Blizzard's Overwatch League Will Start Next Year

Blizzard is capitalizing on the huge success of Overwatch [official site] by launching a new eSports league. The Overwatch League aims to give every Overwatch player a chance to rise in the rankings and have a chance to join a pro team while avoiding some of the pitfalls that have plagued other eSports leagues in recent years.

The Overwatch League looks to be highly regimented, which is a positive aspect for both players and team owners. Each team will represent a city with plans to expand from North America into Central and South America, Europe, China, South Korea, and the Oceania regions as time goes on. Players will have the advantage of being protected by contracts, and admission into the league and a chance to be signed by a team seems to depend on skill rather than favoritism and glitz and glamor.

Though a definite date hasn't been given for the start of the Overwatch League preseason, the following roadmap for the league showcases the events Blizzard plans on in the near future:

The Preseason
Proven stars and leaderboard heroes will assemble in one global talent pool. Teams then maneuver to sign the best players and build sturdy rosters for the season ahead.

The Inaugural Season
League action streams live every week, including a standalone primetime matchup between top teams. Game highlights and other features fill in the gaps between game days.

The Championship Run
During epic live events, the very best Overwatch teams compete to become legends as the first-ever Overwatch League world champions.

Into the Future
League expansion in every direction will make the Overwatch League truly global; finishing with an elite tournament where champions battle champions for undisputed supremacy.