The Overwatch League was a breakthrough in not only the Overwatch community, but esports in general. The inclusion of city-based teams, along with the lucrative contracts drew the attention of not only die-hard esports fans, but sports fans as well. However, there are still a few changes that Overwatch League Season 2 can make to ensure that fans will stay engaged and excited.
There are a few places on the Internet where you can do an Overwatch Fantasy League. Heck, I even did one (and got first place). However, having an official Overwatch League fantasy feature will make fans more engaged, especially in teams they may not have been focused on in the first place. Having the Overwatch League create this would show that they care about fans. It also shows that they want to keep the traffic on site, and not delegate it to another entity. While the stats page on the Overwatch League website is not the best, it acknowledges that they are aware of the fans’ cries for statistics.
If the Overwatch League can implement a fantasy league, then it will allow fans to compete among their friends. Also, it will force fans to focus on other teams, and follow the players that they drafted. Friendly competition among fans will allow for a greater sense of pride among fans for a team.
Courtesy of Overwatch League
With eight new teams competing in Overwatch Season 2, there needs to be a better way to schedule all 20 teams playing. In the first season, teams played Thursday through Sunday, with three games each day. This meant that each team played two games a week over five weeks. This schedule led to fatigue and players being burnt out. If the same model was kept, it would result in five games each day.
A potential solution could be to expand the amount of days that teams play. If you spread it over the whole week, while making sure that teams are not playing back to back, it could improve the format. Another solution would be to decrease the number of games each team plays in a week. Decreasing the games from two a week to one would allow there to still be 10 games a week, similarly to the 12 a week from Season 1.
One issue that fans have voiced is the inability to change how they watch the games. The Overwatch League tried to address this with the Twitch All-Access Pass, which gave multiple windows on the screen for those who invested in it. However, fans have been asking for ways to select the camera of individual players. There are fans who want to learn from these elite players, and watching the best is a great way to do that. If a fan wants to learn how to better play as a Widowmaker, then they may want to view Jae-hyeok “Carpe” Lee of the Philadelphia Fusion.
Courtesy of Liquipedia
Allowing viewers to choose how they watch the game would bring in more viewership. While the Overwatch League has improved on their camerawork, allowing individualization on the side of the viewers would help fans feel more connected to the teams and players.
What other features would you like to see implemented in the Overwatch League Season 2?
Follow me on Twitter @awheatondude I would love to hear your thoughts.
Featured Image Courtesy of the Overwatch League
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