At the end of 2023, it looked like esports-level Overwatch was done for. Blizzard had announced the end of the Overwatch League, something the industry had predicted much earlier in the year. Luckily for fans and investors of Overwatch esports, Blizzard announced the Overwatch Champions Series in partnership with ESL FACEIT.
Is Overwatch 2 esports truly back? Here’s what we predict.
What Is the Overwatch Champions Series?
The Overwatch Champions Series is an international pro circuit that is being called a “new era” of ESL Co-CEO Craig Levine. There will be a consistent schedule with big esports events and even a clear path to pro for amateurs.
This includes two live in-person international events featuring top teams from around the world: DreamHack Dallas Major in May and DreamHack Stockholm in November. Then, eight teams will compete in the first-ever OWCS World Finals.
More information on structure, tickets, and teams will be revealed soon.
Overwatch 2 Community Reacts to OWCS
When the Overwatch Champions Series was announced, it was met with mixed reactions from the Overwatch esports community.
The initial reaction, however, was from top competitors announcing that “we are so back.” Fans were worried about where their favourite players would end up now that the Overwatch League teams were no more. While it’s still unclear who will be on what team, the OWCS is giving pros a place to compete in general.
It definitely revived many Overwatch pros who were once feeling displaced and uncertain. Top OWL pro Park “Viol2t” Min-ki hadn’t tweeted since the Houston Outlaws disbanded and the OWL ended. But ever since the OWCS announcement, he has been sharing his records and Discord, seemingly anticipating more competition. Same with previously silent Kim “Edison” Tae-hoon, who returned to X after the announcement.
But will the OWCS be the esports circuit that fans and pros want? That still remains to be seen. Some wondered if Overwatch still has the fanbase required to continue going strong after the damage Blizzard did — including letting go of a lot of well-known casters and analysts — while others were concerned at the lack of tournaments and opportunities in South America.
The majority of fans have been excited, however. Having ESL FACEIT as the tournament organiser has given plenty of esports fans hope. ESL FACEIT is behind many of the biggest tournament series in the FPS world, including many of the most successful Counter-Strike events. This could be Overwatch 2’s only hope at becoming a top esport once again.
The first big Overwatch Champions Series event will take place in May at DreamHack Dallas. Tune in to see how the tournament event and stream go, including not just the production and action, but how many viewers tune in to see the revival of Overwatch 2’s esports scene. This could be the time to jump in and invest in a promising team, bet on the underdog, or add Overwatch 2 to your sportsbook before the next big event in November. Stay tuned for our analysis!
With more than 10 years of experience in esports, Abios provides data from popular esports titles, such as CS2, League of Legends, VALORANT and Dota 2, to sportsbooks, search engines, esports teams, and others. We take esports betting to the next level with proprietary modelling and innovative product features.
