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While the suspension of in-person events provided a temporary solution, it also raised concerns about its financial viability.

In 2020, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread disruptions and forced the league abandon its original homestand model and shift to an online format, where teams competed remotely from their respective regions. For the following season, the Overwatch League brought in eight new franchises, each investing between $35 million to $60 million. The league faced skeptics who questioned its potential success due to the lack of a proven concept and a game without a substantial esports history.

The Overwatch League was announced in 2016 and secured commitments from 12 teams across the United States, Europe, and Asia, each investing $20 million in franchise fees, to participate in its 2018 inaugural season. The league used the regular season and playoffs format rather than promotion and relegation used commonly in other esports and non-North American leagues, with players on the roster being assured a minimum annual salary, benefits, and a portion of winnings and revenue-sharing based on team performance.

Overwatch league twitch app no tokens professional#

From 2018 to 2023, the Overwatch League followed the model of other traditional North American professional sporting leagues by using a set of permanent, city-based teams backed by separate ownership groups. The Overwatch League ( OWL) was a professional esports league for the video game Overwatch, produced by its developer, Blizzard Entertainment.