The Overwatch League’s season two announcement earlier this week gave fans a lot of information. Though the news release focused mainly on the full 2019 schedule, we got much more than match dates. There’s a lot to take in, and the Overwatch League will surely release even more details between now and February. Here, we’ll dig a little deeper into the schedule announcement and go over some of the most exciting takeaways.
After giving fans a taste of the season ahead by releasing the opening week schedule, the league unveiled every matchup for the rest of the season. Beyond giving fans plenty of time to decide which matches they want to see in person, the full schedule gives us a preview of what to look forward to. Season one rivalries such as the Battle for L.A. return to the stage, while eight new teams make their debut. Over the course of opening week, all twenty teams have the chance to set expectations for the rest of the season, and we’re going in with plenty of questions. Will the London Spitfire hold onto their reputation as the Overwatch League’s reigning champion? How will the expansion teams fare in the face of more seasoned teams? Will the Shanghai Dragons finally win a match this season? It won’t be long before we find out.
Courtesy of Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
With the whole schedule out there, it’s also much clearer what 28 matches per team looks like. Specific matchups are few and far between, calling into question how potent rivalries can be. On the one hand, existing rivalries might fight that much harder when they have less chances to prove themselves. The previously mentioned Gladiators-Valiant rivalry faces off twice in the season, making those two matches all the more important in establishing dominance.
Courtesy of Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
On the other hand, teams might have difficulty building hype for grudge matches when they don’t even face some of their opponents twice. For instance, the Houston Outlaws and Dallas Fuel only face off once in the entire season, despite their Texan rivalry. Although the match will be interesting, it’s the only chance the two teams have to milk that rivalry, outside of standard Twitter banter. The schedule also makes it difficult for expansion teams to establish a rival at all; new teams will likely need to turn to their regions for rivalries. The question of rivalries is one of many questions that people are asking about the new format, and it looks like most of those questions won’t be answered until the season takes off.
Courtesy of Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
The Overwatch League will hit the road this season, with three teams hosting weekend matches in their home cities. The Dallas Fuel will host matches in North Texas on April 27 and 28. Seven teams will join them there, including the Paris Eternal, Houston Outlaws and Seoul Dynasty. The Atlanta Reign’s home weekend takes place on July 6 and 7. The Reign will also host seven teams that weekend, including the Washington Justice, Shanghai Dragons and New York Excelsior. Closing out the Homestand Weekend series, the Los Angeles Valiant will host nine of their fellow teams at The Novo by Microsoft at L.A. Live. Teams joining the Valiant there will include the Hangzhou Spark, Los Angeles Gladiators and Vancouver Titans.
The introduction of Homestand Weekends provides out-of-town fans with the opportunity to participate firsthand in the Overwatch League. Admittedly, keeping one of the road games in Los Angeles doesn’t expand participation much, but fans in Texas and along a good chunk of the east coast now have a much easier road to seeing a match live. More importantly, whether or not these weekends succeed sets a precedent for future efforts in 2020. The Overwatch League has already indicated ambitions to move teams to their home cities for season three. These road games provide the league with a chance to get a feel for audiences in other locations, and a chance to fully understand the many details of expanding the Overwatch League market. The Homestand Weekend series could give us a taste of what to expect in later seasons, so keep an eye on them.
Notably, the prize pool for season two has increased from 3.5 million to 5 million dollars. This change translates most clearly in changes to stage playoffs prizes. Where the stage winner earned $100,000 and the runner-up got $25,000 last season, the prizes are now $200,000 and $100,000 respectively. Additionally, the third and fourth-place teams earn $50,000, while the fifth through eighth-place teams each earn $25,000.
Courtesy of Matthew Eisman/Getty Images for Blizzard Entertainment
Prize money for the season playoffs has also increased considerably. The season champion now earns $1.1 million, while the runner-up gets $600,000. Last season’s champions, the London Spitfire, took $1 million for their victory, and the second-place Philadelphia Fusion earned $400,000. The remaining six playoffs teams also get significant prizes. Third place nets $450,000, fourth earns $300,000, fifth and sixth earn $300,000 and seventh and eighth take $200,000. That prize money, plus the added challenge of making playoffs with eight new teams in the league, will definitely serve as major motivators.
Overwatch League rules state that at least fifty percent of the winnings are split among the players, while the team’s owner takes the rest. The announcement does not specify if the regular season performance bonuses have changed at all.
The season pass, which debuted midway through last season, returns for season two. Season pass holders gain access to every game at Blizzard Arena, including the All-Star Game and all of the Stage Finals. In addition, the pass includes perks such as early access to both the arena and team signings, a backstage tour, and a Soldier: 76 statue signed by a team of their choice. With all those benefits in mind, the season pass costs $1,200.
This season also introduces two new ticket packages. The Pick 6 Package allows fans of a specific team to buy tickets to six of the team’s matches. One match, the team’s signing date, is predetermined, but purchasers can pick the other five, allowing for some extra flexibility. The Pick 6 Package is available for every team in the league, including the new expansion teams, and prices vary based on customization options.
The Family & Friends Package also debuts this season, On eight Fridays throughout the season, a group ticket option becomes available. The package includes four tickets, four drinks and two orders of nachos, and the bundle sells for $88 dollars.
Season two of the Overwatch League begins on February 14, 2019, with a match between the Philadelphia Fusion and the London Spitfire. For more on what to expect as we get closer to the beginning of the season, keep an eye on The Game Haus!
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Featured image courtesy of Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment.
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