Farewell Overwatch League
The American video game developer and publisher Blizzard has announced that the Overwatch League has officially come to an end. They have been hosting this international esports league for six years. According to them, the studio will now focus on “transitioning from the Overwatch League.”
An Activision Blizzard spokesperson told IGN that the company is “evolving competitive Overwatch in a new direction.” He added, “We are grateful to everyone who made OWL possible and remain focused on building our vision of a revitalized esports program. We are excited to share details with you all in the near future.”
This latest announcement lines up with what Blizzard stated in a financial report earlier this year. According to the report, teams were allowed to remain in the league “under an updated operating agreement.” And those who don’t comply with it would be offered a $6 million payout.
The IGN report also highlights that the professional scene for Overwatch will continue. Sean Miller, the Overwatch League commissioner had stated that Blizzard Blizzard is “committed to a competitive ecosystem in 2024 and beyond,”. However, it is still unclear what the “competitive ecosystem” will be.
We cannot deny that 2023 has been a very harsh year for Overwatch. When it got released on Steam, it received tons of overwhelmingly negative reviews. And earlier this year, the team also announced the cancelation of its highly anticipated Hero Mide.