Overwatch League’s top executive has been named to Fortune’s 2018 40 Under 40 list.
Thirty-nine-year-old Nate Nanzer, the Overwatch League’s commissioner, was awarded the honor for his position at the forefront of esports’ budding market. The 40 Under 40 ranking names the “most influential young people in business.” Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg, musicians Rihanna and Donald Glover, and Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud also made the list.
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“The California native is on the front lines of the world of esports,” Fortune said. “Under Nanzer’s supervision, Overwatch League began its inaugural season in January, and already the multiplayer, first-person shooter game is game company Activision-Blizzard’s fastest-growing franchise, with revenues of over $1 billion.”
Nanzer helped secure 12 teams for the Overwatch League’s first season, with more—hopefully from Europe and the Middle East—joining for season two.
Related: Two Overwatch League players will represent the league at the Olympics esports forum
It’s a big week for Nanzer and the Overwatch team. Nanzer will be on-hand at the International Olympic Committee’s Esports Forum this weekend in Switzerland to discuss a potential esports inclusion at the Olympics. Multiple Overwatch League players will chat with the IOC president, too.
The Overwatch League’s playoffs are ongoing, with the grand finals scheduled for July 27 and 28 in Brooklyn, New York. Two teams will move on from the playoffs, which will be held at the sold-out Barclays Center.
