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State of the Community – Overwatch League Viewership Sinking?

Posted on by Gabriel Sciberras

It’s been a while since our last episode of ‘State of the Community’. Indeed, with the state of the world, it was difficult to construct an objective discussion in such weird times. However, a few months later we’re ready to dive into the Overwatch League Viewership. Here’s why Overwatch fans should be concerned, and organizers need to step things up!

Overwatch League Viewership – A Staggering Decline

In this discussion, first we’ll present the statistics and then try figure out what’s going on. Granted, I’d like to accredit Esports Charts as the source for all of the numbers coming your way.

How does one measure how well viewership is doing in an esport? Take an average from an entire season? Observe the peak during the largest event of the year?

Overwatch Rostermania Banner
Overwatch League 2020 Season 2020-03-07 / Photo: Joshua Roberts For Activision Blizzard

Indeed, we’ll be going with the latter option. Since it’s inception in 2018, the Overwatch League season has always rounded off with a Playoffs event which crowns a final victor. Taking place yearly, it has always been the peak of viewership for competitive Overwatch.

Bearing that in mind, here are the observed statistics for the event for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020:

2018 Playoffs

  • 349 592 – Peak Viewers
  • 136,349 – Average Viewers

2019 Playoffs

  • 318,019 – Peak Viewers
  • 113 751 – Average Viewers

2020 Playoffs

  • 183,036 – Peak Viewers
  • 92,890 – Average Viewers

The numbers say it all. As calculated by myself, such figures suggest a 50% decline in viewership since 2018.

What’s going on with Overwatch League Viewership?

london spitfire wins overwatch league season one
Credits: Blizzard (Robert Paul)

There’s clearly a problem with Overwatch League Viewership. Though, what’s the underlying cause?

In our last episode of State of the Community for the title, we discussed how poorly the Contenders scene was being handled. This might have spiralled to garner this result.

Many have blamed the format, saying that league matches haven’t proved to offer enough excitement, which is what 2021 looks to change. However, this explanation doesn’t explain how viewership was retained for 2019.

Then, of course, there’s the elephant in the room – the transition to online.

This is likely the culprit. Indeed, the Overwatch League took a while to adapt to the online format, cancelling roughly two months of competition and derailing the scene entirely.

Chart OW League RS cecfffcdca
Credits: Escharts

Though, in my mind, the online conversion simply facilitated something that was already taking place. Overwatch League Viewership was already beginning to decline prior to it, due to the state of the game. To prove this, Call of Duty, as managed by the same developer, suffered from the same situation but still managed to break records!

What changes are needed?

Competitive Overwatch desperately needs an injection of energy, new blood and just excitement overall. I do believe that after 3 years, more can be done to truly keep the game alive. Especially now, game after game offers new experiences which Overwatch players are hopping over onto, such as VALORANT.

That’s where Overwatch 2 seems to fit in. Perhaps an exciting new sequel could rekindle the playerbase and give life back to the competitive scene. Yet, we have a lot to wait for as the game is planned for a late 2021 release.

Overwatch League 2021
Credits: OWL YouTube

Besides possible changes, the upcoming season also looks to switch things up by copying Call of Duty’s league format with events. Overwatch League Viewership for 2021 looks to benefit from contested double-bracket events to crown monthly champions and tighten the level of competition.

Starting soon, with no official date, this fourth season of the Overwatch League could prove essential to the future of the competitive scene.

For more esports news, visit: https://www.esportsguide.com/news

Overwatch Rostermania – Rating the Current Changes Part 2

Posted on by Gabriel Sciberras

If you haven’t read part 1, here at esportsguide we’re diving head first into Overwatch Rostermania. However, instead of just simply listing changes and names, we’ll be trying to give you some insight into the potential of these changes. Accordingly, we’ve devised a ranking system. With Part 1 handling the Western Conference, this week we’re focusing on the Pacific Conference. Let’s get right into it!

Note that before proceeding, we are ranking the potential of the changes and not the ranking of the final roster. A first seeded team from last year making one small change doesn’t have much potential for example, compared to a lower team taking bigger risks. Also, once again the term ‘NS’ stands for ‘new signing’, and we won’t be listing former players or coaching staff.

#1 Los Angeles Gladiators

  • Indy “SPACE” Halpern
  • Kim “birdring” Ji-hyeok
  • Chris “MirroR” Trinh
  • Kevin “kevster” Persson
  • Kim “MuZe” Young-hun – NS
  • Jinseo “Shu” Kim – NS
  • Grant “moth” Espe – NS
  • Kim “skewed” Min-seok – NS

The Gladiators didn’t put up much of a fight last year – maybe some Overwatch Rostermania could change that. Indeed, by swapping out half of the team, some serious change is here.

Credits: LA Gladiators Twitter

And by serious, I’m referring to none other than “moth” – the brilliant young player was a massive part of San Francisco’s dominance from last season. For this reason, Los Angeles Gladiators are at the very top of my radar.

#2 Hangzhou Spark

  • Quilin “guxue” Xu
  • Kyeongbo “GodsB” Kim
  • Hojin “IDK” Park
  • Tong “ColdesT” Xiaodong
  • Liu “M1ka” Jiming
  • Minho “Architect” Park
  • Zheng “Shy” Yangjie – NS
  • Jia “LiGe” Chengje – NS
  • Lee “MCD” Jeong-ho – NS
  • Se “BERNAR” Won Shin – NS
  • Minsoo “SeoMinSoo” Seo- NS

Sitting at the bottom end of the Conference, I doubt anyone question whether Hangzhou Spark would commit to some changes to the roster. Indeed, to back up some earlier changes from this year, a more severe overhaul has come to fruition.

Credits: Hangzhou Spark Twitter

With a brighter future ahead, they’ve landed some superb signings with the prospective talent of the Contenders Cup. And no, I’m not generalizing – all 5 players have at least claimed gold within the secondary scene at least once. Personally, I think they’ve made some great decisions and it’ll all boil down to working as a team.

#3 Los Angeles Valiant

  • Johannes “Shax” Nielsen
  • Sanglok “Dreamer” Song
  • Jungwon “Lastro” Mun
  • Jae “RaiN” Ho Park
  • Kai “KSP” Collins
  • Adam “Adam” Soong – NS
  • Brady “Agilities” Girardi – NS

While change is great, sometimes a team needs to stick together. Although Los Angeles Valiant weren’t too hot last year, it seems that the roster is determined to stick together for the most part and look to break the podium in the 2020 season. The stellar signing of “Agilities” could help sharpen the sword as they plunge into the next season.

#4 Chengdu Hunters

  • Xianyao “Yveltal” Li
  • Wenjie “Elsa” Luo
  • Tianbin “LateYoung” Ma
  • Menghan “Ameng” Ding
  • Hu “JinMu” Yi
  • Xin “Leave” Huang
  • Lei “Jimmy” Yujia – NS
  • Liu “Kaneki” Nian – NS
  • Tan “Nisha” Li – NS
  • Qiu “GA9A” Jiaxin – NS
  • Cao “Farway1987″ Jiale – NS

Year in and year out, the Chengdu Hunters manage to maintain an entirely Chinese line-up and fanbase, which is admirable.

Credits: Chengdu Hunters Twitter

However, with a 14th place finishing in the Regular Season, nobody was impressed by their performance. The supposed solution comes in the form of 5 fresh faces all of whom are sourced from the Contenders Cup. Such a gamble is definitely worth the risk of having a better season than the last one – an exciting start for the youngsters too!

#5 Guangzhou Charge

  • Yiliang “Eileen” Ou
  • Seungpyo “Rio” Oh
  • Nam “Cr0ng” Ki-cheol
  • Youngseo “KariV” Park – NS
  • Kim “Mandu” Chan-hee – NS
  • Zou “MYKaylee” Zije – NS
  • Choi “ChoiSehwan” Se-hwan – NS

The term ‘above average’ is a pretty accurate way to describe last year’s season for the Guangzhou Charge. Regular 4-5th finishes together with a win at the Summer Showdown begs the question – should they try stick together or inject new blood?

They went for the latter and notably, managed to sign “KariV”, the young gun with a decorated career behind numerous podium finishes and wins. He could be the key, together with signings from the Contenders scene, to reshaping this squad.

#6 Dallas Fuel

  • Kim “Doha” Dong-Ha
  • Kim “Sp9rk1e” Yeong-han – NS
  • Choi “Hanbin” Han-been – NS
  • Kwon “Fielder” Joon – NS
  • Kim “Rapel” Jun-keun – NS
  • Euiseok “Fearless” Lee – NS
  • Seungsoo “Jecse” Lee – NS
  • Jung “Xzi” Ki-hyo – NS

Disappointment of the season for 2019? Yeah, pretty much. This is highly evident as an entirely new team has been formed and entirely South Korean. Bearing a mix of veterans and Contenders, there’s a lot to discuss – but is this a winning formula of players or just a team desparate for a change?

Credits: Dallas Fuel Twitter

Regardless, things can only go up from here.

#7 Shanghai Dragons

  • Minchul “Izayaki” Kim
  • Byungsun “Fleta” Kim
  • Lee “LIP” Jae-won
  • Kang “Void” Jun-woo
  • Lee “LeeJaeGon” Jae-Gon
  • Panseung “Fate” Koo – NS
  • Joon “Erster” Jeong – NS
  • Chengzhi “Molly” He – NS
  • Minseong “diem” Bae – NS

Despite a strong reign of dominance in this conference last year, a third place finish at the Grand Finals left fans disappointed. Change is merited and everyone’s eye is set on this new roster. Accordingly, a wave of four fresh players have been drawn in, sourced from other league teams – no chances are being taken her on Contenders here.

By reforming this team, a new championship contender is on the horizon and is a highlight of the Overwatch Rostermania.

#8 Seoul Dynasty

  • Minseo “Marve1″ Hwang
  • Dongeon “FITS” Kim
  • Junyoung “Profit” Park
  • Jaehui “Gesture” Hong
  • Youngwan “Creative” Kim
  • Hyunwoo “Toyou” Lim
  • Jongryeol “Saebyeolbe” Park – NS
  • Taesung “Anamo” Jung – NS
Credits: Seoul Dynasty Twitter

After finishing second at the 2020 Grand Finals, Seoul Dynasty looks to take the conservative approach and keep the majority of their roster. The two respectable additions look to potentially push this team slightly further to the top.

#9 San Francisco Shock

  • Matthew “super” DeLisi
  • Hyobin “ChoiHyoBin” Choi
  • Myeonghwan “smurf” Yoo
  • Minki “Viol2t” Park
  • Namjoo “Striker” Kwon
  • Seonchang “ANS” Lee
  • Juseok “Twilight” Lee
  • Sean “ta1yo” Taiyo Henderson
  • Brice “FDGoD” Monscavoir – NS
  • Charlie “nero” Zwarg – NS
  • Lim “Glister” Gil-seong – NS

Winning brings with it some serious decisions. Keeping their main chess pieces, San Francisco Shock is experimenting with some signings from other OWL players heading into the next season.

#10 Vancouver Titans

  • Dalton “Dalton” Bennyhoff
  • Abtin “ShRedLock” Shirvani
  • Randal “Roolf” Stark
  • Jiri “LiNkzr” Masalin – NS
  • Nathan “frd” Goebel – NS
  • Anthony “Fire” King – NS

One of the worst teams from last season, a newly formed squad could change that. While they’re not the best signings in the world, the new players all come from better teams – that’s only improvement.

Credits: Vancouver Titans Twitter

Bearing in mind all of these ongoing changes, the official deadline for the Overwatch Rostermania is arriving. Indeed, 4th January 2021 will see the finalization of every roster for both Conferences.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our spin on Overwatch Rostermania. A final note is that fact that these rosters are not conclusive, but relevant to the date of publishing.

For more esports news visit: https://www.esportsguide.com/news

Overwatch Rostermania – Rating the Current Changes Part 1

Posted on by Gabriel Sciberras

Please, strap yourselves in. Ever since the conclusion of the 2020 Overwatch League Season, rostermania has been insane in the seen. As I’m writing this article, there are a total of 198 changes which have shaken up teams, making up the Overwatch Rostermania. Read on for me!

Accordingly, in order to appropriately cover the topic, we’ll be dividing this into a two part series, split per region – we want to do more than just provide a blande list and offer our thoughts too. In this initial article, we’ll be focusing exclusively on the first ten teams, hailing from the Atlantic Conference.

To save time we’ll only be listing the current active rosters and not addressing former players. The term ‘NS’ refers to ‘new signing’, as in, within the last month while we will not be listing staff changes outside players. Note that the rating focuses on the magnitude of the change and not the quality of the new roster – the more exciting the change, the better the rating.

#1 Boston Uprising

  • Kelsey “Colourhex” Birse
  • Cameron “Fusions” Bosworth
  • Sangmin “Myunb0ng” Seo
  • Leyton “Punk” Gilchrist
  • Jin-ui “im37″ Hong – NS
  • Seo “Stand1″ Ji-won – NS

Probably one of the best signings for the West Conference, “Stand1” coming from the stellar Shanghai Dragons brings a massive update to the roster. As a thank, he was a great contributor to the Dragons’ multiple podium finishes last year.

Credits: Boston Uprising Twitter

#2 Philadelphia Fusion – Overwatch Rostermania Highlight

  • Jaehyeok “Carpe” Lee
  • Gael “Poko” Gouzerch
  • Josue “Eqo” Corona
  • Kyung-bo “Alarm” Kim
  • Daniel “FunnyAstro” Hathaway
  • Donggyu “Mano” Kim – NS
  • Niclas “sHockWave” Jensen – NS

Last season was very tough for Philadelphia Fusion. Despite everything they tried, they could never beat out San Francisco Shock, landing 4 second place finishes. They definitely needed change to really claim those matches and leave their mark – “Mano” from New York Excelsior and the Contenders player of “sHockWave” seem to be an answer.

#3 Paris Eternal

  • Nikolai “Naga” Dereli – NS
  • Stefan “Onigod” Fiskerstrand – NS
  • Elliot “ELLIVOTE” Vaneryd – NS
  • Daniel “Dean” Scheltema – NS
  • Alberto “neptuNo” Molinillo – NS
  • Emir “Kaan” Okumus – NS
Credits: Paris Eternal Twitter

This is the newest and most prospective roster in the Western Conference. All six players are fresh on the roster, joining just a few days ago. Just like that, predictions are all over the place as the majority of this team hails from the Contenders scene – can they handle the pressure of the League?

#4 Washington Justice

  • Lee “TTUBA” Ho-Sung
  • Gui–un “Decay” Jang – NS
  • Kim “Mag” Tae-sung – NS
  • Taehee “Jerry” Min – NS
  • Huichang “BeBe” Yoon – NS
  • Wonsik “Closer” Jung – NS
  • Junho “Fury” Kim – NS
  • Sungwook “Ria” Park – NS

Changes, changes, changes – despite a rubbish regular season, they managed to blow everyone away completely and finish third at the North American Playoffs. However, the staff certainly didn’t believe this was enough as evident in their overhauled roster.

#5 Toronto Defiant

  • Andreas “Logix” Berghmans
  • Adam “Beast” Denton – NS
  • Park “Aztac” Jeong-su – NS
  • An “ANSOONJAE” Soon-jae – NS
  • Sumin “SADO” Kim – NS
  • Heesu “Heesu” Jeong – NS
  • Minhyuk “Michelle” Choi – NS
Credits: Toronto Defiant Twitter

Similarly, but not to the same extent, Toronto Defiant headed into the off-season desperate for change. Once again, a lot of chances are being taken on fresh players from Contenders as exemplified by “Beast”. Finishing 15th in the regular season last year, they can only improve.

#6 Atlanta Reign

  • Blake “Gator” Scott
  • Petja “Masaa” Kantanen
  • Xander “Hawk” Domecq
  • Kim “Edison” Tae-Hoon
  • Hugo “SherP” Sahlberg
  • Seunghyun “Lr1s” Kim
  • Oh “Pelican” Se-hyun – NS

On the other hand, Atlanta Reign is sticking to their guns with the majority of their players. Otherwise, the new Support and DPS in the form of “Lr1s” and “Pelican” respectively are on the roster and ready to cause havoc with a strong history in the Contenders.

#7 Florida Mayhem

  • Sangbeom “BQB” Lee
  • Beomjum “Gargoyle” Lee
  • Junki “Yaki” Kim
  • Namjin “Gagnamjin” Kang

With a 6th place finish in the regular season of last year, Florida Mayhem are in a typical spot – risk a swap or build on what you have? It seems that they’ll be doing some building on a core four, with some spots unoccupied for the time being, though they’re probably eyeing some youngsters. The Contenders scene is very present in this year’s Overwatch Rostermania.

#8 Houston Outlaws

Credits: Houston Outlaws Twitter
  • Daniel “Boink” Pence
  • Dante “Danteh” Cruz
  • Jaoa Pedro “Hydration” Goes Telles
  • Taehong “MekO” Kim
  • William “Crimzo” Hernandez
  • Jungwoo “Happy” Lee
  • Shin “PIGGY” Min-jun – NS
  • Cho “JJANGGU” Myung-heum – NS
  • Kyle “KSF” Frandanisa – NS

What can we say about Houston Outlaws? They had a dreadful performance last year and all the fans are crying for changes. Up until now, they’ve paved the way for three new players, all being young prospects who can help out with perhaps pushing this team further next year.

# N/A London Spitfire

Kim “Fuze” Tae-hoon

Currently, London Spitfire is a blank sheet after dropping off multiple players. Everything looks to be rebuilt around Fuze who’s been on the roster for a while now.

#N/A New York Excelsior

  • Seonghyun “JJoNak” Bang

Another empty team, I’d consider both London Spitfire and New York Excelsior to be the most likely spot for the many free agents currently in the transfer market.

In conclusion, I’d like to make the observation that most of the new talent is originating from South Korea. We’ll see how this trend develops in the Eastern Conference.

Stay tuned for part 2 here: https://www.esportsguide.com/news

Overwatch League 2021 Details Revealed!

Posted on by Gabriel Sciberras

Heading into the next season of competitive Overwatch, a few changes are rolling in. Indeed, Activision is trying to spice things up with more high-pressure matches. Accordingly, the plans for the new season will also fit a completely online format. Read on for the announced details for the Overwatch League 2021.

Before advancing, you’ll want to watch the following video announcement:

Credits: Overwatch League YouTube

Let’s summarize everything announced for the next season:

  • The 2021 season will start in the spring – a later start than usual to give more time for planning
  • Tournaments are making a comeback! Summer Showdowns, Regional Cups and Countdown Cups are all coming back with some new innovations.
  • Two regions of competition will be utilized to limit travel concerns
  • End of season plans still remain to crown a global championship
  • A longer Off-Season will have more events: Flash Ops, Contenders and others to get professionals back in the grind
  • In February, Overwatch will be featured at BlizzCon Online in 2021
owl schedule
Credits: Overwatch League

Indeed, that’s pretty much it for the Overwatch League 2021 so far. What took me by surprise is the fact that there is no mention of Overwatch 2 – how will the sequel fit into the league?

For more esports news, visit: https://www.esportsguide.com/news

Overwatch Tips and Tricks – A Practical Guide

Posted on by Gabriel Sciberras

Continuing our now established series of Tips and Tricks, we’re moving over to Overwatch. Currently enjoying its well-deserved off-season and with the community awaiting for Overwatch 2, it’s the right time to read through our Overwatch Tips and Tricks!

Mechanical Skill

Although the first-person-shooter can be played on both console and PC, we’ll be focusing on where the competitive scene is primarily based, being PC. Overwatch is renowned for its incredible intensity. Accordingly, this is due to having six players on each team all rushing towards one objective.

Overwatch
Credits: Blizzard

Bearing this in mind, here are some mechanical skills for Overwatch which are similar to other PC shooters like Rainbow 6:

  • Use an aim-trainer – try and take the time to make sure your aim is perfect. Just an hour every now and then can make all the difference here. Indeed, you’ll want to practice flicking and quickly changing your aim.
  • Mastering movement – depending on your character, movement will vary in importance. Lightweight heroes rely heavily on movement to become a hard target. Combining fast dashes with quick aim makes yourself a very hard opponent to encounter.
  • Utilizing the right abilities – managing all your abilities will take a lot of focus on a lack of hesitation while making the most of the situation
  • Consider investing in a more powerful PC and other peripherals. Indeed, running the game at a higher frame rate could help you out incredibly.

In-Game Knowledge and Awareness

Besides mechanical skill, in-game knowledge and awareness is more essential in more than one way. Take note of the following to possibly take your game to the next level:

overwatch league roster london spitfire e
Credits: Blizzard
  • Know the maps inside out. You’ll need to know where each objective sits for whatever game mode, including the best spots for cover and the quickest routes.
  • Map awareness extends to ability usage – knowing how you can corner your opponents, where they spawn and how you can help your team best
  • Knowing your roll – amongst a team of six players you need to be fully aware of what you look to accomplish. The following are some roles: healer, support, flanker, offense and tank. Damage dealers may also be frontline and non-frontline.
  • Be aware of where your teammates are in order to coordinate attacks, ability usage and to strategize rotations – this can be done by observing the map more often
  • Develop strategies for each game mode to help yourself and your team succeed
  • Follow the Overwatch League to learn the newest strategies and peaks

Personal and Interpersonal – Overwatch Tips and Tricks

overwatchy
Credits: Blizzard

Communication is key in Overwatch unlike any other esport. Having 6 teammates on one team makes teamwork more important than any other. High pressure situations need to be handled appropriately and calmly – here are some others you can read:

  • Communicate only the essentials: you’ll want to focus on enemy positions, ability availability and map positioning
  • Keeping calm for difficult situations: executing a win will take some stressful situations which can shift the tides
  • Following each game, you’ll want to learn from how you lost and how to overcome it.

Sitting as a Tier 2 esport potentially pushing to Tier 1, Overwatch is still growing. The Overwatch League is constantly growing and next year, some new changes will be implemented.

We hope you enjoyed those tips – make sure to try use them next time you’re playing competitively.

For more esports news visit: https://www.esportsguide.com/news.

Dallas Fuel parting ways with 9 of their Overwatch members – Heading into a rebuilding process

Posted on by Nathan Bonello

The Dallas Fuel organization, has just announced that it will be parting ways with 9 of their Overwatch members. Here are all the players that have departed the team: Onigod, Crimzo, Gamsu, NotE, Trill, aKm, uNKOE, Closer, and Paintbrush. 

Dallas Fuel parting ways with 9 of their Overwatch members – Why?

It’s not so surprising to see the Dallas Fuel team making some major changes to their 2021 roster. This year, they placed 9th-11th in the 3rd season of the North American OWL, and placed 13th in the overall Regular season, which was quite disappointing for a team like the Dallas Fuel. 

owl dallas fireworks
Credits: Blizzard


Here is what aKm had to say about his departure and Overwatch retirement:

β€œI will now be retiring from Overwatch and transitioning to Valorant. I am sorry to all the fans I disappointed the last few years, but want to thank every single fan that has been supporting me throughout everything. Overwatch has been a big part of my life for the last few years, and I only hope that I will be as successful on Valorant as my early Overwatch career. I am now LFT for Valorant and moving back to France.

Source

Dallas Fuel parting ways with 9 of their Overwatch members – This is Gamsu’s take on his retirement:

What does this mean for the organization?

With this roster change, the Dallas Fuel roster only consists of one member, being Doha, the team’s main DPS. It will be very exciting to see who will be joining the team in the coming months.Β 

So make sure you don’t miss out on any important esports news by keeping yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com!

London Spitfire parts ways with 7 players

Posted on by Nathan Bonello

London Spitfire have just announced that they will be parting ways with 7 of their players. Those players include: Although, Babel, Clestyn, Highly, Jihun, Krillin and Schwi. Here below is their announcement:

London Spitfire parts ways with 7 players – Why?

The decision for this roster rehaul was probably caused by their end of season results. The team ended in 7th (last place) in the Asia Playoffs, and finished the OWL Regular Season in 17th place. These were far from good and expected results; however, with the pandemic, it was understable that they have had some sort of continuous struggle.

london spitfire wins overwatch league season one
Credits: Blizzard (Robert Paul)

What does this change mean for the London Spitfire?

This major roster change further proves the rumors that hinted that the organization will be undergoing heavy maintenance and rebuilding for the 2021 season. In fact, just a few weeks ago, London Spitfire announced that they will be parting ways with 4 of their coaching staff: Agape, Pavane, Twinkl, and Sqix.

It will certainly be thrilling to see who they will pick up heading into the 2021 season, but until then, make sure you keep yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com for all your important esports and Overwatch news!

Overwatch League Grand Finals – San Francisco Shock Reclaim the Throne

Posted on by Gabriel Sciberras

After an exciting season, the Overwatch League 2020 season has gone full circle. With $3,050,000 on the line, the Overwatch League Grand Finals was simply electric. Four teams battled it out and poured their hearts into it after a month of preparation. Indeed, San Francisco Shock managed to walk away with their second world title.

Accordingly, the following four teams lined up for action on the 8th of October, hoping to make it to the Grand Finals on the 10th:

  • San Francisco Shock
  • Seoul Dynasty
  • Shanghai Dragons
  • Philadelphia Fusion

Seeded into the bracket through their Playoffs performance, here’s how it all went down:

Overwatch League Grand Finals
Credits: Liquipedia

The Overwatch League Grand Finals certainly offered multiple surprises. Namely, with Seoul Dynasty and Philadelphia Fusion knocked down to the Losers’ Bracket, the stage was set for an incredible match between San Francisco Shock and Shanghai Dragons.

These two top dogs offered an incredible series, trading two games each before reaching a final map where San Francisco Shock managed to thwart the Shanghai Dragons. Both of these teams placed first in their respective Playoffs – North America once again show their international dominance against the Asia region.

Credits: San Francisco Shock Twitter

Consequently, Shanghai Dragons then fell to match against Seoul Dynasty. Having just swept Philadelphia Fusion, Seoul Dynasty managed to pull out an incredible victory here in 3-2 fashion.

The Grand Finals stood between San Francisco Shock and Seoul Dynasty. It was here that San Francisco Shock rose to the occasion to claim the world title. Once again, the Asian region has failed to claim the Overwatch League title and San Francisco Shock has bagged their second win.

Overwatch League 2020 Grand Finals – How to Watch: teams, schedule, stream, predictions

Posted on by Gabriel Sciberras

Event Background

Finally, after an incredible season of competitive Overwatch, the final weekend awaits. Blizzard Entertainment has hosted a phenomenal season of the Overwatch League despite the obstacles encountered. Indeed, the Overwatch League 2020 Grand Finals looks to crown a new world champion for the world to adore.

Accordingly, the four best teams in the world are gearing up for the majority of the $3,050,000 prize pool. Taking place online, the event will run from the 8th to the 10th of October. Read on to learn How to Watch the entire event!

Overwatch League 2020 Grand Finals
Credits: Overwatch League

Here are the four teams which have fought through the Playoffs and the entire regular season to get this far:

  • San Francisco Shock – NA Playoffs
  • Philadelphia Fusion – NA Playoffs
  • Shanghai Dragons – Asia Playoffs
  • Seoul Dynasty – Asia Playoffs

Without question, this looks to be the greatest end to an Overwatch League season ever.

Format

Starting with format, there’s nothing overly complicated here. With a small number of teams, the familiar and classic double-elimination bracket format is in place.

owl dallas fireworks
Credits: Overwatch League

Seeded into the Winner’s Bracket, each team will play through best-of-five series to progress further into the competition. One loss will result in a team dropping into the Losers’ Bracket where one more slip-up ends their tournament life. Bearing these stakes in mind, the Grand Finals will be a lengthy BO9 series, where 4 map wins will be needed to take the cake.

Schedule for Overwatch League 2020 Grand Finals

Spread across two days of gameplay, here’s the full schedule of the online event:

Thursday October 8th

  • Seoul Dynasty vs San Francisco Shock (11:00)
  • Philadelphia Fusion vs Shanghai Dragons (13:00)
Credits: Overwatch League Twitter

Friday October 9th

  • San Francisco Shock vs Shanghai Dragons (11:00)
  • Seoul Dynasty vs Philadelphia Fusion (13:00)
  • TBD vs TBD

Saturday October 10th

TBD vs TBD (15:00) – Grand Finale

Streams

There is plenty of coverage for this awaited event. Below we’ve gathered a list of some of links you might want to check out:

Do note that Blizzard Entertainment has signed an exclusive broadcast agreement with YouTube, so popular platforms such as Twitch will not offer any streams.

Watch the Overwatch League 2020 Grand Finals stream on esportsguide.com

You can also watch the Overwatch League 2020 Grand Finals liveΒ stream via our very own website. Providing an extensive list of the biggest esports together with streams for each esports match live today or upcoming matches.

Overwatch League 2020 Grand Finals

Predictions

For an event such as this one, predictions aren’t too difficult to conjure thanks to the low number of teams. However, regardless of what is predicted, each of the four teams have a shot at winning, some more than others.

Credits: Overwatch League Twitter

Specifically, I’d like to narrow our predictions by region.

Beginning with North America, the San Francisco Shock are looking like the favourites for this region. Claiming the first seed in the regional Playoffs together with a third place finish in the regular season – they look stronger than ever. Even though Philadelphia Fusion may have ranked higher in the regular season, head-to -head encounters have gone the Shock’s way.

Over in Asia, it’s clear that Shanghai Dragons are the team to watch out for. Without any remote doubt, the roster placed first in the regular season and the Playoffs. This is where storylines play a part too. Note that no team from the Asian region has been crowned the Overwatch League champions – this could be that special year.

For more esports news, visit: https://www.esportsguide.com/.

Overwatch League 2020 Playoffs Recap

Posted on by Gabriel Sciberras

The Overwatch League 2020 Playoffs are slowly concluding the competitive season. Indeed, the tournament for both regions of Asia and North America are done. Accordingly, four teams have made it to the Grand Finals! Here’s a short recap.

Overwatch League 2020 Playoffs – North America

Kicking off with the NA region, 13 teams battled through the Play-Ins. Competing for the majority of $625,000, the stakes have never been higher.

As we previewed, the favourites were Philadelphia Fusion and San Francisco Shock – neither failed expectations.

Here’s how the both sides of the bracket boiled down. Remember, only the individual champions from the Winners’ and Losers’ bracket qualify for the Grand Finals.

owlnaplayoffz
Credits: Liquipedia

From the Winners’ side of things, not many surprises shocked the community. However, San Francisco Shock almost lost to Washington Justice in an incredible series which went the distance.

A showdown between Philadelphia and San Francisco was imminent, and so it took place. Despite Philadelphia taking first seed in the regular season, San Francisco Shock came at them with a certain fire. Thrown into the Losers’ Bracket, Philadelphia manage to regain and claim the second seed.

naplayoferlos
Credits: Liquipedia

Overwatch League 2020 Playoffs – Asia

On the other hand, running in parallel with fewer teams, Asia offered an identical format. Indeed, only 7 franchised rosters competed for $325,000. Regardless, two seeds are on the table and only the victors from both brackets claim them.

Here’s how both halves of the bracket played out:

asiaplayoffs owl
Credits: Liquipedia

Unlike the North American Playoffs, massive upsets were witnessed here. Everything revolved around Seoul Dynasty, the fifth seed from the regular season.

Therefore, starting in the Play-In, they went on an incredible journey. The community was stunned when Seoul Dynasty destroyed Guangzhou Charge in a 3-0 sweep, being the second seeded team.

Credits: Seoul Dynasty Twitter

As shown above, they then pushed Shanghai Dragons the distance, falling short by a map. In the Losers’ Bracket, they took care of New York Excelsior and are your second seed. Shanghai Dragons rightfully claimed first seed.

One month remains until the Grand Finals. With $3,050,000 on the line, the four best teams in the world will fight for glory:

  • San Francisco Shock
  • Philadelphia Fusion
  • Shanghai Dragons
  • Seoul Dynasty

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