Posted in: eSports, Games, Video Games | Tagged: acitivision, blizzard, Blizzard Entertainment, entertainment, eSports, games, HRL, overwatch, Overwatch League, video games

Overwatch Outlines The Structure Of Its Big eSports Ventures In 2018 With 'Path To Pro'

The Overwatch League is set to start its preseason on December 6th. It will be the first look we get at the ambitious competition, which kicks off properly in early 2018. However, the league is only the tip of the iceberg for the game's competitive plans.

In a post, Blizzard has outlined the structure of the entire Overwatch competitive scene, from top to bottom. Of course, at the top you have the Overwatch League and one rung below that, you will have the already establish 'Contenders division' where teams and players will compete and prove themselves as viable pro players. Kicking off in March, the second-ever Overwatch Contenders division will be greatly expanded with other established leagues being absorbed into the entire system while adding a few regions too. Blizzard explain:

First, we will embrace existing regional leagues: Overwatch APEX, Overwatch Premier Series, and the Overwatch Pacific Championship will become Contenders Korea, Contenders China, and Contenders Pacific, respectively. Additionally, we will establish Contenders in two brand-new regions, Australia and South America. With the existing regions of North America and Europe, this brings the total number of Contenders locations to seven. With three seasons a year in seven regions, this will create more opportunities than ever before for players to challenge themselves—as well as to be noticed by Overwatch League scouts.

Below the Contenders division, the Open Division is returning too but this time there will be a path directly into Contenders. Blizzard says:

Teams who dominate in the Open Division now will have a chance to progress even further. At the close of each Contenders season, the top four Open Division teams from each region will be invited to compete in that region's Contenders Trials, an eight-team promotion-relegation tournament for Overwatch Contenders. The first Contenders Trials series will be in February. In these tournaments, teams will battle for their share of a prize pool—and a spot in the next season of Contenders.

If that all seems complicated, this short video spells it out pretty well, so you can visualize how this will all work.

As someone who is very excited about Overwatch's big push into eSports next year, this announcement is reassuring. It shows off a pretty dense structure here designed to make sure the cream is always rising to the top. Hey, maybe you could even try your hand at the Open Division. Why not?

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