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The Esports World Cup Overwatch 2 event will begin on July 24, with 16 of the world’s best teams competing in the five-day tournament that will carry a massive US$1,000,000 prize pool in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the PUBG Mobile World Cup will continue, with the second week of the 10-day tournament being held at the Esports World Cup.
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Esports World Cup Overwatch 2
The Esports World Cup Overwatch 2 tournament will run from July 24 through July 28, with a US$1 million prize pool up for grabs for the world’s best teams.
After the restructure of the professional Overwatch scene, the EWC event will boast the biggest prize pool of season.
Esports bookmakers have Crazy Raccoon ($1.57) as the favourite to take out the EWC Overwatch 2 event, ahead of Team Falcons ($3.00), ZETA DIVISION ($10.00), and Spacestation Gaming ($11.00).
Check out our extensive Esports World Cup Overwatch 2 tournament betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.
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PUBG Mobile World Cup
Following the opening three days of the PUBG Mobile World Cup, where the group stage took place from July 19�C21, the tournament will continue this week.
Beginning on Tuesday, July 23, the survival stage will be held across two days, with the final four teams seeking to secure their spot in the main tournament.
Most of the esports betting sites favourites qualified for the main tournament through the group stage, and the outright favourite Alpha7 Esports ($6.50) appear to be in a great position heading into the final stage of the US$3 million event.
Check out our extensive PUBG Mobile World Cup betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.
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Taking over from the previous Gamers8 tournaments, the Esports World Cup will boast a staggering US$60 million prize pool, as it aims to be the largest esports event to date.
However, its location in Saudi Arabia, a country criticized for its human rights record, has sparked debate within the gaming community.
The tournament will feature 20 distinct tournaments across a variety of titles, and they include:
- Apex Legends
- Counter-Strike 2
- Dota 2
- EA Sports FC 24
- Fortnite
- Free Fire
- Honor of Kings
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Overwatch 2
- PUBG
- PUBG Mobile
- Rainbow Six Siege
- RENNSPORT
- Rocket League
- Starcraft II
- Street Fighter 6
- Teamfight Tactics
- TEKKEN 8
Each tournament will follow a unique format while contributing to the larger Club Championship.
This innovative competition will award US$20 million to the top 16 clubs based on their performance across multiple titles.
The prize pool distribution includes over US$33 million for individual game tournaments, US$20 million for the Club Championship, US$1.1 million for MVP awards, and US$7.6 million for qualifying rewards.
The significant investment reflects the organizers’ commitment to fostering the global esports industry and providing substantial opportunities for players and clubs.
Despite the financial allure, the event’s association with Saudi Arabia has drawn criticism.
The country’s track record on LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality, and free speech clashes with the inclusive values often espoused by the gaming community.
However, for many esports organizations grappling with financial challenges, the opportunity to compete for such substantial prizes may outweigh ethical concerns.
The Esports World Cup represents a pivotal moment for esports, aiming to elevate the industry to the scale of traditional sports events like the Olympics.
With the backing of the Saudi Arabian government and a clear vision for growth, the tournament seeks to establish Riyadh as a global hub for gaming and esports.
As preparations for the event continue, details regarding specific tournament formats, dates, and prize pool distributions will be eagerly awaited by fans and participants alike.
While the debate over the tournament’s location may persist, the Esports World Cup signals a significant milestone in the continued evolution of competitive gaming on the world stage.
#EsportsWorldCup 2024 prize pool in a nutshell:
$30,000,000+ | Game Championships
$20,000,000 | Club Championship
— Esports World Cup (@ESWCgg) April 16, 2024
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This collaboration comes on the heels of the shutdown of the Overwatch League, the premier franchised esports league for the game.
The OWCS will feature open tournament circuits in North America, Europe, and Asia, with LAN tournaments held at DreamHack events.
The new competitive circuit is designed to be more traditional, open, always-on, and global, in contrast to the Overwatch League’s slot-based franchise model.
Unlike the Overwatch League, which was primarily North America-focused, the OWCS aims for a more international circuit.
The tournament will have open qualifiers and tournaments for players in North America, EMEA, and Asia, with the Asian operations organized by Korean tournament organizer WDG.
In 2024, the OWCS will include two major tournaments, the DreamHack Dallas Major in late May and June and the OWCS World Finals at DreamHack Stockholm.
These LAN events will showcase the top eight OWCS teams from around the world.
To enhance path-to-pro opportunities, Overwatch 2 esports will be integrated into the FACEIT platform.
FACEIT plans to provide a consistent schedule of events and content for aspiring OWCS players and support third-party competitions and experiences.
Craig Levine, Co-CEO of ESL FACEIT Group, emphasized the global experience the partnership aims to create, stating, ��OWCS introduces a new era of Overwatch esports while honoring the traditions and passion built by Overwatch esports.”
Blizzard’s plans for OWCS represent a shift from the exclusive franchised model of the Overwatch League, focusing on creating more opportunities for players and fostering community engagement.
The circuit will be operated by EFG in North America and EMEA, while WDG will handle operations in Asia.
The OWCS structure aims to promote consistent, always-on events, providing a structured environment for teams to grow and develop.
The season will conclude with a finals tournament in Sweden in November, marking the return of tier-one Overwatch gameplay in Europe.
]]>The plaintiff, who goes by ��Jane Doe,�� filed the lawsuit against the company as well as former Activision Blizzard employee Miguel Vega. In the suit, the anonymous plaintiff claimed that ��Activision Blizzard is a massive video game company with a massive sexual harassment problem.”
Doe also accused the game developer of sexual battery, gender discrimination, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and an inability to prevent harassment in the workplace.
The lawsuit shed light on the root cause of the issue, going back years to when the plaintiff first met Vega online. According to her, they both started a short virtual friendship where she sent some ��compromising pictures�� to him, which she regrets now.
Doe further revealed that Vega helped her secure a full-time job at Activation Blizzard years after the incident and was her manager at the company. The plaintiff alleged that while working under him, Vega constantly threatened to release the photos she sent him years back to the public.
Besides that, Doe claimed that the Activision Blizzard manager sexually harassed her, groped her, and tried to kiss her on several occasions. She added that he insulted her during her time with the company and promised that ��one day you��ll give in.��
After receiving constant harassment and blackmail threats, Doe reportedly took the cast to the higher-ups, and Vega was released from his position with Activision Blizzard a month later. Doe��s reason for the lawsuit is apparently because the game developer did not take immediate and corrective action for the situation.
Due to Activision-Blizzard��s failure to act quickly, she claimed that the company was ratifying the former manager��s behavior towards her during his time with them. The lawsuit alleged that Vega ��never missed an opportunity to make her feel small.��
As a result, the lawsuit is seeking punitive damages, compensation, as well as the ousting of the Chief Executive Officer of Activision-Blizzard, Bobby Kotick. The CEO was previously accused of allegedly failing to report sexual harassment claims that were reported to him or that he knew about during his time with the game developer.
Shortly after news of the Doe lawsuit circulated, Activision Blizzard put out a statement concerning the situation where they revealed that they took every complaint by an employee seriously and had immediately launched an investigation after Doe filed the complaint.
��We take all employee concerns seriously,�� the game developer wrote.
��When the plaintiff reported her concerns, we immediately opened an investigation, and Mr. Vega was terminated within 10 days. We have no tolerance for this kind of misconduct.��
Aside from the Jane Doe lawsuit, Activision Blizzard is currently dealing with a similar case by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing in California, now known as California’s Civil Rights Division.
The lawsuit was filed in July and alleged that the company had traces of a ��frat boy culture.�� It also claimed that there were several cases of discrimination against female employees. The company, however, strongly denied all allegations the DFEH lawsuit put forward.
When the lawsuit was filed, Activision Blizzard attempted to have it dismissed. However, the presiding judge ruled against it and allowed the case to proceed. The DFEH lawsuit will officially begin trial in 2023.
The game developer had a similar lawsuit previously filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It was eventually settled out of court for $18 million.
The numerous lawsuits come at a time when the organization is trying to close a deal with Microsoft. The former president of Activision Blizzard, J. Allen Brack, and Claire Hart, the Chief Legal Officer, notably left the Overwatch 2 game developer last year after a wave of litigation.
]]>Goodman��s history with Overwatch dates back to the beginning, when the game was known as Blizzard��s Project Titan. He was Blizzard��s principal game designer and oversaw the balancing of every hero included in the two Overwatch titles.? ?
For Overwatch, Goodman designed new heroes like the Junker Queen and Sojourn. He also reworked old characters like Orisa and Doomfist. The designer also notably worked as the boss battle designer for Blizzard��s World of Warcraft.?
?Fans first speculated about Goodman��s departure in late August, when the game developer released an ad for a lead hero designer. At the time, Goodman still had his position as the lead hero designer, so the ad stood out from the rest of the job postings.?
?Blizzard confirmed the news of Goodman��s departure via a brief statement which revealed that his decision to leave the company was made earlier this year.? ?
“We thank Geoff for his many years of service at Blizzard and wish him all the best,” Blizzard wrote. ? ?
“His ability to bring to life Overwatch��s diverse hero roster through gameplay has been incredible, and the mark he��s left on the Warcraft and Overwatch teams will be felt for years to come.”?
?While the company did not mention the reason behind Goodman��s decision to leave, his move aligns with the current trend of high-profile employees at Blizzard leaving the company. Just this past year, Overwatch executive producer Chacko Sunny announced his departure, as well as the company��s producer, Tracy Kennedy.?
?The Overwatch game developer is reportedly in the process of being bought out by Microsoft in a USD $68.7 billion deal. Blizzard is currently under intense scrutiny as a result of a number of lawsuits. The higher-ups in the organization, including Blizzard��s CEO, Bobby Kotick, were accused of workplace discrimination and harassment.?
?Blizzard was also accused of conducting insider trading and several other workplace-related issues. The US-based company is currently carrying out a series of internal investigations. The game developer has faced a number of issues before the launch of Overwatch 2, including the controversy surrounding the introduction of a battle pass.?
?After the launch of Overwatch 2, the original version of the game will shut down and existing players will receive the new version as an update. New players, on the other hand, will be offered the second version as an entirely new download.? ?
The last unveiled character for Overwatch 2 was Kiriko, who had Goodman as the lead designer. The new battle pass system in the game will have new heroes which will become unlockable at level 50.?
Introducing Kiriko
An all-new support hero and her Fox Spirit companion rush into the action.
#Overwatch2 arrives free-to-play October 4. pic.twitter.com/yXfs7knpB2— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) September 15, 2022
?In a statement, Blizzard talked about the new heroes, explaining that while each was strong, some were more effective than others.?
?”While Overwatch 2 heroes will each have their own clear strengths and weakness, and some heroes will be more effective against others, we believe our game plays better and is more fun with fewer hard counters and a broader range of effective hero picks,” the game developer said.
]]>Overwatch also took to its Twitter page to share the new information. While the release date was the primary info, the announcement also revealed that a few changes will be forthcoming.
The sequel will be free to play, compared to the previous iteration that required gamers to purchase a license. They also revealed that the game will have a new hero called Junker Queen, which will be in the form of a tank.
#Overwatch2 arrives October 4.
Free to Play Live Service
New heroes, maps and modes
New Tank: Junkerqueen
Learn more during the Overwatch 2 Reveal Event livestream
June 16
10 AM PT.
https://t.co/lDzhS3hMKq pic.twitter.com/u9RYJZl0hu
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) June 12, 2022
However, more information about the new hero will be revealed at the June 16 Reveal Event. While Junker Queen is the latest hero, she is the second hero that will be coming with Overwatch 2.
Activision earlier announced that a high-mobility hero with cybernetic capabilities called Sojourn will also be coming with the new version.
The President of Blizzard Entertainment, Mike Ybarra, is excited about the launch. He stated that this will also mark the beginning of an always-evolving era for the franchise.
“We can’t wait to roll out the beginning of the Overwatch 2 experience on October 4 and introduce an exciting new competitive vision, featuring amazing new content and a reimagining of the iconic heroes, maps, and gameplay that made the original game so compelling,” Ybarra said.
“This is the beginning of an always-on and always-evolving era for the franchise, and a recommitment to serving players with frequent and substantial updates planned well into the future to keep Overwatch 2 fresh and fun for many years to come.”
As Overwatch brings its hero tally to 34 with Sojourn and Junker Queen, they have also made changes to their existing heroes. In the trailer, Ashe, Ana, D.va, and Symmetra all had new designs. It is unclear if these updates will be part of their new base designs or just skins.
Activision is also looking to reward existing players for their continued support. Players who have Overwatch before June 23 will be eligible to get the Founder’s Pack.
“As a thank you to our original players, the Overwatch 2 Founder��s Pack will be free in-game to all existing players who own Overwatch,” Activision Blizzard said in a statement.
“The Founder��s Pack will include two epic skins and an exclusive founder��s icon, along with a surprise gift that will be announced before the game��s October 4 release.
“To be eligible for the Founder��s Pack, players need to own Overwatch prior to June 23, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. PDT.”
The Overwatch 2 beta was handed to pro teams in March and is currently being used for Season 5 of the Overwatch League. So far, they are done with the Kickoff Clash (May 5-29), and fans are looking forward to the Midseason Madness scheduled to commence on June 16.
After a rigorous four-week qualifier, the top eight teams from the West and top four from the East will advance to the tournament. They will compete in a playoff round for Overwatch League points and a share of the soon-to-be disclosed prize fund.
]]>According to a Twitter post, the Overwatch Pride Celebration will commence on Twitch Rivals on July 12 with a $250,000 prize pool “to support LGBTQIA+ Community.” Team captains and more information will be released subsequently.
There have not been a lot of details available yet, such as how the prize pool will benefit the LGBTQIA+ community, which charity it will benefit, or even the game the competition will utilize.
Also, because the tournament is still a month away, the game might actually occur on either the Overwatch 1 or Overwatch 2 beta, which can go online again at any moment between now and the commencement of the event. The new Overwatch game is a five-vs-five gameplay, whereas the first was a six-vs-six gameplay.
The competition will likely be held in Overwatch 2 instead of the original game, but that relies solely on whether the beta is live when the time comes. Nevertheless, we expect to learn more information concerning the competition in the coming weeks.
Additional details about Overwatch 2 will be revealed during a livestream on June 16, in which Blizzard is anticipated to release more details about the game.
Riot Games is introducing a variety of in-game goodies across its many gaming franchises. Riot has been very expressive about its involvement in the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOTB). On May 17th, 2018, the organization began showing its support for via in-game emblems, homeguard trail animations, emotes, as well as a Guardian in Legends of Runeterra.
Riot Games published pride emotes and symbols for Pride Month 2022 on the League of Legends Public Beta Environment (PBE) in early May. During Pride Month, players of Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, League of Legends, Wild Rift, and Legends of Runeterra have access to Pride-themed items in each and every game.
Almost all of Riot’s games feature the rainbow colors that comprise the Pride flag. Each game, including League of Legends,, Legends of Runeterra, LoL: Wild Rift, Teamfight Tactics and Valorant, celebrates pride in its own unique way. Similarly to how each individual is peculiar, so will each game’s method of recognizing the group.
]]>On April 27, 2022, at approximately 12:45 PM CT, Overwatch 2 achieved another milestone. It was the second consecutive day that a large figure was reached. Overwatch has surpassed the one million viewer threshold on Twitch for the first time in the history of the game, owing to drops that promise access into the first Overwatch 2 testing phase.
Plus, the official Overwatch Twitch channel will hold a “Beta Bash” streaming with creators and developers, which may boost viewing even more.
According to Twitch Tracker, the game’s biggest concurrent viewership on Twitch prior to the great milestone from two days ago was recorded on Jan. 10, 2018, the first day of the Overwatch League’s inaugural season. The game reached its highest point four years ago.
All of the heavy hitters were present, including none other than xQc, who drew well over 150,000 viewers as of 1 PM CT. Former Overwatch pro Seagull was also among those who played the game, with about 110,000 viewers. Also, Emongg, ml7, and KarQ, three of the most popular Overwatch streamers, had each garnered over 50,000 viewers.
From 12 PM CT until 8 PM CT today, Twitch users can watch designated Overwatch streamers to earn four hours of cumulative watch time, ensuring their access to the Overwatch 2 beta phase.
The Overwatch 2 beta is available exclusively for PC gamers at the moment and will finish on May 17th, 2022. However, Only the following regions will have access to the first Overwatch 2 beta: North America, Europe, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Latin America/Brazil, and Australia/New Zealand.
About Overwatch
Blizzard Entertainment developed and published Overwatch in 2016, a team-based multiplayer first-person shooting game. With an all-star cast of strong heroes. Overwatch, as known as a “hero shooter,” divides players into two groups of six, with each player choosing from a large lineup of characters known as “heroes” each with their own unique features. Teams compete against one another to accomplish map-specific targets within a specified time limit.
Blizzard has continued to add new maps, game modes post-release, characters and with the only additional cost to players being optional loot boxes for cosmetic items. It launched in May 2016 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows, and in October 2019 on Nintendo Switch. In March 2021, Microsoft released a performance optimization patch for the Xbox Series X and S.
Kaplan was in charge of Overwatch’s development until April 2021, when he left Blizzard. Following Kaplan’s departure, Aaron Keller took over.
The League’s first season began in January 2018, with teams competing for a one million dollar League winner reward as well as additional prizes from a total prize pool of US$3.5 million.
]]>Viewers can also earn eligibility for the beta drop, but they are required to first watch for four hours on any approved streams. The viewer is expected to have an Overwatch license on their battle.net account and then link the account to their Twitch account to be eligible for the drop. ??
Upon reward, the player is required to access the game via the battle.net account. They will be expected to download and play by clicking the Overwatch icon at the top of the homepage. At the bottom left, the player will find the game version drop-down menu and will need to click the Overwatch 2 Technical Beta to commence.??
For the players who won’t be fortunate to get the beta via the drops program or otherwise, Blizzard reassures that they are still opportunities to be exploited in getting a front seat at the table. In their release, they revealed that there will be future betas and that everyone will be able to stream the beta and it will be on-hand for everyone who wants to watch. ??
��If you don��t get into the PvP Beta initially or via the drops program, don��t worry,�� Blizzard stated.
��You haven��t missed all your chances to get into the action. There will be Overwatch 2 beta streams and content available for everyone to watch, and we will have more information on how to gain access to future betas.��??
The selected Twitch streamers to gain access to the Overwatch 2 beta include Pokimane, A_Seagull, Surefour, AnneMunition, xDc, Stylosa, and Mendo, to name a few. While more betas are scheduled to go live in the future, the initial Overwatch 2 beta for the streamers will commence on April 26 and run through to May 17.???
About Blizzard Entertainment
?Blizzard Entertainment is a video game developer and publisher. The organization is in the business of the development and deployment of entertainment software. They are famous for having created some of the most popular titles, including but not limited to Overwatch, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Doable, and Hearthstone.
?The company was founded on February 8, 1991, and has always been based in Irvine, California. The organization was formerly known as Silicon & Synapse, Inc from inception through to 1993. Right after Silicon & Synapse had run its course, the company became Chaos Studios Inc, before being renamed Blizzard Entertainment and has over 4,700 people under its employ.
?It was founded by Allen Adham, Frank Pearce, and Michael Morhaime and is a subsidiary of the parent company, Activision Blizzard. Since its inception, the organization has developed and released 19 games, with the Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft series being a large chunk of its portfolio.
]]>The new season will commence on May 5 and will be played on the Overwatch 2 beta. Although there has reportedly been a delay in the number of hero reworks that will be readily available, the recent announcement is an indication that Blizzard Entertainment is striving to make significant adjustments.
While this is not an earth-shattering change, it is a change nonetheless, especially one that improves the user experience.
Overwatch League 2021 was a massive success, as a total of $4,250,000 was shared amongst twenty teams in different stages of the season.
Shanghai Dragons were the ultimate winners, sweeping Atlanta Reign 4-0 in the Grand Finals. For their valiance, the Dragons walked away with $1,500,000 of the $3,200,00 prize pool.
While we are yet to see what season 5 delivers, it holds promise given the upgrade in the game and added features.
How does co-streaming work?
Fans will most likely flood YouTube to watch the 2022 Overwatch season as things unfold, as they have done in the past. However, things will be a bit different this time as people can watch the official stream through the eyes of their favorite streamer.
With this new feature, fans will get an experience that makes them experience the game the same way their favorite content creator does. However, there is a limit on who can enjoy this service, with applications already underway.
As with every system, there are rules in place that help protect every party involved, and it will be no different here. It has been reported that this program will only be available on YouTube.
While fans can watch the season through several other streaming platforms, including Twitch, the co-streaming feature will only run on YouTube.
While co-streaming is not entirely new, not many utilize it even though it has been shown to foster more fan engagement.
Popular streamer Shroud has attempted the same in the past, and he ended up attracting a lot more fans. In the 2021 VCT Masts, he hit over 240,000 viewers compared to the official event peaking at 56,000.
There has been information flying around about the game. While there have been official announcements, there have also been leaks about what gamers should expect from Overwatch 2 beta.
While fans are not entirely happy with the rumors of the hero reworks not being completely ready, this is some good news that is also a testament to the changes being effected.
Overwatch has become less interesting for many over the years, with many not happy with the overall gameplay. However, improvements like these are bound to inspire change.
Some big-name streamers are likely to return to Overwatch for this upcoming season, and with this new feature, it will be a lot more enjoyable for everyone.
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