It’s difficult to know who to support in eSports, but as Blizzard launch the Overwatch League, it sounds like they’ve got a real handle on how to fix that.
There’s plenty of well established teams out there, but Blizzard are going to bring them into the fold, inviting some of the biggest teams, owners and players to join them in a more structured and professional system.
So there’s going to be player tryouts called combines, with owners able to scout new additions to their teams by seeing how gamers do in various tests. From there, teams will be formed around cities, helping to foster a regional fanbase (and player base), much like real world sports have.
That’s not all, there’s to be a regular schedule, things like free agency, proper contracts with baseline salaries and benefits. It sounds like it will add up to something more stable for teams and players, not to mention easier for people to get into and understand.
There’s plenty more details to be revealed, with the first combine happening early in 2017 alongside the first season of the league, but it already sounds like a major step forward for team-based eSports.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-p5V4nQU5k
Source: BlizzCon, Overwatch League
