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2023 Overwatch League season

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2023 Overwatch League season
LeagueOverwatch League
SportOverwatch 2
DurationApril 27 – October 1, 2023
Number of teams19
TV partner(s)YouTube
Regular season
Top seedAtlanta Reign
Season MVPHam "Someone" Jeong-wan
Midseason Madness
ChampionsAtlanta Reign
  Runners-upHouston Outlaws
Grand Finals
VenueMattamy Athletic Centre
Toronto, Canada
ChampionsFlorida Mayhem
  Runners-upHouston Outlaws
Finals MVPChoi "Mer1t" Tae-min
Overwatch League seasons

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.

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 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
Pos Team W L Qualification
1 Florida Mayhem 4 0 Advance to bracket
2 San Francisco Shock 2 2
3 Vancouver Titans 2 2
4 Timeless[a] 1 3
5 Trick Room[a] 1 3
Source: Overwatch League
Group B
Pos Team W L Qualification
1 Atlanta Reign 4 0 Advance to bracket
2 London Spitfire 3 1
3 Saints[a] 2 2
4 Los Angeles Valiant 1 3
5 Vegas Eternal 0 4
Source: Overwatch League
Group C
Pos Team W L Qualification
1 Boston Uprising 4 0 Advance to bracket
2 Los Angeles Gladiators 3 1
3 Washington Justice 2 2
4 Wisp[a] 1 3
5 Team Peps[a] 0 4
Source: Overwatch League
Group D
Pos Team W L Qualification
1 Houston Outlaws 4 0 Advance to bracket
2 Toronto Defiant 3 1
3 Twisted Minds[a] 2 2
4 New York Excelsior 1 3
5 Redbird Esports[a] 0 4
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.

Pos Team SPR SUM AVG PCT MW ML MT MD Qualification
1 Hangzhou Spark 1 1 1 1.000 20 4 0 +16 Advance to season playoffs
2 Seoul Infernal 1 3 2 0.667 16 10 0 +6
3 Dallas Fuel 2 2 2 0.500 14 17 0 −3 Advance to regional play-ins
4 O2 Blast[a] 3 2 2.5 0.667 22 13 0 +9
5 Seoul Dynasty 5 1 3 0.625 17 15 1 +2 Advance to regional play-ins
6 Dreamers[a] 2 4 3 0.555 17 18 1 −1
7 Poker Face[a] 4 3 3.5 0.555 19 16 0 +3
8 Guangzhou Charge 3 5 4 0.200 8 13 0 −5 Advance to regional play-ins
9 Sin Prisa Gaming[a] 5 4 4.5 0.429 13 17 0 −4
10 Panthera[a] 4 5 4.5 0.200 6 12 0 −6
11 Shanghai Dragons 5 5 5 0.000 5 12 0 −7 Advance to regional play-ins
12 Rhodes[a] 5 5 5 0.000 2 12 0 −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.

Pos Team Pld W L PCT MW ML MT MD Qualification
1 Atlanta Reign 16 14 2 0.875 45 12 0 +33 Advance to season playoffs
2 Florida Mayhem 16 14 2 0.875 46 17 0 +29
3 Houston Outlaws 16 13 3 0.813 41 20 0 +21
4 Boston Uprising 16 11 5 0.688 39 21 0 +18 Advance to regional play-ins
5 Vancouver Titans 16 8 8 0.500 33 26 0 +7
6 Toronto Defiant 16 8 8 0.500 32 32 0 0
7 San Francisco Shock 16 8 8 0.500 30 33 1 −3
8 London Spitfire 16 7 9 0.438 28 32 0 −4
9 New York Excelsior 16 7 9 0.438 28 33 0 −5
10 Washington Justice 16 6 10 0.375 23 32 0 −9
11 Los Angeles Gladiators 16 6 10 0.375 23 35 1 −12
12 Los Angeles Valiant 16 2 14 0.125 14 46 0 −32
13 Vegas Eternal 16 0 16 0.000 5 48 0 −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
Pos Team Pld W L PCT MW ML MT MD Qualification
1 Guangzhou Charge 5 4 1 0.800 14 4 0 +10 Advance to regional knockouts upper round 2
2 Seoul Infernal 5 4 1 0.800 14 5 0 +9
3 Hangzhou Spark 5 3 2 0.600 9 8 0 +1
4 Dallas Fuel 5 2 3 0.400 7 10 0 −3
5 Seoul Dynasty 5 1 4 0.200 6 14 0 −8 Advance to regional knockouts upper round 1
6 Shanghai Dragons 5 1 4 0.200 4 13 0 −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[a]0Poker Face1May 28
Poker Face[a]3Guangzhou Charge2
May 21Hangzhou Spark3
May 20Hangzhou Spark3
Rhodes[a]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[a]0O2 Blast2May 28
O2 Blast[a]3Seoul Infernal3
May 21Dallas Fuel1
May 20Dallas Fuel3
SPG[a]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
Pos Team Pld W L PCT MW ML MT MD Qualification
1 Atlanta Reign 8 8 0 1.000 24 2 0 +22 Advance to Midseason Madness
2 Houston Outlaws 8 7 1 0.875 22 8 0 +14
3 Florida Mayhem 8 6 2 0.750 22 10 0 +12 Advance to regional knockouts upper bracket
4 Boston Uprising 8 6 2 0.750 19 9 0 +10
5 Washington Justice 8 5 3 0.625 15 10 0 +5
6 Los Angeles Gladiators 8 5 3 0.625 15 14 0 +1
7 Vancouver Titans 8 4 4 0.500 15 13 0 +2 Advance to regional knockouts lower bracket
8 Toronto Defiant 8 3 5 0.375 14 17 0 −3
9 New York Excelsior 8 3 5 0.375 14 17 0 −3
10 San Francisco Shock 8 3 5 0.375 11 20 0 −9
11 London Spitfire 8 2 6 0.250 11 19 0 −8
12 Los Angeles Valiant 8 0 8 0.000 4 24 0 −20
13 Vegas Eternal 8 0 8 0.000 1 24 0 −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
Pos Team Pld W L PCT MW ML MT MD Qualification
1 Dallas Fuel 8 7 1 0.875 23 7 0 +16 Advance to regional knockouts upper round 2
2 Seoul Infernal 8 7 1 0.875 21 6 0 +15
3 Hangzhou Spark 8 6 2 0.750 20 11 0 +9
4 Seoul Dynasty 8 5 3 0.625 18 14 0 +4
5 Dreamers[a] 8 4 4 0.500 16 14 0 +2 Advance to regional knockouts upper round 1
6 Shanghai Dragons 8 4 4 0.500 16 16 0 0
7 Panthera[a] 8 3 5 0.375 14 20 0 −6
8 O2 Blast[a] 8 2 6 0.250 9 21 0 −12
9 Poker Face[a] 8 1 7 0.125 8 22 0 −14
10 Guangzhou Charge 8 1 7 0.125 8 22 0 −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[a]3Poker Face0September 3
Panthera[a]1Dallas Fuel0
August 27Hangzhou Spark3
August 26Hangzhou Spark3
Rhodes[a]1Dreamers0
September 10
Dreamers[a]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[a]3O2 Blast3
August 27Seoul Infernal1
August 26Seoul Infernal3
Sin Prisa Gaming[a]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
Pos Team Pld W L PCT MW ML MT MD
1 Florida Mayhem 8 8 0 1.000 24 7 0 +17
2 Atlanta Reign 8 6 2 0.750 21 10 0 +11
3 Houston Outlaws 8 6 2 0.750 19 12 0 +7
4 Boston Uprising 8 5 3 0.625 20 12 0 +8
5 San Francisco Shock 8 5 3 0.625 19 13 1 +6
6 London Spitfire 8 5 3 0.625 17 13 0 +4
7 Toronto Defiant 8 5 3 0.625 18 15 0 +3
8 Vancouver Titans 8 4 4 0.500 18 13 0 +5
9 New York Excelsior 8 4 4 0.500 14 16 0 −2
10 Los Angeles Valiant 8 2 6 0.250 10 22 0 −12
11 Los Angeles Gladiators 8 1 7 0.125 8 21 1 −13
12 Washington Justice 8 1 7 0.125 8 22 0 −14
13 Vegas Eternal 8 0 8 0.000 4 24 0 −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

Main article: 2023 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

This section is transcluded from 2023 Overwatch League playoffs. (edit | history)
Bracket A
Upper round 1Upper finalAdvance to Grand Finals Bracket
September 28
1Atlanta Reign2
September 29
4Hangzhou Spark3
4Hangzhou Spark3
September 28A1Hangzhou Spark
3Boston Uprising2
2London Spitfire1
3Boston Uprising3
Lower round 1Lower final
September 30
September 293Boston Uprising3
A2Boston Uprising
1Atlanta Reign02London Spitfire1
2London Spitfire3
Bracket B
Upper round 1Upper finalAdvance to Grand Finals Bracket
September 28
1Seoul Infernal0
September 29
4Dallas Fuel3
4Dallas Fuel0
September 28B1Florida Mayhem
2Florida Mayhem3
2Florida Mayhem3
3Houston Outlaws1
Lower round 1Lower final
September 30
September 294Dallas Fuel0
B2Houston Outlaws
1Seoul Infernal03Houston Outlaws3
3Houston Outlaws3
Grand Finals bracket
SemifinalsGrand Final
October 1
A1Hangzhou Spark0
October 1
B2Houston Outlaws3
B2Houston Outlaws0
October 1
B1Florida Mayhem4
B1Florida Mayhem3
A2Boston Uprising1
Third place
October 1
A1Hangzhou Spark3
A2Boston Uprising0

Awards

Individual awards

Award Recipient
Most Valuable Player Ham "Someone" Jeong-wan (Florida Mayhem)[19]
Dennis Hawelka Award Ham "Someone" Jeong-wan (Florida Mayhem)[19]
Alarm Rookie of the Year Kim "Donghak" Min-sung (Atlanta Reign)[20]
Coach of the Year Jordan "Gunba" Graham (Florida Mayhem)[20]
Grand Finals MVP Choi "Mer1t" Tae-min (Florida Mayhem)[21]

Role Stars

Damage Tank Support
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:[22]

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.[23]

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.[24] 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.[25] 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.[26]

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.[27] 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.[28]

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.[29]

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.[30]

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.[31] 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.[32]

Prize pool

Teams in the 2023 season competed for a prize pool across the midseason tournament and playoffs, with the payout division detailed below. The Midseason Madness and season playoffs had a prize pool of over US$1 million.

Team Midseason Madness[33] Season playoffs[34] Total
Atlanta Reign $500,000 – $500,000
Boston Uprising $100,000 $130,000 $230,000
Dallas Fuel – $50,000 $50,000
Florida Mayhem $120,000 $1,000,000 $1,120,000
Guangzhou Charge – – $0
Hangzhou Spark $80,000 $225,000 $305,000
Houston Outlaws $200,000 $400,000 $600,000
London Spitfire – $50,000 $50,000
Los Angeles Gladiators – – $0
Los Angeles Valiant – – $0
New York Excelsior – – $0
Paris Eternal – – $0
Philadelphia Fusion – – $0
San Francisco Shock – – $0
Seoul Dynasty $80,000 – $80,000
Shanghai Dragons – – $0
Toronto Defiant – – $0
Vancouver Titans – – $0
Washington Justice – – $0
Total $1,080,000 $1,855,000 $2,935,000

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Overwatch Contenders team

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Richardson, Liz (February 8, 2023). "Overwatch League returns in March with 'open ecosystem' and pro-am tournament". Dot Esports. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Community Update: 2023 Overwatch League Season Format". Overwatch League. February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Roster Construction Rules for the 2023 Overwatch League Season". Overwatch League. November 14, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  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.
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  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ Šimić, Ivan (June 5, 2023). "Overwatch League waives outstanding OverActive Media franchise fees in major deal". Esports Insider. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  25. ^ Robertson, Scott (June 5, 2023). "Toronto Defiant owners make unprecedented deal with OWL to waive remaining franchise fees". Dot Esports. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
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  29. ^ Nordland, Jake (May 4, 2023). "Chinese Overwatch League franchise Chengdu Hunters reportedly disbands". Esports Insider. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  30. ^ Robertson, Scott (June 20, 2023). "Chengdu Hunters officially leave Overwatch League". Dot Esports. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  31. ^ "SBJ Unpacks: Call of Duty League heads into season without media deal". Sports Business Journal. November 30, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
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