The open qualifier round for the Overwatch Contenders tournament has officially concluded as the European tournament finds the sixteen teams that will be advancing to the group stage. The two-day open qualifier ended June 12, with over 700 teams participating in the European regional qualifier.
After two days of hard-fought Overwatch play, the advancing teams are eUnited, Misfits, Movistar Riders, Team Singularity Ninjas, 123, Laser Kittenz, Vivi’s Adventure, Cyclowns, Gamersorigin, Ninjas with Attitude, Team Expert, Alfa Squid, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team eSporters Cyberathletes, and ESPORATI. These teams fought for two days against other European teams and outlasted over 700 other teams hoping to get a shot at their first Overwatch eSports appearance.
The Overwatch Contenders tournament season zero was put in place – in part – to give unknown players and teams a chance to make noise in the competitive Overwatch scene. With the Overwatch League set to kick off, the Overwatch Contenders tournament gives players from the NA and EU regions a chance to get discovered by one of the bigger organizations. Teams that finish the tournament on top will be able to grab a position in the first official season of Overwatch Contenders, and individuals who impress may be able to find a spot on a more established roster.
The prize pool for season zero of Overwatch Contenders is only $50,000 USD, but offers an open invitation to any team to take part. Additionally, it gives teams a shot at qualifying for an invite to the season one playoff, worth $100,000 USD.
Out of the teams to qualify for the group stage, Team eSporters Cyberathletes, Alfa Squid and ESPORATI took full advantage of the open qualifier by surprising the Overwatch eSports community and advancing to the next round. They hope to continue their success in the group stage of the European tournament, and hope to secure their seat in the Overwatch Contenders season one tournament.
The North American regional tournament concluded on June 3 and 4. Much like the European side of the tournament, most of the teams that made the cut were established in the professional Overwatch scene, though they saw a similar amount of unsigned teams make it to the group stage. Selfless gaming, who has been in the Overwatch news of late due to Dafran’s ban, is aiming to make noise in the tournament without their top DPS player. Dafran has been banned from taking part in Overwatch contenders season zero and season one, as well as any competitive play in season five due to his advocacy for trolling and throwing matches.
The next round of the tournament kicks-off on Saturday 17th June, where the European group stage will cut the sixteen eligible teams in half. The North American group stage will start a day late, Sunday 18th June. After the group stage, the playoffs are set to begin on July 1 for EU participants and July second for their NA counterparts. Both tournaments will be streamed on Twitch, so make sure to stay tuned for more upsets, storylines and Overwatch excitement.
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