Blizzard Entertainment Establishes Professional Sports League for Overwatch®
November 04 2016 - 2:38PM
Business Wire
The Overwatch League combines the best elements
of esports and traditional sports to create an unparalleled
pro-level competitive experience for players and fans of Blizzard’s
critically acclaimed team-based shooter
Overwatch®, Blizzard Entertainment’s blockbuster team-based
shooter, is now over 20 million players strong, and among that
number are a new generation of sports heroes. With more and more
players continuing to distinguish themselves in the game, Blizzard
Entertainment today announced the creation of the Overwatch
League—a world-class sports ecosystem for professional Overwatch
competition. Combining Blizzard’s esports pedigree with the best
practices of major professional sports, the Overwatch League will
focus on long-term stability for teams as well as opportunities for
players to establish the types of professional careers associated
with traditional sports.
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“The Overwatch League represents not only the pinnacle of
Overwatch competition, but also a genuine career opportunity for
the most skilled Overwatch players,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and
cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re building a league
that’s accessible to players and fans, sustainable, and exciting
for everyone involved.”
The inaugural season of the Overwatch League will begin in 2017.
At the start of the season, Blizzard will host a combine, where
eligible players who have previously distinguished themselves in
competition will be invited to try out for teams. Players at the
combine will be evaluated across a range of tests, giving teams the
opportunity to sign those who best round out their rosters. Anyone
picked up by a team during the signing period will be guaranteed a
contract that includes a baseline minimum salary and benefits
package.
To support the growth and sustainability of local fan bases,
Overwatch League teams will represent major cities from different
regions. Once these city-based teams have been admitted to the
league, their spots will be secured, giving them the best
opportunity to grow and thrive for years to come.
Team announcements and additional Overwatch League information
will be shared in the coming months. In the meantime, players who
aspire to compete in the Overwatch League should continue making a
name for themselves in Overwatch.
To learn more about the Overwatch League, visit the official
website at www.overwatchleague.com.
ABOUT OVERWATCH
Built from the ground up to usher in a new era of competitive
gaming, Overwatch is a team-based shooter that features a cast of
23 different heroes—each with their own unique arsenal of
extraordinary weapons and incredible abilities. As battles to
capture and control objectives play out in exotic locations all
over the world, players can switch between these heroes on the fly,
adapting their team’s composition to the ever-changing state of the
battlefield.
ABOUT BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®,
Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo®
franchises, and the multifranchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc. (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-one #1 games and multiple Game of the
Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is
one of the largest in the world, with millions of active
players.
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 the Overwatch
League, including with respect to its components, start date, and
structure, 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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Blizzard EntertainmentRob HilburgerVP, Global
Communications949.242.8404 dirrhilburger@blizzard.comorAndrew
ReynoldsPublic Relations Director(949) 955-1380
x14301areynolds@blizzard.comorDavid GordonPublic Relations
Manager(949) 955-1380 x13506dgordon@blizzard.com
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