The League hired Toronto-based production provider Dome Productions to produce and broadcast the 2022 season. Broadcasting Ĭasters Brennon "Bren" Hook (left) and Josh "Sideshow" Wilkinson (right) left the broadcast team prior to the season. While the majority of matches in the 20 seasons were played online, live events will return for the 2022 season. Seven teams from China and South Korea will compete in the East Region, while thirteen teams from North America and Europe will compete in the West Division. Regions and live events Īs with the prior two seasons, the twenty teams are divided into two regions, the East and West. Additionally, the league's minimum salary was increased from US$50,000 to $50,700. Teams may also sign players to short-term 30-day contracts and two-way contracts. Teams may sign players to a minimum of one season and may add an option to extend that contract for an additional year, if they so choose. The minimum number of players on a team was decreased from seven to six, while the maximum number of players remains at twelve. As such, matches are played with teams of five, rather than teams of six. The 2022 season is being played on an early build of Blizzard 's upcoming title Overwatch 2. Let the games begin.League format and changes Rosters and salaries With so much cash invested by such strong personalities, there’s zero way the league is going to languish now. On the bright side, with the announcement of this motley band of investors, Overwatch League is one step closer to becoming a reality. However, I did expect it to be low enough - or be lowered enough when the writing was on the wall - that Blizzard could be choosy in who they allowed to hold franchises and represent their company. I didn’t truly expect the buy-in to be low enough that we could all own a team collectively like the Green Bay Packers, as cool as that would have been. By all reports there were very few parties willing to sit down and discuss a franchise at the astronomical prices they were rumored to command.
At the end of the day, the bottom line is the only thing that matters. This could be accomplished by maybe not handing a franchise and therefore making a brand ambassador of the guy who was so filthy he was in bed with Bernie freakin’ Madoff. While most people in modern business have dirty hands I had hoped the esports team would take the direction from the dev team to heart. Every decision made is one they are comfortable with promoting for their brand. Dare to see it for what it could be.”īlizzard decided to engineer an esports league for Overwatch from the start rather than allow one to grow organically like they did all their other esports. “Never accept the world as it appears to be. Blizzard’s vision for the game development of Overwatch as a whole seems to be that of inclusion and shaking up the status quo of gaming. Personally, even though I was hungry for any real Overwatch League news, I’m a mix of disappointed and angry right now. There are legal and practical conflicts of interest coming from nearly all parties named as franchisees - and it’s only day one. On the other side you have slick tech millionaires, branding experts already tied up in esports. You can’t find two guys who are more the epitome of old guard sports management unless you dig up George Steinbrenner. Since he owns Gillette Stadium, it seems the team out of Boston may not even need to hunt for a venue.Īll told the inaugural investors in Overwatch League are mishmash of weirdness. In the late 90’s Kraft did revive the failing Patriots, freeing the team from boatloads of debt and a terrible record. He accomplished it using just stubbornness, business acumen, and 22 million dollars, so he does have the experience to muscle a franchise out of the ashes. The who dismissed sanctions as “jealousy” on the part of that league’s commissioner after DeflateGate. The one who was contrite and apologetic when Spygate happened. He’s the one who probably had a Super Bowl ring stolen by Vladimir Putin. If you’re into football his name is inescapable. If you don’t follow sports his name is unremarkable.
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