Author’s Note: All figures in this series were based on the lowest ticketed prices that were still available as of January 4, 2020, and included all taxes, fees and shipping costs. Foreign currency conversion is also accurate as of January 4, 2020. Due to a lack of information on the Pacific East homestands, they have not been included at this time.
As the Overwatch League moves to a new homestand format this season, fans have been left guessing which one will give them the best bang for their buck. While the Atlantic North division suffers from inconsistent pricing and overall high costs, the Atlantic South seem to be offering good deals all along the coast. However, it’s the Pacific West that unsurprisingly takes home the award for overall best value.
Overall Costs
The overall cost throughout the Pacific West is shockingly low, from $44.06 up to $104.12. This puts the lowest cost homestand almost $30 cheaper than the cheapest homestands in the Atlantic division. Even on the higher end, the Pacific West comes in a few dollars cheaper than the Atlantic South.
The LA Valiant are hosting both of their homestands at The Novo, the same location as their Kit Kat Rivalry Weekend. Returning to the same location most likely helped them negotiate a decent contract with the venue and will only cost $53. In comparison, their August homestand cost $50, so there has only been a slight price increase. It is important to note, however, that these tickets are for standing room only. For those who would rather take a seat, it will cost about $85.50.
But it’s not the LA Valiant who have the cheapest homestand in the division, it is the LA Gladiators. Although they have not yet revealed a venue location aside from “downtown LA”, the Gladiators’ first homestand will only be $44.06. This homestand during week 21 of competition will be the cheapest homestand throughout the league.
The third Californian team, the San Francisco Shock, will play host to the most expensive event. A few weeks ago the Shock announced that they would be moving their First Arrival homestand from the Cow Palace to Zellerbach Hall. While the UC Berkeley event center is much smaller than the Cow Palace, the Shock stated that it is “the location we always dreamed about for our fans.” San Francisco also said that previously purchased tickets would still be honored. For fans looking to purchase tickets to the event now it will cost them $104.12.
Price Per Match
Due to its overall lower costs, the Pacific West also sees the lowest prices per match. Matches range from a mere $8.83 upwards to $26.03. The cheapest matches are standing room only at the Valiant’s April event but will cost $14.25 per match for those who opt to purchase a balcony seat. The lowest PPM with seating will be at the Dallas Fuel’s Classic Weekend in April. For just $10.83, fans can return to the Allen Event Center, where Dallas hosted their first homestand in May.
On the higher end of the spectrum is the San Francisco Shock’s Zellerbach Hall event. Being the highest priced homestand and only hosting four matches, the total cost per match will be around $26.03. Though this may be the highest within the division, it is still lower than many other homestands this season.
Team Attendance
Homestands in the Pacific West division will see anywhere from four to nine teams, with the average being five to seven teams. For fans who want to see as many teams as possible, they should keep an eye on San Francisco’s July event. The Silicon Valley Showdown will host the Atlantic South division, with only the Atlanta Reign missing out due to a bye week. But with a total of nine teams playing six matches, it’s the perfect chance for fans to see a lot of great Overwatch in a small amount of time.
At this time, the only team offering add-ons to regular tickets is the Vancouver Titans. For about $38 attendees can buy the Master upgrade that includes both an on-stage photo opportunity and a media wall photo opportunity with players. This option is available for both of Vancouver’s homestands, but it’s best saved for their Fourth of July event that will host six other teams.
Season Passes
The sole team in the Pacific West division that is offering a season pass are the LA Valiant. Their cheapest pass includes standing room to both of their homestands for just $96. With access to 10 matches it is only a PPM of $9.60, incredibly reasonable for any budget. For balcony seats, the price increases to $159.75, or about $15.98 per game.
But what makes the Valiant’s season pass truly special are all of their added bonuses. Like most other season passes, the Valiant will include swag such as a commemorative laminate badge and “limited edition merchandise”. However, they are going a bit further and are including exclusive members only events throughout the year that will allow season pass holders to mix and mingle with players. Additionally, pass holders will receive complimentary access to all of the Valiant watch parties throughout the season.
The Dallas Fuel also offered a multi-game pass for the holidays, starting in early December. There were three pass options to choose from, one of which being $99 for a single day pass. This pass allowed fans to attend all the Saturday or Sunday matches during the Fuel’s first three homestands. Fans could buy a pass for both days for around $200 or $12.50 per match. The Fuel further sweetened the pot by announcing that anyone who bought these passes would receive a free exclusive blanket. The blankets themselves were only available through this deal, but were comparable to ones being sold by IntoTheAM for $44.95. Shortly after first announcing the multi-game pass sale, the Fuel tweeted out that they would also be giving away a variety of collectible pins to every fan that purchased any Dallas homestand ticket.
Final Thoughts
The Pacific West division is full of great, low cost homestands to attend this season. Even the events that will only be hosting four total matches are inexpensive and would make a fantastic weekend excursion. For the superfans that held down the Blizzard Arena for the last two years, the LA Valiant’s season pass is hands down the way to go. The pass is not only cheap but includes events outside of the homestands, which may help fill the void that BALA has left.
Despite being one of the smaller events, fans shouldn’t discredit the Gladiator’s June homestand either. Although only four matches will be played over the weekend, it includes an always hype Battle of LA match between the Valiant and the Gladiators. Additionally, there will be a Season 2 Grand Finals rematch with the San Francisco Shock and the Vancouver Titans. It’s also the cheapest homestand throughout the season, so it’s a fine choice for anyone who is just getting into OWL and doesn’t want to invest too much money.
The last homestand for consideration is the Dallas Fuel’s final event in July. It seems that all of Dallas’ events will be relatively affordable, although venue information has yet to be released. Their homestand during week 23 will host a total of eight teams playing seven matches. One of those matches happens to be the only Battle for Texas, Dallas versus Houston, this season. Wherever the battle takes place, fans in the Lone Star State will not want to miss the hype.
For more info, please refer to the break downs of the Atlantic North and Atlantic South divisions.
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