The 2019 season gets underway on Feb. 14 with a
full slate of games, including a Grand Finals rematch between the
Philadelphia Fusion and the defending champion London Spitfire
New broadcast partners and enhanced viewing
technology via the Overwatch League Twitch All-Access Pass and
multi-view Command Center will elevate the fan viewing
experience
The Overwatch League™ returns to action today for the official
start of the 2019 season. This season, 20 teams will compete for
the league championship and a share of the US $5 million prize
pool. The world’s first major global esports league with city-based
teams will be even more fan-friendly, with more ways to watch via
enhanced viewing technology through the Twitch All-Access Pass
program, expanded broadcast and digital distribution, and a
brand-new online shop loaded with team and player merchandise.
“We’ve added eight new teams and nearly 100 new players to the
Overwatch League, and we’re really excited to see the influx of new
talent and to see how teams approach the daunting task of winning
the league championship,” said Nate Nanzer, Overwatch League
commissioner. “Look for the quality of play to rise as the league
continues to get even more competitive. The talents of our
extraordinary players are going to be on display for the world to
see. Come watch with the best of us!”
The opening week of matches will feature all 20 teams in action
and will include a rematch of the 2018 Grand Finals showdown
between the Philadelphia Fusion and defending champion London
Spitfire, as well as the debuts of all eight new Overwatch League
teams. The full slate of matches includes:
Thursday, Feb. 14
- Philadelphia Fusion vs. London
Spitfire, 4 p.m. PST
- New York Excelsior vs. Boston Uprising,
5:30 p.m. PST
- Seoul Dynasty vs. Los Angeles
Gladiators, 7 p.m. PST
- Shanghai Dragons vs. Hangzhou Spark,
8:30 p.m. PST
Friday, Feb. 15
- Toronto Defiant vs. Houston Outlaws, 4
p.m. PST
- Atlanta Reign vs. Florida Mayhem, 5:30
p.m. PST
- Dallas Fuel vs. San Francisco Shock, 7
p.m. PST
- Chengdu Hunters vs. Guangzhou Charge,
8:30 p.m. PST
Saturday, Feb. 16
- London Spitfire vs. Paris Eternal, 12
p.m. PST
- Washington Justice vs. New York
Excelsior, 1:30 p.m. PST
- Los Angeles Valiant vs. Hangzhou Spark,
3 p.m. PST
- Vancouver Titans vs. Shanghai Dragons,
4:30 p.m. PST
Sunday, Feb. 17
- Houston Outlaws vs. Boston Uprising, 12
p.m. PST
- Philadelphia Fusion vs. Atlanta Reign,
1:30 p.m. PST
- San Francisco Shock vs. Los Angeles
Gladiators, 3 p.m. PST
- Seoul Dynasty vs. Dallas Fuel, 4:30
p.m. PST
Fans will be able to watch Overwatch League matches in a number
of ways and in additional locations for 2019. Linear and digital
broadcast platforms include:
- Overwatch League: All matches
will be available on overwatchleague.com and the Overwatch League
app, MLG.com and the MLG app (excluding matches on Saturday,
Sunday, and other days which are exclusive to Twitch), Blizzard
Battle.net, and Overwatch game-client viewers.
- Twitch: All 2019 Overwatch
League matches will be available on Twitch platforms, including
Twitch.tv, the Twitch mobile app, and Twitch apps on game consoles
and TV devices. Working together with Twitch, the Overwatch League
just launched a new and improved All-Access Pass membership. This
year, All-Access passholders can customize their match-viewing
experience with the multi-view Command Center, represent their
favorite players with gear and skins, and engage more directly with
Overwatch League players and the fan community.
- Twitter: Will host livestreaming
of daily Watchpoint shows immediately before and after the match
schedule on match days, as well as a selection of Overwatch League
clips from live matches.
- China: All matches will be
available on overwatchleague.cn and the Overwatch League app.
Zhanqi.tv, NetEase CC, Bilibili, and Huya and will air matches on
their respective branded platforms.
- France: Mediawan will show
league highlights on the Mangas Network.
- Germany: Sport1 will air live
matches on Esports1 and league highlights on Sport1.
- North America: All 2019
regular-season Overwatch League matches will be available to watch
on the ESPN app. Three matches per week will air on Disney XD: the
final match of each Thursday, which begins at 8:30 p.m. PST, as
well as the first two matches each Sunday, which begin at noon and
1:30 p.m. PST. Select matches also will air on ABC and ESPN2. The
Stage 1 and 2 Playoffs and the All-Star Game will air on ABC. ESPN2
will carry the Stage 3 Finals.
“We set a new bar last season in standing up the first major
global city-based esports league,” said Pete Vlastelica, president
and CEO of Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues. “This season, we’re
going to raise the bar again with a focus on fan affinity, making
it even easier for the Overwatch League community to watch how they
want and where they want.”
The majority of Overwatch League matches will be played at
Blizzard Arena Los Angeles this season, but during the regular
season, the league will be on the road for the 2019 Homestand
Weekends. Homestand Weekend events, where home teams will
officially host the matches, are scheduled for Dallas, Atlanta, and
Los Angeles as follows:
- April 27–28: The Dallas Fuel
will host the Chengdu Hunters, Hangzhou Spark, Houston Outlaws,
London Spitfire, Los Angeles Valiant, Paris Eternal, and Seoul
Dynasty at the Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas.
- July 6–7: The Atlanta Reign will
host the Florida Mayhem, Guangzhou Charge, New York Excelsior,
Philadelphia Fusion, Shanghai Dragons, Toronto Defiant, and
Washington Justice.
- August 24–25: The Los Angeles
Valiant will host the Atlanta Reign, Boston Uprising, Dallas Fuel,
Hangzhou Spark, Los Angeles Gladiators, New York Excelsior, San
Francisco Shock, Shanghai Dragons, and Vancouver Titans at The Novo
by Microsoft at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, Calif.
The prize pool for the 2019 season is now $5 million—up from
$3.5 million in 2018—and will be allocated to teams based on
playoff success:
- The Stage Playoffs will be held
for Stage 1, 2, and 3. Eight teams will qualify, including the two
division leaders in that stage, along with the next six teams in
the stage standings regardless of division. The Stage Playoffs
prize pool includes $200K for the winner, $100K for the runner-up,
$50K each for the third- and fourth-place teams, and $25K each for
fifth through eighth place.
- The Season Playoffs will feature
an expanded field in 2019. For the postseason, the two division
winners along with the next best four teams by record, regardless
of division, will automatically qualify. Two additional teams will
qualify through a play-in tournament between the seventh- through
12th-place teams. Those final eight teams will compete for the
league championship in a double-elimination bracket. The Season
Playoffs prize pool includes $1.1M for the league champion, $600K
for the runner-up, $450K for third place, $350K for fourth place,
$300K each for the fifth- and sixth-place teams, and $200K each for
the seventh- and eighth-place teams.
Additional details for the 2019 season include:
- All-Stars: The 2019 Overwatch
League All-Star event will be held between Stages 2 and 3, a change
from the 2018 season when the event concluded the season.
- Overwatch League Shop: Fans will
have upgraded shopping options this season by virtue of the
league’s new licensing deal with Fanatics. The recently relaunched
Overwatch League shop—shop.overwatchleague.com—is loaded with
official jerseys, T-shirts, pants, hats, signed merchandise, and
other team-specific collectibles.
- State Farm®: Last week the
Overwatch League revealed its top-level 2019 brand sponsors,
including Coca-Cola, Toyota, HP, Intel, and T-Mobile. Today, we’re
announcing State Farm as the official North American insurance
provider of the Overwatch League as part of a multi-year
sponsorship.
Additional details—including dates, locations, and broadcast
availability—about Homestand Weekends, All-Stars, Season Playoffs,
and the Grand Finals will be announced at a later date.
About the Overwatch League™
The Overwatch League™ is the first major global professional
esports league with city-based teams across Asia, Europe, and North
America. Overwatch® was created by globally acclaimed publisher
Blizzard Entertainment (a division of Activision Blizzard—NASDAQ:
ATVI), whose iconic franchises have helped lay the foundations and
push the boundaries of professional esports over the last 15 years.
The latest addition to Blizzard’s stable of twenty-two #1 games,[1]
Overwatch was built from the ground up for online competition, with
memorable characters and fast-paced action designed for the most
engaging gameplay and spectator experiences. To learn more about
the Overwatch League, visit www.overwatchleague.com.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®,
Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo®
franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc. (https://www.blizzard.com), a division of
Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and
publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of
the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard
Entertainment’s track record includes twenty-two #1 games* and
multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online gaming
service, Blizzard Battle.net®, is one of the largest online-gaming
services in the world, with millions of active players.
*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and
reports from key distribution partners.
About Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues
Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues (ABEL) is responsible for
the development and operation of premier Activision Blizzard
professional gaming properties including the Overwatch League™ and
the Call of Duty® World League, as well as the commercialization of
the entire Blizzard Esports portfolio. Launched in 2017, the
Overwatch League is the world’s first major global esports league
with city-based teams, with 20 teams across Asia, Europe, and North
America. In 2019, the Call of Duty World League Presented by
PlayStation®4 will deliver five vs. five team play featuring Call
of Duty®: Black Ops 4. It is ABEL’s vision to be the most
innovative, scalable, and valuable developer of global competitive
entertainment.
© 2019 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. OVERWATCH, OVERWATCH LEAGUE,
BLIZZARD, and BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT are trademarks of Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc., in the United States and/or other
countries.
[1] Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records
and reports from key distribution partners.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking
Statements: Information in this press release that involves
Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or
strategies regarding the future, including statements about brand
deals, the dates of 2019 Overwatch League season events, are
forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number
of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard
Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from
those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this
release include unanticipated product delays and other factors
identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s
most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this
release are based upon information available to Blizzard
Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this
release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard
assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when
made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not
guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or
Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and
other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause
actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190214005316/en/
Mark Van LommelOverwatch League949-955-1380
x61147MVanLommel@overwatchleague.com
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