Overwatch Professional Competition Is Gearing Up, Teams Announced

It was always a given that Overwatch is going pro, but it was not until recently that the first proof of it happening was revealed. Today, the first seven teams and their owners have been revealed and they are a doozy. For one thing, some of them actually own teams in the NBA and NFL. For another, there are more teams to be announced on the horizon.

As Overwatch League Commissioner Nate Nanzer said, the rest of the teams that will be competing in the Overwatch League will be announced before the launch of the competition, PC Gamer reports. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick also provided details as to what the League is about and what gamers can expect from it.

“Overwatch already connects over 30 million players worldwide. The Overwatch League will celebrate and reward our most accomplished players and give fans more opportunities to engage with each other,” Kotick said. “We’re excited to be working with leaders from esports and traditional sports to celebrate our players and to establish the Overwatch League.”

As to the teams and their owners, they include Robert Kraft who owns the New England Patriots and Jeff Wilpon who owns the New York Mets. The rest are CEOs and tech industry moguls based in the US and other countries.

What’s really interesting about this setup, however, is the fact that the teams seem to also represent particular cities and countries. So it’s not just a team versus team battle, but it can also serve as a means of sparking team spirits among the citizens of the respective origins.

This would make the Overwatch League the first eSports event that’s built like a traditional sports game, Fortune points out. After all, much like how the Golden States Warriors, Cavaliers, or Celtics inspire camaraderie among fans, the different factions and teams in the League are also meant to offer the same kind of system.