Overwatch League future in jeopardy as teams announce departure

The finish of the Overwatch League is lastly upon us with teams formally voting to opt-out and transferring on.

As Dexerto beforehand reported, the 19 remaining Overwatch League teams are entitled to obtain a $6 million termination charge in the event that they vote towards a brand new working settlement.

Teams initially paid a whopping $20–35 million in franchise charges plus working prices all through the league’s existence, so though the compensation might not be a lot, there’s nonetheless incentive.

So far, just one staff has introduced their exit from the Overwatch League, however many others are anticipated to comply with go well with. On November 8, OverActive Media, the proprietor of the Toronto Defiant, confirmed that they’d be leaving OWL.

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Overwatch League stageBlizzard

Teams are voting to depart the Overwatch League.

“This strategic restructuring of our league property marks a brand new chapter for OverActive,” co-founder of OverActive Media Adam Adamou mentioned. “We prolong our deepest due to the Overwatch League, its followers, and the neighborhood for his or her unwavering assist. Toronto Defiant has proudly competed beneath the League’s banner, and we’ve constructed unbelievable reminiscences collectively. As we transition into the subsequent section of Overwatch esports, we look ahead to the alternatives that lie forward.”

Adamou famous that the Toronto Defiant nonetheless plans to return to Overwatch esports, so whereas the league could also be coming to an finish, some teams should still compete beneath their OWL manufacturers.

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A report from Jacob Wolf claimed that Activision Blizzard started negotiations with ESL FACEIT Group to run a brand new Overwatch esports system previous to the vote between franchise house owners.

Regardless of the league’s catastrophe and dwindling viewership, it’s clear that Overwatch competitions will proceed, albeit in a lesser capability. Earlier in 2023, Overwatch League Head Sean Miller instructed Dexerto that OW esports are “not going away anytime quickly.”

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