Fans have asked for it, and the league has delivered. On Thursday March 25, the Overwatch League announced its plans for viewership rewards in the 2021 season. The T-Mobile-sponsored promotion rewards viewers for simply tuning into Overwatch League matches each week on YouTube. Once a Blizzard account is linked to a YouTube account, audiences are all set to start collecting those OWL Tokens.
Audiences will also have the chance to earn select skins and sprays while watching OWL matches. During the tournament matches through the year, fans have a chance to earn Overwatch League themed skins for in-game use. OWL skins have typically been saved for viewers of the Grand Finals matches. This year however, it looks like each tournament will give viewers a new commemorative spray and character skin.
[Related: The OWL Fleta MVP Skin Has Been Revealed]
Viewership rewards were one of the biggest gripes fans had after the switch to YouTube from Twitch. One of the most common complaints from the more vocal fans was the lack of drops during the YouTube streams. On Twitch, viewers had the chance to earn sprays during OWL matches but that option disappeared during the platform change. Halfway through the 2020 season viewers could earn OWL tokens through watching on YouTube, but that incentive seemed less exciting for less invested watchers.
This viewership reward system is a small step in the right direction for the Overwatch League. Fans are still hoping for a similar product to the All-Access Pass in the near future, however there is currently no time table for that type of add-on. In the meantime though, OWL fans can enjoy the small satisfaction of earning some new fun cosmetics for their favorite character over the course of the 2021 OWL season.
Featured image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment and the Overwatch League
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