Blizzard president on Overwatch League: ‘We’re going to start identifying team owners soon’
[UPDATE: A previous iteration of the article implied there would be a player draft. Blizzard has never announced a draft, and the article has been updated to clarify.]
In a quarterly Activision Blizzard earnings call, Blizzard president and co-founder Mike Morhaime discussed the future of the Overwatch League, which launches later this year.
“We’re going to start identifying team owners soon,” said Morhaime. “That’s our next step, and we’re looking forward to holding our first combine and kicking off the league later this year.”
Originally announced at BlizzCon 2016, the Overwatch League will feature city-based teams, each of which will have a secure spot in the system. A combine will be held prior to the start of the league and players will be guaranteed minimum salaries by the league’s rules.
“Esports is growing, but the ecosystem isn’t always easy to navigate for players, viewers, or teams,” Morhaime said. “With the Overwatch League, we’re working very hard to address those challenges. Our focus is on creating stability and participation for teams and owners, and accessibility to the content for fans. We’ll have global, city-based teams, with a standardized annual schedule, creating professional, high-quality content and guaranteed league slots for the teams.”
While Blizzard has yet to announce a date for the start date of the Overwatch League, you can be sure Yahoo Esports will be around to cover it when they do.
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