As part of the epic two-day Blizzard Convention, President Mike Morhaime announced the upcoming innovative Overwatch League.
Harkening to professional sports, Overwatch League promises to help facilitate players, team owners, and fans in the most engaging change to eSports we have ever seen. To start it all off, the Overwatch League will be holding an open combine for the top players to participate in early next year. This combine will allow prospective team owners to look at the talent available and see what players they would like to sign.
After the combine, there will be a drafting stage where the team owners will sign players to their team. These players will be given a contract, where much like other sports such as football or soccer, they will have benefits and salaries. This is an almost unheard of prospect in the eSport scene where players rely on winnings to ensure a livelihood.
Teams are also required to be based in cities around the globe. This will ensure that a fanbase can grow locally for players and teams leading to more interest in the league as a whole. All of the teams will play during the regular season against one another in LAN events created specifically for the Overwatch League and will end with a playoff season like other official sports.
These changes to the eSports scene are incredibly fortunate not just for the players, but for the growth of eSports as a whole. For the first time ever fans can back local talent and learn who they are. We can root for the hometown team and, with enough talent, try out for that team during the yearly combine. If you are a fan of eSports, now is the time to get excited and prepare for the future with the Overwatch League.