Blizzard has confirmed that they’re saying goodbye to the current setup and planning something new.

The recent departure of teams like the Toronto Defiant added to the uncertainty, but now it’s official—the OWL, as we know it, is coming to an end.

The transition is not without its drama.

Blizzard sent out a revised operating agreement to teams, and those who didn’t want to continue got a $6 million parting gift.

This move follows a series of challenges the league faced, from the pandemic disrupting plans for city-based teams to difficulties in making money from online matches.

The financial struggles came to light with Bloomberg reporting a shortfall in projected revenue in 2020, a tough pill for a league that started with such grand ambitions and hefty franchise fees.

Now, it seems Activision Blizzard is in talks with the Saudi Arabian ESL FACEIT Group for a new chapter in Overwatch esports.

“We are transitioning from the Overwatch League and evolving competitive Overwatch in a new direction,” an Overwatch League spokesman confirmed.

“We are grateful to everyone who made OWL possible and remain focused on building our vision of a revitalized esports program.

“We are excited to share details with you all in the near future.”

The plan is to adopt a more open-circuit format, ditching the franchise system in favour of a more flexible tournament schedule.

It’s a big shift, but maybe it’s what Overwatch needs to thrive.

As fans brace themselves for more teams to reveal their exit plans, one thing’s for sure: the Overwatch League won’t be the same.

It’s the end of an era, and people are already reminiscing about the good times and lamenting the missed opportunities.

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This announcement surfaced less than 24 hours following the conclusion of what might be the sixth and final season of the Overwatch League (OWL), with it won by Florida Mayhem in a scintillating grand final.

“With the completion of the 2023 Overwatch League season, we will be focusing on building our vision of a revitalised esports program,” read a post on the official OWL Twitter account.

“We’re eager to share more with you as details are finalised.”

Simultaneously, there was a subtle, yet poignant farewell from members of the broadcast team as they signed off the stream, further fuelling speculation regarding the future of the Overwatch League.

The above statement adds to a series of announcements and reports over recent months that collectively sketch a grim outlook for the OWL. Back in July, amidst whispers of change, Activision Blizzard released a financial dossier. This report disclosed that franchise owners were slated to cast their votes on an “updated operating agreement” once the curtain fell on the current season. For teams choosing to bow out of the league, a termination fee of $6 million would be their parting gift.

In the shadow of this imminent vote, OWL officials reportedly initiated dialogues with various participants within the Overwatch esports landscape last month. According to a report by GGRecon, the survival of the OWL under the revamped operating agreement hinges on the approval of two-thirds of the existing franchises.

However, the narrative unfolding does not necessarily spell the doom of Overwatch esports. Instead, it might signify a pivot towards a distinct model and structure, possibly echoing the open system that highlighted Overwatch esports in its early days, pre-dating the inception of the OWL.

As of now, with limited information available, the trajectory of Overwatch esports remains shrouded in uncertainty, while fans remain in the dark.

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As perpetual underdogs, Hangzhou Spark have proven everyone wrong before, and they might do it again by relying on a strong DPS line and experienced players. But while they shouldn’t be underestimated, the Spark have shown that they’re not the most efficient team in the current Zarya meta.

Atlanta Reign field some of the best Overwatch esports players in the world and have by far the strongest backline in the league. That alone makes them a daunting opponent, not to mention that the Reign’s flexibility makes it very tough to strategize against them.

Hangzhou can be a dangerous underdog, but a lot will have to go their way for the Spark to be competitive against the top few squads. Atlanta Reign to sweep is an obvious choice.

Seoul Infernal are one of the weakest teams entering the OWL 2023 Playoffs, and even though they have outperformed expectations in the latter half of the season, it’s unlikely they will accomplish much in this bout.

Like the Infernal, Dallas Fuel haven’t looked amazing this season, but they’ve found momentum in the latter stages and enter OWL 2023 Playoffs as a dangerous dark horse. Much of that has to do with the meta shifting into their favour and Choi “Hanbin” Han-been finding his stride.

The problem with this is that Dallas Fuel’s success will likely rely solely on Hanbin and how well he does on Zarya. This is an area Seoul Infernal can look to exploit, but that’s not enough to believe that the Fuel will lose.

London Spitfire looked terrible until the final stretch of the season, when they took down a couple of big names. Their out-of-the-norm playstyle and favoured compositions are unlike any other team in the playoffs, which makes the Spitfire a pain to deal with when things click for them.

Boston Uprising’s roster is full of previous champions and top-tier talent, which makes them one of the teams to watch out for in the OWL 2023 Playoffs. Their road to success is fairly simple: just keep playing at the same pace they have throughout the season.

London Spitfire can be an exciting underdog, and they have a chance to cause some chaos in the group stage. However, Boston Uprising are far too experienced to get caught off guard by the Spitfire’s curveballs.

Heading into the OWL 2023 Playoffs, the biggest concern with Houston Outlaws was their inability to adapt to the current meta. However, they were aware of their flaw and picked up an excellent Zarya player, Shin “BERNAR” Se-won, at the start of the week to fill that gaping void.

Florida Mayhem have one distinct advantage over other Overwatch teams: flexibility. This team can play any composition and is very good at adapting to any opponent, which will be the Mayhem’s ticket to winning the championship.

The Outlaws are individually good enough to compete with the Mayhem, and the addition of BERNAR is a big positive. Overall, however, Florida’s ability to play anything makes them a more reliable pick.

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The intention behind the changes was to level the playing field across all teams, but the outcome has left many with a bitter taste just days before the event kicks off in Toronto on September 28.

Previously, the league employed a double-elimination format for playoffs; however, the 2023 playoffs are structured into a group stage followed by a single-elimination stage.

The most contentious issue arises from the manner in which seeding was determined.

Five teams secured automatic qualification, while two West teams and one East team fought their way in through play-ins.

This resulted in an uneven balance of regional representation, prompting the league to find a solution.

In an unprecedented move, the OWL held a draft where teams had the opportunity to choose which opponents they would not face, a decision that has left some coaches bewildered.

What’s particularly irksome is that seeding was determined by the draft rather than regular-season performances, leading to widespread frustration across the league.

The seedings in groups, which dictate the team that gets the map pick to start the series, are as follows: Atlanta Reign, Seoul Infernal, Florida Mayhem, London Spitfire, Houston Outlaws, Boston Uprising, Dallas Fuel, and the Hangzhou Spark.

Criticism has been vocalized, with Florida Mayhem coach Jordan “Gunba” Graham pointing out that the higher seed consistently gets to choose the first map of Control.

This was also the case in previous events, but with the introduction of the new map type, Flashpoint, Control will now only be played once per series.

For example, the London Spitfire, despite being the last Overwatch team to qualify for playoffs, are positioned in fourth place. This grants them map advantages over teams that, based on their performance, they might not have received.

Gunba expressed his astonishment at this seeding system, deeming London’s fourth-place position “insane” and emphasizing that the Spitfire now enjoy a “huge competitive advantage”.

The impact of this new seeding system extends to on-site practices in Toronto, as certain teams gain an even greater edge.

The venue only accommodates four teams for practice at a time, with seeding determining which teams receive more dedicated server time for scrimmages.

Gunba argues that both seeding and practice time should be based on regular season standings rather than qualification method.

The Overwatch League responded to GGRecon’s inquiry regarding the scrim issue, stating, “All teams are receiving the same amount of practice time in equivalent facilities.”

As tensions rise, teams are compelled to navigate these challenges in their pursuit of the 2023 title.

The impending OWL 2023 playoffs are set to commence on Thursday, September 28, concluding with the crowning of the sixth OWL champions on Sunday, October 1.

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Despite an initial stumble in the West play-ins against the Boston Uprising, Spitfire’s tenacity shone through. After defeating the San Francisco Shock in the upper bracket, they masterfully navigated the lower bracket, with their journey seeing them edge out both the Washington Justice and Vancouver Titans with a tight 3-2 score.

This was followed by a decisive 3-1 win against Toronto Defiant on Sunday, cementing their position in the Overwatch League Playoffs.

The Spitfire will be joined by seven other formidable teams in the OWL playoffs, with these being: Boston Uprising, Hangzhou Spark, Seoul Infernal, Dallas Fuel, Houston Outlaws, Florida Mayhem, and Atlanta Reign.

Esports betting sites are yet to launch markets for the OWL playoffs, although Atlanta Reign and Florida Mayhem look to be the teams to beat.

Last year, Dallas Fuel defeated San Francisco Shock in the final of the Overwatch League, with Fuel ace Lee “Fearless” Eui-seok named finals MVP.

Fearless, regarded as one of the best Overwatch players, has now moved to Houston Outlaws who are right in the mix to win the 2023 OWL.

The first round of the OWL League Playoffs on September 28 look like this:

Hangzhou Spark vs Atlanta Reign
Dallas Fuel vs Seoul Infernal
Boston Uprising vs London Spitfire
Houston Outlaws vs Florida Mayhem

San Francisco Shock lost 1-3 against London Spitfire last week, but they might have a chance to bounce back this weekend. The Shock aren’t that bad, but they don’t have an identity or a set way of playing the game. The more you watch them play, the clearer it becomes that this team lacks stability.

Vancouver Titans were reverse-swept by Toronto Defiant on Sunday in a match that could’ve easily ended in their favour. Even though the Titans lost the Canadian Derby, they showed improvement, partly because the current meta seems to favour their preferred heroes.

The offered OWL esports betting odds on this match look fair. Even though San Francisco are not terrible, they should not be able to beat Vancouver with how they’ve been playing. The Shock lost 1-3 against the Titans at the start of August, which makes it hard to take the underdogs.

London Spitfire started the Overwatch League 2023 Play-Ins strong, crushing San Francisco Shock with 3-2 on Hybrid (Midtown), 3-0 on Flashpoint (Suravasa), and 120.9-82.75 on Push (Esperan?a). Unfortunately, the Spitfire lost 1-3 to Boston Uprising in the second round, but that’s not that worrying given how good the Uprising are.

Washington Justice defeated New York Excelsior 3-1 in the opening round of the play-ins but went down 0-3 to Toronto Defiant in the upper-bracket quarterfinals. This team has looked decent over the last couple of months, particularly DPS players Kim “AlphaYi” Jun and Lim “Flora” Young-woo. The only problem is the tank position, which the Justice need to figure out if they want to produce a deep run.

As the latest Overwatch betting odds suggest, London Spitfire should have no real issue beating the Justice this weekend. They know how they want to play and they’re good at executing their strategy. Even though the Spitfire lack top-tier talent and will struggle against teams with better individuals, this one shouldn’t be a problem.

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Shanghai Dragons finished the OWL 2023 Summer Stage Knockouts in last place after losing to Sin Prisa Gaming twice, but that was hardly surprising. The Dragons have not looked good this season, and while they had a relatively solid 6-6 run through the Summer Stage Qualifiers, they have been uncompetitive against stronger teams.

Dallas Fuel, meanwhile, are among the best-performing OWL esports teams in the East region. Last month, the Fuel won the Summer Stage Qualifiers and made it to the Summer Stage Knockouts final, where they lost against Hangzhou Spark.

Dallas Fuel might not be as good as the Spark, but they’re up there with the top OWL East teams, and we expect that to show on Friday.

Guangzhou Charge didn’t look amazing a few weeks back when they exited the Summer Stage Knockouts in the first round. In their defence, the Charge only lost against the two Group B finalists, 02 Blast and Seoul Dynasty, but it’s not like they’ve shown much in the 2023 Overwatch season.

Since winning the Spring Stage Qualifiers in May, Guangzhou have not produced anything even remotely as impressive. What’s worse, the Charge have been losing traction since the start of the summer and enter this match on a nine-game slide.

Seoul Dynasty defied all the odds and won OWL 2023 Summer Stage Knockouts. They’ve had very high highs but also low lows, making them an exciting team to watch but also a bit of a risky pick due to their inconsistencies.

Even though the Dynasty can be hit-or-miss, based on what we’ve seen from the two teams, Seoul should beat the Charge, just as they did at the start of September.

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The 18th season of the CS:GO ESL Pro League will continue on Wednesday, September 13, with action from Group C kicking off with four series.

Of the 32 teams in Malta for ESL Pro League 18, some 22 sit among the top 25 in the CS:GO world rankings.

Some of the key leagues and tournaments taking place in the esports world this week include:

• CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18

  One of the best events on the CS:GO calendar is now in full swing.

  With a spot at IEM Katowice 2024 and BLAST Premier World Final 2023 on the line, as well as a massive US$850,000 prize pool, expect every team to be ready to play their best Counter-Strike throughout the event.

  Most esports betting sites have Team Vitality, G2 Esports and ENCE marked as equal favourites at $4.50, closely followed by Heroic and Cloud9 at $5.50.

  Check out our extensive ESL Pro League betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.

• Overwatch League Play-Ins

  The Overwatch League Play-Ins will feature 11 of the best teams going around, with seven on the East side of the bracket and four on the West side. Of those, only two from the East and one from the West will qualify for the Overwatch League Playoffs, which kick off later this month.

  The East bracket will begin on Friday, September 15, with Shanghai Dragons taking on Dallas Fuel, and Guangzhou Charge will clash with Seoul Dynasty.

  Check out our extensive Overwatch League betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.

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Dallas Fuel and Poker Face met in the upper-bracket semifinals of OWL Summer Stage Knockouts, where Dallas Fuel won 3-0 with 2-0, 2-1, 3-0.

Poker Face have since found some traction, defeating Rhodes (3-0) and ending Dreamer’s run in the lower-bracket semis (3-2). Dallas Fuel have played just one game in that time, losing 3-0 to Hangzhou Spark.

The Fuel played fairly well against the Spark and forced every map to the final round, so that loss isn’t too worrying. Still, Poker Face have looked good in their last two outings, especially Kim “PEPPI” Noah and Lee “Aiden” Seung-jun.

Overwatch betting sites have Dallas Fuel priced at $1.04, which is quite short, but it’s not like we can expect them to lose against Poker Face. The Fuel should win, but taking Poker Face to steal at least one map is the better play.

Seoul Infernal and Seoul Dynasty will clash in the lower-bracket final of Group B in what should be an entertaining affair between two rival teams.

The Dynasty have been struggling this season and barely made it to the knockout stage after finishing the qualifiers in fourth place. Much of their issues had to do with not having the right players for the meta, which led to the departure of Kim “Prophet” Hyun-been and Lee “LeeSooMin” Soo-Min to O2 Blast. But as soon as the duo left, the meta shifted again, putting the Dynasty in a tough spot.

The Infernal have not had that many issues this season and have looked quite stable. Besides placing in the top six at Midseason Madness, they have done well in the three qualifying events, most recently ending the Summer Stage Qualifiers in second place with a 7-1 record.

So far in the Summer Stage Knockouts, Seoul Infernal have crushed Sin Prisa Gaming (3-1) and lost against O2 Blast (1-3) in the upper-bracket finals. On the other side, the Dynasty lost against O2 Blast (0-3) in their first game of the stage and have since beaten Guangzhou Charge (3-1) and edged past Sin Prisa Gaming (3-2) in the semis.

The Infernal should win this game quite easily. They are one of the region’s top two teams, and while the Dynasty are not terrible, there’s still a big gap between the pair.

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With an 8-7 record, Vancouver Titans are locked in for the OWL 2023 Summer Stage play-ins, but they’re still playing for favourable seeding. New York Excelsior are 6-9, tied with Washington Justice and Los Angeles Gladiators, and still need to win one more game to secure a top-10 finish in the West division.

This will be much harder to do than it sounds, mainly because the current meta doesn’t suit New York Excelsior and how they like to play. On the one hand, there’s an easy solution for Excelsior’s problems, but it would require them to put Kim “FITS” Dong-eun on Illari. However, by doing so, NY would lose a lot of firepower.

Vancouver Titans are in excellent form, having won their last four games against Washington Justice (3-0), Los Angeles Gladiators (3-0), Las Vegas Eternal (3-0), and San Francisco Shock (3-1). Although not the most challenging opponents, the Titans looked great in all four wins.

Even though the Titans are known to be a bit inconsistent, they already defeated New York Excelsior in May, and they’ve recently found a bit more stability. That, combined with the fact that the current meta doesn’t suit Excelsior, makes it very tough to justify backing the outsiders.

Los Angeles Gladiators ended their skid of six consecutive losses in the OWL 2023 Summer Stage with a 3-0 win over New York Excelsior last week. They dominated the series and looked much more polished than what we’ve seen from them recently. In part, this has to do with the current meta, which allows Kevin “kevster” Persson to play Genji.

Boston Uprising are 10-5 and one of the strongest teams in the OWL West. However, while the Uprising have looked good this season, they’re also 1-3 from their last four outings, with defeats against Florida Mayhem (2-3, 2-3) and Atlanta Reign (1-3). In Boston’s defence, the Mayhem and the Reign are two of the league’s strongest teams.

The Uprising don’t need to win this match, and even if they lose, their play-in seeding doesn’t change. On the other side, anything less than a win for the Gladiators would mean they miss the postseason.

Boston Uprising are stronger than the Gladiators, but the LA team has looked much better recently. If the Gladiators can keep playing at this level, they should have a good chance of springing an upset this weekend.

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