The Overwatch League, brought to you by Blizzard Entertainment, has announced its 12-team format for its inaugural season in 2018. The league will follow a similar structure of that of traditional sports and feature both players and teams from all over the world. Both Intel and HP will serve as the official league sponsors, while Overwatch currently has plans to continue to expand its teams beyond the first season. More information about the league, including plans for structure and operations, can be viewed HERE. More information regarding Blizzard Arena, which will be center stage for the postseason, can be found HERE.
The 12 teams expand over four countries, featuring nine teams from the United States, including two from Los Angeles, three-total from the state of California, and one each from England, China and Korea.
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Overwatch League – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website
Boston Uprising – Facebook | Twitter
The team colors are blue and yellow, in reference to the Boston Flag. The team owners are Robert and Jonathan Kraft … [MORE]
Dallas Fuel – Facebook | Twitter
The team will symbolize and pay tribute to the region’s strong heritage in the energy sector. Team owner, Team Envy, are known as the ‘Boys in Blue’ … [MORE]
Florida Mayhem – Facebook | Twitter
This team will feature players from both Miami and Orlando in promoting the “Sunshine State” … [MORE]
Houston Outlaws – Facebook | Twitter
Brought to you by OpTic Gaming, the team will pride the Lonestar State behind its rabid fans, known as “The Green Wall” … [MORE]
London Spitfire – Facebook | Twitter
The name is derived from a ‘Supermarine Spitfire’, a British fighter plane that was flown in World War II. The light blue colors honor its parent company, Cloud9 … [MORE]
Los Angeles Gladiators – Twitter
The team is named for the fighters of ancient Rome and the squad is owned by Stan and Josh Kroenke … [MORE]
Los Angeles Valiant – Facebook | Twitter
The city is where people come to live out their dreams and fight to become the best they can be, such this team will seek out … [MORE]
New York Excelsior – Twitter
The name means ‘ever upward’ and is a famed slogan of Marvel’s Stan Lee. The nickname, ‘NYXL’ evokes NYC at its strongest … [MORE]
Philadelphia Fusion – Facebook | Twitter
The team logo reflects velocity, dynamism and creative energy. The colors are in commemoration of the city’s NHL team, the Flyers … [MORE]
San Francisco Shock – Facebook | Twitter
The logo represents the vivacious and bright orange colors of the Golden Gate Bridge, while the team is owned by NRG ESports … [MORE]
Shanghai Dragons – Facebook | Twitter
The team symbol and the color red are synonymous with Chinese culture … [MORE]
Seoul Dynasty – Facebook | Twitter
The name honors Asian rulers in bygone eras and is owned by Kevin Chou … [MORE]
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As the platform of competitive eSports continues to rise all over the world, more companies, gaming titles and big-time sponsors will follow suit. The great thing about eSports is that anyone with skill can become a pro athlete. Plus, in 2013, it was recognized as an official sport by the US Dept. of State, so to grant travel visas for competitors. The types of eSports tournaments are as follows: Real-Time Strategy (RTS), First-Person Shooter (FPS), Multiplayer Online Beta Arena (MOBA), Fighting (H2H/Weaponized Combat) and ‘traditional sports’ games. The industry is on a parallel path and will soon surpass that of traditional sports viewership, which it technically already has, and participation. It’s big business now. Currently, the Top 3 countries that dominate the eSports industry in earnings are, U.S.A. ($37 million), China and South Korea, both with earnings of $34 million.
