Overwatch esports is back for another year but with some major changes. For the first time since Overwatch 1 was released, we’re not getting an Overwatch League Season. Instead, it’s the new Overwatch Champions Series that’ll be running this year.
With so much change in Overwatch esports though, things might be different this year. How exactly will this new tournament work?
This new format for Overwatch esports replaces the League system we previously had.
OWCS takes a much more open approach, aiming to have pro-level Overwatch on more often. It’s a circuit that will ensure only the very best players make it to the highest tier, not just those signed by a major org.
As a more open system than the League, the Overwatch Champions Series does have a more complicated format. It all starts with Open Qualifiers. These are the first stage. Players can register with their group to take part in this stage we’ll see teams being backed by sponsors with former Overwatch Pro players on them. However, we’ll also see motley crews of competitors who just want to try their luck.
The Open Qualifier is broken into three stages. There’s a Swiss stage with 512 teams. Then the top 16 go into a Group Stage. Each group of four has 2 teams move forward to a double-elimination knockout bracket.
That’s a grueling format just for each opener. It’s divided between regions for these events, with an Asia, EMEA, and North America region. Each region will have four different stages played in this format.
At the end of these stages, we have the playoffs where we’ll see the top international players all come together. These are the Major and the Finals. These will likely be our closest to the OWL with only the very best players making it this far.
That’s how the new Overwatch Champions Series is going to work. Who are the teams competing though? It isn’t like the Overwatch League where we had a set roster. Instead, there are loads of teams. Literally hundreds in each region.
There are quite a few teams that are standing out already though. There are some with a strong performance so far, or they’re carrying a roster full of proven OW pros from former OWL teams. We’ll have to keep an eye on the OWCS to see which teams end up on top of the game’s meta.
The total prize pool for the Overwatch Champions Series in its debut season is $750,000! How does it compare to the old prize pools for the League? It’s quite a bit lower than previous seasons for the game’s esports. Although, it’s still at a decent number compared to quite a few other esports titles. Considering the size of the OW player count, this definitely makes sense for a competitive league.
Source: FaceIt, Blizzard
When is the Overwatch Champions Series going to be running? When it was first announced, Blizzard heralded that the new format would mean much more high-level Overwatch broadcast, with more events on the schedule.
Considering the size of some of these stages, it definitely takes up a lot more time. These are the main events and when you can follow the Overwatch Champions Series this year.
That’s how the Overwatch Champions Series is working for its inaugural year! The tournament series is super easy to follow along with at home too. It’s being broadcast on both Twitch and YouTube. This is an improvement from the OWL’s exclusive YouTube broadcast. You can even grab drops on both platforms. The events in-person will be taking place at DreamHack too, so there’s a wider opportunity to attend than in the past.
Source: FaceIt, Blizzard
The Overwatch Champions Series is an exciting new stage for competitive OW. It’s a format of tournament that’s unlike anything we’ve seen before from the game. While we’re still in the midst of the event’s opening, it’s looking like this could be the most fun year of competitive OW to date.
EN Global 
JP 日本語