Blizzard has announced the Overwatch Open Division, a new competitive league one tier below the Overwatch Contenders development league.
Blizzard said in an announcement it’s a regional division where ‘amateur players who live for competition can flex their skills in a new and challenging open tournament series’.
It will run across Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, Latin American Spanish speaking countries, Brazil, Australia/New Zealand and Southeast Asia.
And players on teams who complete all their Open Division regular season games will receive $10 in Blizzard Balance, with more available to those who make it to playoffs.
The Overwatch Open Division is for players who’ve reached Master rank or higher in the most recent season (February 28th to May 28th). Those who reach Master now will have a chance to play the Open Division next season.
“Many more of you are itching to make the jump from the Overwatch Competitive Play mode to a more formal, structured tier of competition, where the demands of esports elevate players with true grit and skill. Now, the wait is over.”
The ‘top finishers’ in the Open Division may be able to advance to Overwatch Contenders, the regional league for aspiring pro players.
“Thousands of heroes leaped into the fray for Overwatch Contenders, and the Season Zero open qualifiers in North America and Europe have been a dramatic showcase of some of the best talent in the West,” Blizzard said.
“Many more of you across the world are itching to make the jump from the Overwatch Competitive Play mode to a more formal, structured tier of competition, where the demands of esports elevate players with true grit and skill. Now, the wait is over.”
Signups are now live for the first season, which starts on July 3rd. For more info visit the official website.
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Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
