Overwatch League formally over as groups vote for exit

Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League is formally ending roughly 5 years after its debut.

Overwatch esports might be ‘transitioning’ away from the Overwatch League after a majority of workforce franchises voted to finish the league, Esports Insider can reveal.

The vote has now taken place and Esports Insider understands that a minimum of two-thirds of groups voted to exit the league, resulting in the tip of the Overwatch League and its present franchised mannequin.

Indicators that the vote had gone by way of first got here yesterday when Toronto Defiant proprietor OverActive Media announced it had exited the League and acquired the $6m payout. OverActive Media is a publicly traded firm so is required to reveal main monetary transactions, whereas different franchise homeowners don’t essentially must.

Nonetheless, Activision Blizzard has mentioned that Overwatch esports will proceed whatever the vote. In an announcement despatched to Esports Insider, the Overwatch developer mentioned: “We’re transitioning from the Overwatch League and evolving aggressive Overwatch in a brand new course.

“We’re grateful to everybody who made OWL potential and stay centered on constructing our imaginative and prescient of a revitalised esports programme. We’re excited to share particulars with you all within the close to future.”

Moreover, in line with media reports, the Overwatch League has been in talks with third get together event organisers to run Overwatch esports going ahead.

The tip of the Overwatch League is the fruits of a rocky interval for the Overwatch esports scene. The League launched with grand ambitions in 2018 with buy-ins from main mainstream sports executives, corporations and esports stakeholders. Staff homeowners paid a reported $20m for franchised slots — with later growth groups paying much more.

Nevertheless, the league’s enterprising home-and-away LAN format would go on to be largely cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The league went on to see poor viewership and low income — regardless of a short enhance from the launch of Overwatch 2 — leading to widespread discontent amongst workforce homeowners.