Overwatch 2 and the game’s dynamic esports scene are heading in a new direction via an entirely new open circuit ecosystem, and with that transition comes the final realization that the Overwatch League is truly dead.
After months of rampant speculation, Blizzard confirmed the “transition away” from the Overwatch League into a new system back in November as many franchises were already heading to the exit and taking their $6 million termination fee with them. But Blizzard appears to be set on completely distancing itself from the Overwatch League era.
Many longtime fans have pointed out that the Overwatch League account on Twitter/X has been completely deleted, with the Overwatch Esports account taking over as the new hub for the game’s competitive news feed. Additionally, the fully new Overwatch Esports ecosystem announcement post does not make a single mention of OWL in its entirety. While focusing so much on the next chapter, Blizzard seems content on ignoring the previous one, despite its flaws.
The OWL certainly had its share of problems during its run: profitability, waning viewership, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mass exodus of sponsors in the wake of the Blizzard sexual harassment lawsuit, among others. Still, it produced some memorable moments and significantly altered the esports landscape for better or worse, so naturally, longtime fans are upset to see that history pushed to the side.
The newly formatted ecosystem is a complete detraction from the closed, franchised OWL system, with an open path-to-pro format where players and teams can progress all the way from open online qualifiers to an international LAN event. For North American and EMEA players, those qualifiers begin in March, and for Asian players, the open qualifiers start in February. Many former OWL franchises still haven’t decided on their immediate future.
