The Overwatch League has started. It is the fifth edition of the competition, which is organized by Blizzard Entertainment.
The Overwatch League 2022 has brought several changes compared to last year. We have compiled the most important information that eSports fans in front of the screens can also benefit from.
The Overwatch season at a glance
As usual, the Overwatch League will be played in an East and a West Division. Unlike previous years, not all matches will take place online. There will be live events with fans. Furthermore, the League 2022 is divided into five game phases for the first time, which are:
- Kick Off Clash from May 5 to June 5: The teams' matches will be played in normal league mode.
- Midseason Madness from June 16 to July 23: There will be global games in the middle of the season. The teams of the East and West groups will partially play against each other.
- Summer Showdown from August 11 to September 11: The Summer Showdown tournaments will be played live, with exact details to be announced by Blizzard Entertainment.
- Countdown Cup from September 22 to October 16: The Countdown Cup serves as a play-in round where teams at the bottom of the standings can only qualify for the playoffs.
- Playoffs in October and November: The end-of-season playoffs will then determine the Overwatch League 2022 champion.
The teams Overwatch League 2022
Below we have compiled the eSport clans of the Overwatch League 2022.
| East Region | West Region |
| Chengdu Hunters
Guangzhou Charge Hangzhou Spark Los Angeles Valiant Philadelphia Fusion Seoul Dynasty Shanghai Dragons |
San Francisco Shock
Atlanta Reign Los Angeles Gladiators Houston Outlaws Dallas Fuel Florida Mayhem London Spitfire Boston Uprising Toronto Defiant Washington Justice Vancouver Titans Paris Eternal New York Excelsior |
The East Division will not play its matches until May 20 due to Corona restrictions. Begin. The West has already played twice, with teams San Francisco Shock, Atlanta Reign and Los Angeles Gladiators starting the kick-off clash with two wins each.
Three eSports clans from the East will qualify directly for the playoffs, while six teams from the West will qualify. In the play-ins, one team from the East and two clubs from the West will then additionally advance to the knockout round.
More facts about the Overwatch League
The league will be played on Overwatch 2. The teams will compete with 5 players each. A complete clan must have at least 6 professionals, but a maximum of 12 players under contract. The players have a one-year contract. An extension option for the next season is possible. In addition, the clans have the right to enter into short-term contracts for two weeks or one month. The basic salary of the players in the Overwatch League is 50,700 US dollars.
The Overwatch League 2022 broadcasts
The time of cult shoutcasters Brennon “Bren” Hook and Josh “Sideshow” Wilkinson is over. Back in January, the two broadcasters announced that they did not have a contract with Overwatch League 2022 for 2022. Blizzard Entertainment has hired Toronto-based Dome Productions to produce the games. This makes World of Warcraft the only Blizzard game that has not been outsourced.
The streams can still be seen on the in-house Overwatch YouTube channel. However, the broadcasts are immediately linked to a reward system. Those who spend a few hours in front of the screen will receive beta codes or League Tokens, which they can then redeem in their own Overwatch game.
