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The Overwatch World Cup
Eight teams from four qualifiers around the world will head to Anaheim, CA to particpate in the Overwatch World Cup Finals November 2-3 at BlizzCon.
OW Content
Big changes hit Season 2 of the Overwatch Legaue
Overwatch World Cup group stage breakdown
The Overwatch League Finals
What: The culmination of the Overwatch League 2018 season has led to the Overwatch League Grand Finals, with $1,000,000 going to the victor, which was the London Spitfire.
Who: The Philadelphia Fusion vs. the The London Spitfire. The Spitfire won 3-0.
Where: The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
When: Friday, June 27 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 28 at 4 p.m.
Where can I watch the Overwatch League Grand Finals?
Friday's broadcast began with the first leg of the London Spitfire's championship matchup against the Philadelphia Fusion at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Saturday's coverage began at 4:30 p.m. ET on DisneyXD and WatchESPN, with a re-airing of the event at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Sign up for ESPN+ here.
Previews
Culture shock: The multinational mosaic of Overwatch League
London, Philly on even footing ahead of Overwatch League final
Overwatch League sendoffs: Goodbye New York and L.A.
Spitfire, Fusion prepare to square off in Overwatch League finals
Video
OWL Grand Finals Preview: Map Pool - Who has the edge?
OWL Grand Finals Preview: Hero Pool
Recaps
Coming soon.
Overall regular season standings
What is the Overwatch League?
The Overwatch League is an esports league created and run by Blizzard Entertainment that will showcase Overwatch, its popular first-person shooter. The inaugural season will feature 12 teams, each of which paid $20 million for a franchise spot. Each team will represent a city with all teams playing the first season in Los Angeles. Future seasons will see home and away games for which teams will travel to compete against one another in the cities they represent, similar to a traditional sport.
Minimum player salaries are $50,000 with a one-year minimum and a second-year option, and teams are required to provide players with housing, health insurance, retirement options and more.
The preseason starts on Dec. 6 and runs until Dec. 9. The regular season launches Jan. 10, 2018, and runs until July. The total prize pool is $3.5 million, with the Season 1 champion taking home $1 million.
Structure and format
12 teams, two divisions of six: Atlantic and Pacific
Matches take place Wednesday through Saturday
Four stages in the regular season; each stage is five weeks long
Each match will be four-map sets
• At the end of each stage will be a title match between the top three teams, regardless of division, for a bonus of $125,000
The No. 1 team from each division advances to the playoffs in July
The top four remaining teams between both divisions also advance to the playoffs, creating a six-team playoff bracket
All regular-season matches will take place at the Blizzard Arena Los Angeles in Burbank, California.
The teams
Boston Uprising
Division: Atlantic
Owned by: The Kraft Group
Quick fact: This is the first group to buy in to the OWL
Robert Kraft, his son Jonathan, and the Kraft Group -- collectively the ownership of the New England Patriots and Revolution -- were the first buyers in the Overwatch League. Robert and Jonathan attended BlizzCon in November 2016 and watched the first Overwatch World Cup alongside Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who led the charge in the recruitment of the league. The Krafts were the start of a snowball to help recruit other prospective buyers, sources told ESPN. The Kraft Group acquired the Boston spot in the league, continuing to add to its New England portfolio of sports.
Further reading:
Sources: Robert Kraft, Fred Wilpon among six owners to buy into new esports venture Overwatch League; Blizzard announces team owners and locations for Overwatch League
Florida Mayhem
Division: Atlantic
Owned by: Misfits
Quick fact: Misfits is partnered with the Miami Heat
Founded in early 2016 by Ben Spoont and his father-in-law, Syfy channel co-founder Mitchell Rubenstein, Misfits has evolved into a well-known esports organization over the last two years. Its success in League of Legends, Overwatch and other esports titles led it to an investment and partnership with the Miami Heat in January 2017. This set the groundwork for the geolocation push with a Miami-Orlando spot in the Overwatch League.
Further reading:
Blizzard announces team owners and locations for Overwatch League
Houston Outlaws
Division: Atlantic
Owned by: OpTic Gaming
Quick fact: A co-owner of the Texas Rangers invested in OpTic
Similar to Envy, Call of Duty powerhouse OpTic Gaming bought into the league following an investment from an energy magnate, Neil Leibman, who is a co-owner of the Texas Rangers. The team relocated to Dallas and its Overwatch team will be based in Houston when the league geolocates into multiple regions rather than its current Los Angeles-based games. The Houston slot also covers rights to Austin and San Antonio, Texas.
Further reading:
Blizzard Entertainment locks in two more $20 million Overwatch League spots
London Spitfire
Division: Atlantic
Owned by: Cloud9
Quick fact: A Golden State Warriors co-owner and a Reddit co-founder invested in Cloud9 in 2017
The only European slot in the initial set of buyers was purchased by the Los Angeles-based organization Cloud9. That team is one of the longest-tenured in modern esports, having made its name in League of Legends in 2013 and expanding rapidly in other titles since. The team acquired investment in its seed round in 2017, with backers like Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana, Golden State Warriors co-owner Chamath Palihapitiya and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. The London slot expands into markets across the majority of England, something Cloud9 CEO Jack Etienne says he's excited about when looking at increasing his international foothold. Recently, C9 received even more funding from the WWE, Hunter Pence, the Beverly Hills Sports Council and more.
Further reading: Cloud9 buys London, Kroenkes grab L.A. Overwatch League spots; Cloud9 receives $25 million in Series A funding from WWE, Hunter Pence and others
New York Excelsior
Division: Atlantic
Owned by: Sterling.VC
Quick fact: Sterling.VC was the second group to buy into the OWL
Sports, media and real estate venture capitalist fund Sterling.VC was the second buyer in the league. Sterling.VC is a sister company of the New York Mets, headed by Jeff Wilpon -- the son of Mets owner Fred Wilpon -- which combines the fortune of the Wilpon family and other investors to invest in startups. It has a history in tech in particular, such as a $20 million investment in airport security company CLEAR in 2010. The company obtained the New York spot for the league and later acquired LW Blue, one of South Korea's best Overwatch teams, as its starting lineup.
Further reading:
Sources: Robert Kraft, Fred Wilpon among six owners to buy into new esports venture Overwatch League; Blizzard announces team owners and locations for Overwatch League
Philadelphia Fusion
Division: Atlantic
Owned by: Comcast Spectacor
Quick fact: Spectacor owns the Philadelphia Flyers
The sports arm of American telecommunications was the 11th buyer in the league. Blizzard had previously pursued the Philadelphia 76ers due to its links in esports, but ultimately got buy-in from Spectacor, the owner of the Philadelphia Flyers, Wells Fargo Arena and several other venues in the U.S. The company was initially founded by Ed Snider, the owner of the Flyers, in 1974, and was later acquired by Comcast in 1996. The league is the first esports venture for Spectacor.
Further reading:
Blizzard Entertainment locks in two more $20 million Overwatch League spots
Dallas Fuel
Division: Pacific
Owned by: Team Envy
Quick fact: Envy received a $35 million investment from Hersh Family Investments
Team Envy -- a long-tenured esports team with its roots in Call of Duty -- acquired the Dallas slot in the league after receiving $35 million in investment from Hersh Family Investments. Envy has housed one of the best Overwatch teams in the world since the game launched in beta in 2015 and has continued to be a dominant force throughout the game's competitive history. The organization relocated from its home in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Dallas as a result of the investment.
Further reading:
Sources: Blizzard to add Team EnVyUs as Austin-Dallas Overwatch League rep
Los Angeles Gladiators
Division: Pacific
Owned by: Kroenke Sports & Entertainment
Quick fact: Kroenke Sports & Entertainment owns the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Nuggets
Los Angeles is the only market to have two teams in the same region so far. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Nuggets, and is a majority owner in Arsenal F.C., was announced to be the ninth buyer in the league, obtaining the second slot in the Southern California area. The group is owned by former real estate businessman Stan Kroenke, his wife and Wal-Mart fortune heir Ann Walton Kroenke and their son, Josh Kroenke. Stan and Josh attended BlizzCon alongside the Krafts, Etienne and Bobby Kotick and witnessed the initial announcement of the league in November 2016.
Further reading: Cloud9 buys London, Kroenkes grab L.A. Overwatch League spots; Blizzard announces team owners and locations for Overwatch League
Los Angeles Valiant
Division: Pacific
Owned by: Immortals
Quick fact: Invested in by the Memphis Grizzlies co-owner and Lionsgate Films
Immortals is a team that has been in esports since 2015 and has continually acquired investment from well-known parties in media, tech and sports. The organization has investment from Memphis Grizzlies co-owner Stephen Kaplan, Lionsgate Films and AEG, an entertainment company that owns a number of venues -- including the Staples Center, Microsoft Theater and LA Live -- in Southern California. The team holds footholds in other games, such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Smash for Wii U, and was one of the first parties interested in the Overwatch League. It acquired the first Los Angeles slot, as the fifth overall buyer in the league.
Further reading:
Blizzard announces team owners and locations for Overwatch League
San Francisco Shock
Division: Pacific
Owned by: NRG Esports
Quick fact: Jennifer Lopez and Marshawn Lynch recently backed NRG, joining longtime investor Shaquille O'Neal
An endemic esports organization founded in 2015, NRG Esports is owned by some of the biggest names in technology and sports. The company has three common shareholders with the Sacramento Kings: former Apple executive Andy Miller, 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov and Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal. Oh, and also baseball legends Alex Rodriguez and Jimmy Rollins, Jennifer Lopez, and running back Marshawn Lynch. The purchase of the San Francisco spot also includes rights to the surrounding Bay Area of Oakland and San Jose, as well as Sacramento.
Further reading:
Blizzard announces team owners and locations for Overwatch League
Seoul Dynasty
Division: Pacific
Owned by: KSV eSports
Quick fact: Will house the current top roster in Overwatch, formerly of Lunatic-Hai
KSV Esports, short for Korean-Silicon Valley, is a conglomeration of four tech executives, three of whom launched the application development company Kabam in 2005. The group has roots in San Francisco and a history of successfully launching startups in the past decade. Led by Kevin Chou, the former CEO of Kabam, the group acquired the Seoul, South Korea, slot in the Overwatch League and later the roster from two-time Overwatch APEX champion Lunatic-Hai, historically the best roster in that region.
Further reading:
Blizzard announces team owners and locations for Overwatch League
Shanghai Dragons
Division: Pacific
Owned by: NetEase
Quick fact: The Dragons colors, branding and logo were the first to be revealed
After pursuing a number of Chinese buyers, Blizzard Entertainment stood with what it knew. NetEase is one of the larger game development companies in China and has been a distributor for Blizzard for a number of years, relaunching World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone and Overwatch in the country. It obtained the Shanghai slot, as the only Chinese team in the initial set of buyers.
Further reading:
Blizzard announces team owners and locations for Overwatch League
Schedule
*All times listed in Eastern Time zone
Championship weekend: July 26-28
Stage 4 recaps and content
Recaps
Stage 4 playoffs: LA Valiant takes 3-2 win over Gladiators to reach finals
Week 5, Day 4: Philly narrowly misses Stage 4 playoffs
Week 5, Day 3: NYXL eliminates Houston from playoff contention
Week 5, Day 2: Houston keeps season playoff hopes alive
Week 5, Day 1: Gladiators locks in playoff spot with sweep of Shanghai
Week 4, Day 4: Gladiators reverse-sweeps Spitfire
Week 4, Day 3: Fusion outlasts Dynasty with playoffs on line
Week 4, Day 2: Valiant locks up OWL playoff spot
Week 4, Day 1: Boston gets first Stage 4 win
Week 3, Day 4: Fuel fires up against Spitfire
Week 3, Day 3: Houston shuts down Shanghai
Week 3, Day 2: Boston remains winless in Stage 4
Week 3, Day 1: NYXL cleans up Philly to start Week 3
Week 2, Day 4: Seoul Dynasty gives London Spitfire stern test
Week 2, Day 3: Boston Uprising, Los Angeles Valiant go to Game 5
Week 2, Day 2: London Spitfire skirts by San Francisco Shock
Week 2, Day 1: Fuel burns bright against Boston
Week 1, Day 4: Fusion dominates Mayhem in Saturday sweep
Week 1, Day 3: Los Angeles Gladiators starts day with win over Dallas Fuel
Week 1, Day 2: Fusion ends Uprising's regular-season win streak
Week 1, Day 1: Gladiators open Stage 4 with win over Shock
Power Rankings
Overwatch League Power Rankings through May 14
Overwatch League Power Rankings through April 30
Overwatch League Power Rankings through April 23
Overwatch League Power Rankings through April 16
Overwatch League Power Rankings through April 9
OWL By the Numbers
Trying to solve the Seoul Dynasty puzzle
Say goodbye to undefeated teams
Stage 3 Recaps and Content
Recaps
Stage 3 playoffs: NYXL wins back-to-back stage playoff titles
Week 5, Day 4: Stage 3 playoff contenders decided on final day of regular season
Week 5, Day 3: Boston completes Stage 3 without a series loss
Week 5, Day 2: Shock makes statement before end of its stage
Week 5, Day 1: Philadelphia Fusion handles business against Dallas Fuel
Week 4, Day 4: Spitfire, Shock face off in Saturday showdown
Week 4, Day 3: Boston extends winning streak to 12 series
Week 4, Day 2: Spitfire continues slump against Gladiators
Week 4, Day 1: Boston extends winning streak to seven series
Week 3, Day 4: Spitfire gets back on track with win over Valiant
Week 3, Day 3: San Francisco Shock struts stuff against Philadelphia Fusion
Week 3, Day 2: Houston keeps Florida winless in Stage 3
Week 3, Day 1: Battle for LA goes to Game 5
Week 2, Day 4: Fusion wins war of attrition against Spitfire
Week 2, Day 3: Los Angeles Valiant remains unbeaten in Stage 3
Week 2, Day 2: Uprising overthrows Dynasty to begin Thursday slate
Week 2, Day 1: Gladiators sweeps Dragons to start Week 2
Week 1, Day 4: Fusion shuts down Mayhem to start Saturday
Week 1, Day 3: Gladiators bounces back with win against Fuel
Week 1, Day 2: Houston continues dominance of London; NYXL steamrolls Mayhem
Week 1, Day 1: Geguri debuts in Shanghai's loss to Dallas; LA Valiant sweeps Seoul
Stage 2 Recaps and Content
Recaps
Stage 2 playoffs: Fusion advances to finals in five-game thriller against Spitfire
Week 5, Day 4: Gladiators chokes away playoff chance; Fusion advances
Week 5, Day 3: Seoul, Philly hope to stay in playoff race
Week 5, Day 2: Seoul loss to Houston puts third playoff spot up for grabs
Week 6, Day 1: Philadelphia Fusion wins crucial Week 5 matchup
Week 4, Day 4: London Spitfire shake up standings, sweep Seoul Dynasty
Week 4, Day 3: Gladiators wins hotly contested match with Mayhem
Week 4, Day 2: NYXL sets stage for another No. 1 seed in stage playoffs
Week 4, Day 1: New York Excelsior, Seoul Dynasty matchup highlights start of Week 4
Week 3, Day 4: Gladiators breaks through with win over Spitfire
Week 3, Day 3: London Spitfire sweeps up-and-down Boston Uprising
Week 3, Day 2: Seoul's reign continues with win over Philly
Week 3, Day 1: Seoul beats Shanghai, improves to 5-0 in Stage 2
Week 2, Day 4: London crushes Philadelphia in statement win
Week 2, Day 3: Boston Uprising gets long-awaited victory, trounces Florida Mayhem
Week 2, Day 2: London Spitfire thrashes Florida Mayhem to start Thursday slate
Week 2, Day 1: Seoul Dynasty dashes Dallas Fuel's hopes to start Week 2
Week 1, Day 4: Carpe seizes day for surging Fusion
Week 1, Day 3: London Sptifire, NYXL go to Game 5 in rematch of Stage 1 finals
Week 1, Day 2: Houston gets revenge against London to start Day 2
Week 1, Day 1: Dynasty starts Stage 2 with statement win
Highlights
Overwatch League: London Spitfire vs. Philadelphia Fusion
Stage 1
Overwatch League Recaps
Stage 1
Stage 1 playoffs: London beats Houston, NYXL to win Stage 1
Week 5, Day 4: Houston, London join NYXL, lock in Stage 1 playoff spots
Week 5, Day 3: Seoul Dynasty eliminated from playoff picture by San Francisco Shock
Week 5, Day 2: Boston Uprising takes control of its destiny as playoffs loom
Week 5, Day 1: Valiant throws playoff picture into disarray with big win over Dynasty
Week 4, Day 4: Spitfire beats Dragons, closes out Week 4 8-0
Week 4, Day 3: San Francisco Shock blasts Florida Mayhem, Seoul Dynasty survives Houston Outlaws
Week 4, Day 2: London sweeps Seoul with Ryu "ryujehong" Je-Hong out of Dynasty's lineup
Week 4, Day 1: Valiant beats Fusion 4-0 to start Week 4
Week 3, Day 4: Uprising, Valiant win out in Week 3
Week 3, Day 3: Last unbeaten team falls as Seoul loses to New York
Week 3, Day 2: Uprising ends Spitfire's undefeated Overwatch League run
Week 3, Day 1: Spitfire remains undefeated; first Battle of LA goes down
Week 2, Day 4: Two Game 5's spice up Overwatch League on Saturday
Week 2, Day 3: Seoul Dynasty continues its dominance
Week 2, Day 2: Houston douses Dallas to open Day 2 of Week 2
Week 2, Day 1: Outlaws rocket into win column with sweep of Shanghai Dragons
Week 1, Day 4: London Spitfire dominates Philadelphia Fusion to start Day 4
Week 1, Day 3: Valiant bests Fuel, Uprising dominates Mayhem on Day 3 of OWL
Week 1, Day 2: Spitfire stumbles but tops Mayhem to start Day 2
Week 1, Day 1: Dynasty survives Fuel, Valiant tops Shock, Gladiators squashes Dragons