Not only has Overwatch esports gained popularity, but it has become a full-time job for many professionals. With major investors like Robert Kraft, Jeff Wilpon, and the Kroenke brothers involved in teams, they are set to take the league by storm. The “Overwatch Esports League” will be the first professional esports league to use city-based teams. Overwatch players will represent the city and play all league games in that specific city’s team’s arena. With plans to start this format next year, we will see an increase in viewership and revenue for Overwatch League as it gains popularity throughout the world.
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What is Overwatch Esports in actual?
Overwatch Esports is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. In the game, players join either of two teams consisting of six members each and choose one from several hero characters with unique movement, attributes, and abilities.
These heroes are divided into four classes:
- Offense
- Defense
- Tank
- Support
Overwatch Players on teamwork together to defend on the control points on a map or even to escort a payload across the map in a limited amount of time period so that they can win it. Even players gain cosmetic rewards that do not affect gameplay while they are playing Overwatch Esports, such as character skins, victory poses, spray paint images, and voice lines.
What Overwatch Esports professional’s have to say after defeat of Overwatch if it happens?
In an interview with Kotaku’s Jason Schreier, Jeff Kaplan talked about what might happen after the defeat of Overwatch. According to Kaplan, “we think about all these things down the road.” While Blizzard’s priority right now is to develop additional content for Overwatch, Kaplan also stated that they are thinking about what might happen if Overwatch will not be successful in the ESports market.
Meanwhile, game director Jeff Kaplan has announced that there are currently no plans to introduce new game modes such as Capture the Flag and free for all, but the development team is constantly discussing possible changes that can be made in Overwatch Esports.
With less than half a year away from Overwatch’s official release date on May 24, Blizzard Entertainment is still working hard to make sure that the highly anticipated first-person shooter will be ready for mass production.
What have to Overwatch Esports players to say on it?
Professional Overwatch player Matt “Clockwork,” Dias said: “I think that having city-based teams will allow Overwatch Esports League to become more fan-friendly in the eyes of the viewers. With team-specific chants and merchandise, fans are able to show their pride towards their home’s franchise.” This new idea has definitely made it easier for players to connect with their fans on a more personal level.
Despite the many benefits of having city-based teams, there are also downsides to the idea. Not every fan will be able to travel to watch their favorite team play, and players may not get as much recognition for their skill in certain areas if they only represent a city and not a specific place within it. “I think that esports players can relate with not being recognized in a specific region. Overwatch is a global game, and most of the time, players are only known for being from a certain country or continent,” says professional player Mykola “Nikolai” Shevchenko.
There is still much debate over having city-based teams as the future of Overwatch esports, so it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Overwatch League.
“I think that players should have city-based teams, but it is a lot different from traditional sports because Overwatch is much more global than traditional sports are. It makes sense to have local support, but I feel like there should be an opportunity for everyone, no matter where they are from,” says Overwatch player Jake “JAKE” Lyon.
Also, it would be safe to say that city-based teams will definitely increase viewership for Overwatch Esports League, but not every gamer may be a fan of this new idea.
What about the Controversy held on Overwatch Esport?
On October 15, 2017: A new controversy has erupted in the gaming world that is very reminiscent of last year’s around Star Wars: Battlefront II. Dubbed “Pay to Win” by many of its critics, the game Overwatch has come under fire for its loot box mechanics, which are not dissimilar to those on display in Battlefront II.
However, after some inquiry into the issue on behalf of my good friends at DotEsports, I have decided to release this short statement regarding Overwatch’s handling of currency and currency value. My sources tell me that these complaints about Overwatch’s loot boxes are unfounded and that they serve only to increase the game’s overall profitability rather than directly encourage players to spend more money.