Getting into Overwatch League!

If you are like me, your time is split between work, a relationship, family, and then there is just a tiny pool of time left we can allocate to our hobbies. Unfortunately, we can not do everything we want and as a result we can miss out on a lot of great content.

For me, that was The Overwatch League. In 2018, I completely missed the boat and was out of the loop, so for 2019 I swore that I would not only understand what the hell it is, why it matters, but also follow it! Since I am not the only one in this position, I decided to make this guide to getting into Overwatch League, or OWL for short!

If you are unfamiliar with Overwatch, it is is a competitive FPS with 6-person teams made by Blizzard. Players have various objectives depending on the map, and can choose from 25 different heroes that have unique abilities.

What is it?

The Overwatch League is an international esports league comprising 20 city-based teams, featuring the best Overwatch players on the planet. The 280-match regular season begins in February and concludes with postseason playoffs in the fall.

With million-dollar prize pools, thrilling storylines, guaranteed player salaries, and cutting-edge production value, the Overwatch League is the world’s premier esports league.

How it Works

Regular-season matches are played live at the Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles each Thursday through Sunday, beginning on February 14, 2019. The regular season is divided into four stages of 70 matches each. Stage Playoffs take place after the first three stages. Postseason playoffs take place after Stage 4. Throughout the season, teams are ranked by match wins, with ties broken by map differential.

Stage Playoffs

After each of the first three stages, the eight teams with the most match wins in the corresponding stage qualify for the Stage Playoffs, a seeded playoff bracket with prizes and glory on the line.

All-Star Summer Vacation

Between the second and third stages, the Overwatch League will celebrate the best players in the league with two days of exciting challenges between the Atlantic and Pacific divisions, including custom games and an official All-Star match.

Postseason Playoffs

The two division winners, along with the next best four teams by match record (regardless of division), will automatically qualify for the playoffs. Two additional teams will qualify through a play-in tournament between the seventh- through 12th-place teams. Those final eight teams will compete for the league championship—and a share of the USD $5 million prize pool—in a double-elimination bracket.

Grand Finals

The two teams that survive the postseason playoff bracket will meet in the Overwatch League Grand Finals to crown a 2019 world champion!

The Teams

At this time there are two divisions: Pacific and Atlantic.

For the Pacific Division there are the Atlanta Reign, Boston Uprising, Florida Mayhem, Houston Outlaws, London Spitfire, New York Excelsior, Paris Eternal, Philadelphia Fusion, Toronto Defiant, and Washington Justice.

For the Atlantic Division there are the Chengou Hunters, Dallas Fuel, Guangzhou Charge, Hangzhou Spark, LA Gladiators, LA Valiant, San Francisco Shock, Seoul Dynasty, Shanghai Dragons, and the Vancouver Titans.

As you can tell, Overwatch League is not just for the US, but spans across various countries. These teams play against one another all season prior to the play offs. In 2018, the London Spitfires won over Philadelphia Fusion to become the champions. However, a lot has changed since their victory including the eight new teams with their own talent hungry to get into the arena.

Where to Watch

During the season, matches air Thursday through Sunday (broadcast times below). Catch the action on Twitch, ESPN, Disney XD, overwatchleague.com, the official Overwatch League app, MLG.com, or the MLG app.

Regular-Season Match Schedule

Thursday
Starting at 4:00 or 5:30 p.m. (Pacific)
Friday
Starting at 4:00 or 5:30 p.m. (Pacific)
Saturday
Starting at noon (Pacific)
Sunday
Starting at noon (Pacific)

All Access Pass

If you are a fan of Overwatch or wanting to improve your strategy, there is an option to get even more out of Overwatch League by purchasing their All Access Pass for $14.99.

This allows viewers to choose which player they watch the match as to see how the handle certain situations, and a bonus of 200 League Tokens which is currency used to purchase Overwatch League specific skins, a discount on merch, and more.

The second season of Overwatch League looks like it is going to be intense and we’re stoked to see how it develops!  If you want to find out more about Overwatch League, you can visit their website!