Fans of the Overwatch League are enjoying some of the best Overwatch played yet in this 2021 season. Of course, alongside these incredible matches and games comes the memorabilia, and the merchandise. UpperDeck, a trading card company that the Overwatch community has embraced for the past two years, has firmly planted their roots in this League. From player cards, to autographs, to allowing fans to create their own moments at the 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals, UpperDeck has been providing Overwatch League fans one of a kind merchandise in the form of cards.
This year is no exception. Though the League continues to operate from home, in a safe manner, the moments are just as exciting. As this 2021 season approaches its very first tournament, UpperDeck is happy to announce their new line of cards. Game Dated Moments from the 2021 season allows fans a chance to follow along with the action week by week
Every Monday on the UpperDeck esports twitter, a poll will be posted. This poll contains top plays from the previous weekend, across both the East and West Divisions. Fans are encouraged to vote in the poll, and the top two picks of the week are then made into the Game Dated Moments cards. The cards go on sale every Friday, at 9AM PST. There are limited supplies, so fans are encouraged to get their cards before they’re sold out.
Courtesy of Robert Paul and the Overwatch League
Why a fan poll, some might ask. After chatting with Jodi Wasserman, the Director of Marketing at UpperDeck, TheGameHaus got some insight as to how these cards came to be. “We have been wanting to get the community more involved with the Overwatch League cards for some time now,” the UpperDeck team explained. “One of our team members here came up with the idea for the Twitter Polls and we all just thought that it was a no-brainer. What better way to get the fans involved than letting them decide which moments become actual Trading Cards!”
Through this process, the fans get to choose what cards they get to own. With so many incredible plays across the regions from week to week, letting the community have a say in what gets immortalized is a wonderful way to garner interest, and give a voice to the masses.
Overwatch League fans who’ve purchased UpperDeck cards before are aware of what these Game Moments look like. In the past, there were sweeping shots of full arenas. The players were lined up on stage, showing their emotions to the audience around them. For the past year, however, things have been different. Without these live events, it begs the question — what will these Game Dated Moments look like?
The team eagerly explained. “We are super excited for everyone to see what the cards look like for 2021! The photography used on the front of the card is a huge improvement over last years. With the games still happening online we decided to utilize the Overwatch League Replay Viewer for photography. This allows us to get as close to the action as possible and capture these moments in ways the fans haven’t seen before.” YouTube’s functionality has vastly improved for the 2021 season, and fans can look forward to high quality screen grabs of these incredible moments.
In addition to these Game Dated Moments, the team at UpperDeck confirms that players, new and old, are going to get new cards as well. “You will absolutely see the Rookies included in the Game Dated Moments cards,” they confirmed. However, fans of the new faces in the League should look to twitter to ensure they get content they crave. “Rookie of The Month cards will not be returning for 2021, so be sure to vote for the Rookies in the Twitter Polls to get their cards made.”
Image courtesy of UpperDeck.
In addition to these new cards, fans are given a chance to earn even more with UpperDeck. Each week, the Game Dated Moments are available from Friday at 9AM PST, to the following Friday at 8:59 AM PST. Fans and collectors who acquire these cards earn incentive for their collections in the form of a League Standout Autograph Achievement card. There are four LSAA cards available throughout the entire season, and these Game Dated Moments allow fans access to each of them on a weekly basis.
Fans that collect all of these LSAA cards, as well as the upcoming Grand Finals Weekly Moments cards can also receive a Grand Finals Standout Autograph Achievement card. Additionally, collectors that acquire all four of the LSAA cards, and the GFSAA card can receive a 2021 Season 10-Player Autograph Achievement! A 5×7 card, this feature will include 10 player autographs from either the West or East divisions.
Featured Image Courtesy of the Toronto Defiant twitter.
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from other TGH writers.
Follow Mallory on Twitter @macklemalloryOW for all things Defiant! #RiseTogether
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
