The 2023 Overwatch offseason has already been one of the strangest we’ve seen to date. Teams have dropped iconic players, the free agency window has been delayed twice and now one of the initial rules of the Overwatch League has been changed. Since the start of the Overwatch League, players had to be at least 18 years old to participate in the league. However on December 21, that is no longer the case.
Sean Miller, head of the Overwatch League, went to Twitter to unveil the new OWL minimum age requirement. Starting in 2023, teams may sign and field players that are 17 years old.
Miller and the Overwatch League sate that this change was made in the spirit of accessibility and inclusivity. In previous years, OWL teams had signed potential star talent before the season but have had to wait until those players turned 18 later in the year. With this new rule change, the hope is that those players who would normally have to miss the majority of the OWL season can now participate from day one.
[Related: Overwatch Free Agency Window Delayed Again to December 23]
The announcement comes at an interesting time during the offseason as the free agency window opens later this week on December 23. The sudden announcement now opens up a massive new pool of players available to the OWL orgs who still need one or two pieces to complete their 2023 roster. Roster announcements are sure to flood Twitter timeline this upcoming Friday, so fans will see if this minimum age requirement made much of a impact to team’s roster building decisions.
Featured image courtesy of the Overwatch League
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