Reading concerning the Overwatch League of late has felt like watching a tense motion film: you’re hoping the hero can pull themselves again over the cliff edge, however their grip is slipping. Just as they’re all the way down to their fingernails, nevertheless, they appear to have received a lift: Blizzard have secured six agreements of intent to take part within the League from each mainstream sports activities franchises and extra conventional esports outfits.
Here’s everything we know about the Overwatch League up to now.
The information comes through ESPN, who cite sources near the longer term members. Among these are New England Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft (whose interest was rumoured a while ago), and Sterling Equities, who personal the New York Mets. As effectively as Shanghai and Seoul, ESPN say the OWL could have slots for 4 American cities, two of which can be taken by Immortals (Los Angeles) and NRG Esports (San Francisco).
That’s good to listen to, as Immortals CEO Noah Whinston was expressing doubts about his Overwatch team’s future as just lately as May. Yet now, ESPN’s sources say that Immortals and NRG have paid $20 million every for the privilege of enjoying within the League (in contrast, a slot on the League of Legends Championship collection value $1.eight million final 12 months). It’s a sum they’ll solely afford as they’re owned by enterprise moguls from the world of media and conventional sports activities, and there is been some concern that Overwatch’s ‘grass roots’ esports scene is struggling underneath the spectre of the OWL, a match that eclipses all others, through which they can not afford to compete.
Evil Geniuses are the most recent established esports outfit to disband their Overwatch team, and after solely two months. Still, it is good to see each Immortals and NRG getting concerned, as they every have some esports pedigree.
But Blizzard are clearly relying on the continued curiosity of mainstream sports activities franchises, and in the present day’s information suggests it is working. Last we heard from Blizzard, every thing was going as deliberate, and “endemic” esports groups won’t be uncared for.
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