pushing for a break". Washington Post . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  23. ↑ Šimić, Ivan (June 5, 2023). "Overwatch League waives outstanding OverActive Media franchise fees in major deal". Esports Insider. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  24. ↑ Robertson, Scott (June 5, 2023). "Toronto Defiant owners make unprecedented deal with OWL to waive remaining franchise fees". Dot Esports . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  25. ↑ Cooke, Hunter; Hitt, Kevin (June 5, 2023). "OWL teams' outstanding entry fees waived". Sports Business Journal . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  26. ↑ Fudge, James (January 23, 2023). "Activision Blizzard Games Going Offline Today in China". The Esports Advocate. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  27. ↑ Chen, Hongyu (February 3, 2023). "Sources: Overwatch League 2023 Season Won't be Broadcast in China". The Esports Advocate. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  28. ↑ Nordland, Jake (May 4, 2023). "Chinese Overwatch League franchise Chengdu Hunters reportedly disbands". Esports Insider. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  29. ↑ Robertson, Scott (June 20, 2023). "Chengdu Hunters officially leave Overwatch League". Dot Esports . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  30. ↑ "SBJ Unpacks: Call of Duty League heads into season without media deal". Sports Business Journal . November 30, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  31. ↑ Martinello, Eva (April 21, 2023). "Overwatch League fans disappointed 2023 Opening Weekend won't be on major streaming platform". Dot Esports . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
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