The Overwatch Open Division is the first step in Blizzard’s Overwatch esports ecosystem. The competition is aimed at incentivizing more team based gameplay, by grouping players of all skill sets and abilities into bracketed groups of teams that play against each other on a weekly basis.
In an effort to mimic the high octane moments that can be seen within the Overwatch League, and other national leagues across the country, PC players are being treated to an immersive esports experience unlike any other, as they test their teamwork and mechanical ability in the Overwatch Open Division.
The Overwatch Open Division 2020 season raises the stakes from previous years as the new revised competitive system makes going pro easier than ever.
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The Overwatch Open Division is played roughly every two months starting at January of each competitive year. The first 2020 Open Divison ended on February 23rd 2020. The best teams advanced to Contenders Trials soon after. The ongoing season started on the 4th of March.
The Overwatch Open Division Rules state that players may only compete for one team per week and only in one region. Six weekends of regular season action will occur for each team participating, followed by a final week of playoffs for the top seeded teams in each group.
Teams will play two best-of-five matches every week, and teams will continue to be reseeded after every two matches. The regular season Overwatch Open Division 2020 Season 2 schedule runs as follows:
2 matches per week, 1 on Saturday, 1 on Sunday
Default match time: 12:00 PT (15:00 ET)
Control / Hybrid / Escort / Assault / Control
Map pool will match the current live server Competitive Play maps
If any map above ends in a draw, such as Assault, immediately play a tiebreaker map below.
Tiebreaker map #1: Nepal
Tiebreaker map #2: Lijiang Tower
Losing team of each map picks subsequent map and is allowed to host the lobby, winning team picks side.
Maps are removed from the available pool after being played once.
10 minutes of pause time per team, per map for a total of 2 maps. After the 10 minutes are up, teams must forfeit or continue play as-is. Longer pauses are allowed if contacting a game admin is required.
Contacting administrators does not count against pause time
Players must be in lobby and ready within 10 minutes of the start of the scheduled match time. Delays may result in penalties at the Tournament Administration’s discretion.
Report matches no later than Monday, 11:59 am PT
Report no-shows 10 minutes after the scheduled match time
Contact admins regarding conflicts at the discord server listed above
For a full list of rules, map pools and specific tournament related decision-making, visit the Overwatch Open Division page to attain all the necessary info.
Blizzard’s revised Path to Pro in 2020 puts Open Division as the primary point of entry in the competitive Overwatch. The top 4 teams from a season of Open Division would now get to play the bottom 4 teams from the previous season of Contenders, in a relegation tournament named Trials. The top four in Trials would go on to play in the following Contenders season.
The new condensed Overwatch Contenders Schedule will seamlessly integrate all three levels of competition into one competitive calendar. Theoretically, Overwatch Open Division 2020 can have players move from Open Division to Contenders within a month and potentially into the OWL by midseason.
While there are no legitimate rankings list for these teams like the ones regularly used in the Overwatch League Power Rankings, the allure in competition and mystery in champ pools for each team will undoubtedly be one of the hallmarks of the competition come playoffs. The prizes for this season’s Overwatch Open Division winners will include prize funds and seeding into higher leagues and competitions. The best performing four teams will be awarded $1,800 spread among them and 5th to 16th placed teams will be awarded a $20 battle coin for each player.
The Overwatch Open Division 2019 was a practice season for the North American region as well as other regions in the game. At the time, roughly 43 teams have signed up for the PC competition in the North American region as the incentive for healthy and honest competition amongst similar skilled opposition has enticed many Overwatch fans to throw down the gauntlet for this competitive event. Last year’s season during Overwatch Open Division Season 2, Triumph dominated the competition on an openly streamed playoff finale that saw some cult heroes rise their way to the top for certain teams that made deep runs throughout the competition.
Some Open Divison players and teams made it all the way to Overwatch Contenders. Shortly after winning Open Divison Korea Season 2, X6-Gaming roster joined Meta Athena and went on to compete in Korean Contenders. Clockwork Vendetta the European Open Divison champion made their way through trials and all the way to 3rd place in Overwatch Contenders 2019 Season 2: Europe.
Overall, Open Divison is the best scouting grounds for top talent among all regions, and the backstory behind players and teams as motivating as much as thrilling.
Stay tuned in to the Overwatch section of esports.net to get the latest Esports news on all things Overwatch Open Division, Overwatch League and off season transfers this coming year. With the Overwatch League, Contenders and Trials within reach, Overwatch’s Open Division will be a perfect opportunity for aspiring esport players to show their competitive chops in a new setting completely unlike the solo queue environment everyone is used to.
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