Blizzard Releases Statement About $20M Overwatch Gaming League Buy-In Controversy

With Overwatch being one of the biggest online multiplayer titles in the business, it was only natural that Blizzard would try to bring the game to a bigger stage. This was what the Overwatch League was supposed to be. However, the enthusiasm for the e-sports prospect was mired by reports that Blizzard was charging up to $20 million for a buy-in. The company has since responded to the reports but didn’t actually refute the accusations.

This whole kerfuffle started when reports started surfacing that multiple professional e-sports teams were no longer competing for the Overwatch event. ESPN followed that up with a story that paints Blizzard in a pretty bad light. According to that report, teams are being asked to pay up to $20 million in franchise fees.

In its own article, Kotaku notes that the story is similar to the accounts of its own sources, though, there appear to be some discrepancies in the costs depending on the state. In some cases, the buy-in price is at a lower $15 million. Unfortunately, this is still an absurdly high price by industry standards, especially when compared to the $1.8 that it would take to become a franchise owner with League of Legends.

Blizzard has since responded to the issue by providing a statement that basically paints the controversy as a bit shady. The company did not mention the buy-in controversy, however, even if simply to refute the allegations that it was asking for such an absurd amount.

"Finally, it's important to think twice about statements from unnamed sources, who may try to leverage the media to deliberately spread misinformation as bargaining tactics or for other competitive reasons,” the company’s official statement reads. “We look forward to officially sharing real details about the league and the ecosystem as a whole as we continue the development process.”